February 2nd, 2023
by Ryan Colker

Off-site construction is not a new idea – some examples can be found as far back as the early 1900s. Despite this long history, the maturity of the industry varies globally.

Apart from manufactured housing, off-site construction in the United States has progressed slowly as compared to Europe and Japan, where there is a well-established off-site construction culture.

Taking Initiative in Expanding Off-Site Construction

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognizes the opportunities of off-site construction and the lessons to be learned from international entities that have expanded their markets.

As part of its research and strategy development process, HUD, with the assistance of the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X, is organizing a series of educational exchanges with off-site construction leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Sweden to foster greater learning opportunities within the industry.

The International Code Council and ICC-NTA were invited to collaborate and share knowledge on the regulatory and verification processes supporting the off-site construction industry.

Pictured are attendees at the first off-site construction exchange
Pictured are attendees at the first off-site construction exchange

Exchanging Ideas: Dispatch to Scotland and England

The first exchange of off-site construction lessons was to Scotland and England from Dec. 4-9, 2022. Ryan Colker, Code Council Vice President of Innovation, and David Tompos, ICC-NTA President, attended alongside U.S. representatives from HUD, RMI, Synergy Inc., Ivory Homes, Port of Portland, UC Berkeley, Entekra, Volumetric Building Companies and Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed. The exchange was supported by Homes England and the Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) Center (Scotland).

Site visits from this exchange included a custom home builder delivering highly-efficient panelized homes to an automated wood I-joist factory, volumetric module factories delivering single-family and apartments, a government-supported research and innovation center, a cross-laminated timber (CLT) wellness center under construction and the tallest modular construction project in the UK (50 stories).

Factory site visit during the exchange

MAKAR, James Jones & Sons Ltd, CCG (Scotland) Ltd, Fettes College, Legal & General Modular Homes, ilke Homes, Vision Modular Systems, Tide Construction Limited and Stora Enso participated in off-site factories and project sites.

This first exchange culminated in a discussion with off-site leaders from Scotland and England on opportunities to advance off-site construction and capture lessons learned from each country’s perspective.

Colker shared the U.S. approach to the off-site construction plan review process and in-factory inspections as well as the important role of ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 in driving towards efficiency in the off-site construction process. Outcomes from the discussions and site visits will help inform future standards development and new solutions to help the industry progress.

In addition to the educational exchanges, HUD will host a workshop in early 2024 to help formulate a strategic plan to advance the use of off-site construction as a mechanism to achieve housing and other building industry goals.

For more information on off-site construction and available solutions like the ICC/MBI standards, click here.

About the Author
Ryan Colker
Ryan Colker is the vice president of innovation at the International Code Council where he identifies emerging issues in the building industry, including how new technologies can be leveraged by codes and standards, methods to modernize the application of building regulations, and the development of new business strategies that support members and building safety professionals. He also serves as executive director of the Alliance for National and Community Resilience. Most recently, Colker was the vice president of the National Institute of Building Sciences, where he led the institute’s efforts to improve the built environment through collaboration of public and private sectors. Previously, he was the manager of government affairs at ASHRAE.