The premise of HGTV Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is that a worthy home is awarded to a team of contractors, designers, and construction industry professionals who join a five-day blitz to completely remodel a family home into their dream home. As an architect who knows it takes about six months to build a single-family home, I’ve always been skeptical about this hypothetical five-day building cycle, but wondered if it was even possible.
In 2005, KTGY had the opportunity to work on one of these projects, and we learned that it was indeed achievable. The point is not to think of it as a compressed six-month build, but to completely rethink the process. Designers, developers, contractors, and manufacturers need to seamlessly collaborate to create roadmaps—only through this approach of collaboration, planning, and rethinking can we achieve the seemingly impossible.
There are many challenges facing the construction industry today. Soaring development costs are exacerbated by rising interest rates. Climate change is driving sustainable development, and building codes make it clear that this evolution is taking place. Electric vehicles, photovoltaics, battery storage systems and initiatives such as AIA 2030 and Energize Denver all promise a cleaner future while also boosting today’s profits. High demand and low supply counterbalance greater upward pressure on costs. Ultimately, these additional costs are borne by end users, but how long will it take before the system fails? Housing affordability is at stake and changes are needed.
One way to solve these problems is to increase the speed of construction. The sooner a completed project enters the market, the sooner it will begin to generate income. Shorter construction times reduce overall conditions, overheads and labor costs for all parties involved. In addition, resources are released faster, making them available for other projects. Speeding up construction is great conceptually, but the problem is how to do it.
Modular housing is one possible solution. It promises factory precision and efficiency, with much of the construction taking place in a weather-controlled off-site environment. The building blocks are then transported before the nearly complete building is assembled on site. Modules must be placed somewhere before or after dispatch, or delivered on time. Working with the right plants to understand their specifications, capacities and schedules is critical. As with Extreme Renovation, all parts must work in sync: the client, architect, engineer, contractor, and factory must all be in sync for maximum efficiency.
Developers must understand how delivery restrictions affect module size, configuration, and interfaces. These components must be designed to allow access to and direct connection of structural components, utilities and weather protection. The main goal of maximizing what is factory built must be balanced with measures to protect the elements during transport, some elements are best assembled on site.
Massive timber buildings address sustainability issues by reducing carbon emissions compared to concrete and steel structures. Building codes have recently embraced bulk timber, introducing new building types that allow structures up to 18 stories high. Instead of building formwork, rebar and concrete every floor, assembling a set of large wood components can save 25% construction time.
Steel structural systems still have their place in the market, and they have come a long way from the heavy riveted structures that once required skilled labor to be placed in precarious environments. Modern steel structural systems such as Infinity Structures & Prescient are lightweight proprietary systems that require less total material and are more accurately and quickly erected. Most of these systems use varying degrees of flooring, roofing and wall systems. The concept of paneling can also be applied to wood, with the added benefit of being a renewable material.
At the material level, manufacturers have made progress by combining multiple building materials, primarily to reduce on-site installation steps. The Zip System combines exterior wall cladding with an air/water barrier, and some versions even include insulation and/or fire protection. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are sandwich insulation between layers of wood sheathing, providing wall panels with structural and thermal performance strong enough to withstand the rigors of transportation.
Offsite construction can be broken down into smaller components such as modular lift systems, stairs and balconies. These elements can be quickly connected together in the field, reducing the need for skilled labor and bypassing some sequencing issues. Increase efficiency even at the most basic level of construction when building poles can be ordered, pre-cut to size and delivered ready to assemble. While these components are only a small part of a larger building, they help provide more flexibility when transporting to the site.
Many off-site construction concepts are not new, but are not yet fully utilized in the construction industry. If we think about buildings differently and adopt these systems, methods, components and materials, we will reap the benefits of faster construction, lower overall costs, and greener buildings. With the right knowledge and careful coordination among all stakeholders, we can begin to address the challenges facing our industry and get there faster.
KTGY director Kyle Millar’s construction experience is focused on multi-family housing, where he leads design teams on projects of varying densities, from single-family to mid-rise. Mr. Millar’s core experience is in the technical design phase from design development to construction documentation and construction management. He is involved in overall project management, customer service and delivery of a finished product that retains the quality and character of the original design. In 2023, Mr. Miller moved to Denver from KTGY’s Irvine office to lead the production team at a high-density studio in Denver.