Companies within the home building industry can rethink the building process to develop innovative solutions to address attainability, manufacturing efficiency, and sustainability, according to Amit Haller of Veev Group, Dean Dalvit of EVstudio, Annie Perkins of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Charlie Chupp of Fading West Development. During “Triple Threat: Re-Imaging Homebuilding From the Ground Up” at the 2022 International Builders’ Show, the panelists identified how innovative solutions within the areas can help deliver better homes and create stronger and healthier communities.
Attainability
Haller said tackling the issue of attainability within the home building industry does not have a single solution, and companies in the industry will have to be very radical to address current issues. By applying new approaches and techniques to design and the speed, cost, and quality of the building process, companies can drive greater accessibility and create stronger communities, according to Haller.
“The only consumer product that every single year takes longer to produce, costs more, and is of a lower quality [is the home],” Haller said. “Everything else in our life goes the other way. Phones and cars are getting better at lower costs and higher quality every single year. With the inefficiency in the building process, the only thing we can save on is material. That’s the way we think and we need to change that.”
Efficiency
Chupp introduced the audience to principles from the Toyota Production System (TPS), which can be applied to the construction industry to increase quality, shorten schedules, and drive affordability. Chupp said the basis of the TPS is evaluating the value stream to identify areas of waste and eliminate them. The same broad principle can be applied to the home building industry.
“We can’t be everything to everyone. The ability to focus on a specific market and a customer’s need in that specific market is the first step. Who are you going to solve the problem for?” Chupp said. “Once you understand that, you can start standardizing the product and start designing a product that meets a market demand.”
Efficiency can be improved by standardizing the building process, according to Chupp. Fading West Development offers a limited selection of high-quality countertop, interior door, and floor options to customers in a limited number of floor plans. Limiting the number of choices allows for greater standardization, driving efficiency and maximizing value, according to Chupp.
“The paradox of choice [currently available for customers] is extraordinary and slows down the process,” Chupp said. “[Once we eliminate choices] we can really focus on the quality of the products.”
Sustainability
Sustainability is not a problem uniquely belonging to the construction industry, but the industry disproportionately contributes negatively to the health of the environment. Perkins said the construction industry is responsible for 40% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, including 10% from the raw materials used. Building sustainably has widespread benefits to the environment and does not require a heavy level of investment from builders or developers. Organizations such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative do extensive work certifying wood, and the only responsibility for builders and developers is to use those raw materials.
“Wood products sourced from sustainably managed forests play a huge role in sustainability,” Perkins said. “The trees sequester and capture carbon as they grow, and, when we harvest the tree, that carbon is stored within the building for the life of that building.”
Practical Applications
Dalvit said through practical applications of innovative sustainability, efficiency, and affordability practices, you can deliver high-quality homes that help create strong communities. No one solution can solve any issue, but Dalvit said through application of construction technology and innovation, companies can help move toward a better future.
While it may not be feasible for all construction companies to modularly construct homes or develop fabrication factories, other solutions can help drive similar goals. By managing available choices to consumers within floor plans, builders can create less waste, minimize inventory, and spend more on high quality products, according to Dalvit.
“We can emulate lots of techniques used by manufacturers [to innovate], starting with designing with fewer parts. That’s not something that’s exclusive to a factory,” Dalvit said. “We should focus on bringing down the number of parts (SKUs) by several orders of magnitude. The reduction of parts allows you greater purchasing power and also minimizes waste.”
