The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X, has released the Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap, a strategic report that presents the key knowledge gaps and research needs to overcome the barriers and challenges to offsite construction.
High prices for buyers and renters are forcing Americans out of their homes and making housing unattainable. This crisis is to a large extent driven by supply constraints.
Offsite construction has the potential to deliver more affordable and accessible single and multifamily housing at scale. However, offsite construction for housing in the U.S. faces several challenges to increase uptake and adoption. This stands in considerable contrast to more mature international offsite construction industries, such as those in the UK, Japan, and Sweden.
“We need an all-of-the-above approach to housing, and offsite construction represents a unique and underused opportunity to help meet the needs of America’s working families,” said AC Powell, JD, CPS, President and CEO of NIBS. “We applaud HUD for undertaking this research effort to overcome barriers and level the playing field for all construction methods to help alleviate the housing crisis.”
What’s in The Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap
The Research Roadmap was developed by a Project Technical Committee chaired by MOD X and composed of national and international stakeholders and cross-sector experts. It is intended as a roadmap for HUD to align its programs and partnerships, while simultaneously offering an industry-wide roadmap for governments, universities, and offsite companies to come together to advance offsite construction for housing.
The Research Roadmap covers six topical areas in need of coordinated research efforts, with sub-topics and specific research questions listed to help answer the knowledge gaps:
- Research Topic 1: Regulatory and Policy Framework.
- Research Topic 2: Standards and System Performance.
- Research Topic 3: Capital, Finance, and Insurance.
- Research Topic 4: Project Delivery and Contracts.
- Research Topic 5: Labor and Workforce Training and Management.
- Research Topic 6: Business Models and Economic Performance.
The NIBS Off-Site Construction Council
In 2013, the National Institute of Building Sciences established the Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) to serve as a research, education, and outreach center for relevant and current information on off-site design and construction for commercial, institutional, and multifamily facilities. NIBS staff and members of the OSCC have supported federal and private off-site construction research projects, including toolkits, roadmaps, and reports for the off-site industry. NIBS and the OSCC encourage OSCC members and other off-site stakeholders to submit reports or projects of interest that can help in the furthering of the council's goals. For more information, visit the OSCC.
About NIBS
National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues in the built environment. NIBS is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It was established by Congress in 1974. For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on Twitter and Facebook.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 160 Apartment and Condominium Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Humphreys and Partners, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and AO top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest apartment building and condominium architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 40 Student Housing Construction Firms for 2023
Findorff, Juneau Construction, JE Dunn Construction, and Weitz Company top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest student housing facility general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 30 Student Housing Engineering Firms for 2023
Kimley-Horn, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, KPFF Consulting Engineers, and Olsson head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest student housing facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 20, 2023
Top 90 Student Housing Architecture Firms for 2023
Niles Bolton Associates, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, BKV Group, and Humphreys and Partners Architects top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest student housing facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
MFPRO+ News | Dec 18, 2023
Berkeley, Calif., raises building height limits in downtown area
Facing a severe housing shortage, the City of Berkeley, Calif., increased the height limits on residential buildings to 12 stories in the area close to the University of California campus.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Dec 13, 2023
Mind the Gap
Incorporating temporary expansion joints on larger construction projects can help avoid serious consequences. Here's why and how.
Giants 400 | Dec 12, 2023
Top 35 Military Facility Construction Firms for 2023
Hensel Phelps, DPR Construction, Walsh Group, and Whiting-Turner top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest military facility general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 12, 2023
Top 50 Military Facility Engineering Firms for 2023
Jacobs, Burns & McDonnell, WSP, and AECOM head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest military facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Dec 12, 2023
Top 40 Military Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Michael Baker International, HDR, Whitman, Requardt & Associates, and Stantec top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest military facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Codes and Standards | Dec 11, 2023
Washington state tries new approach to phase out fossil fuels in new construction
After pausing a heat pump mandate earlier this year after a federal court overturned Berkeley, Calif.’s ban on gas appliances in new buildings, Washington state enacted a new code provision that seems poised to achieve the same goal.