{"id":22575,"date":"2023-10-12T00:23:20","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T07:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/productizing-housing-for-superior-efficiency-and-sustainability\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T00:23:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T07:23:23","slug":"productizing-housing-for-superior-efficiency-and-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/productizing-housing-for-superior-efficiency-and-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Productizing Housing for Superior Efficiency and Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This year\u2019s World of Digital Built Environment\u00a0WDBE<\/a>\u00a0summit was an inspiring two-day event in Tallinn and Helsinki. One of the highlights for me at WDBE was\u00a0BJ Siegel<\/strong>\u2018s keynote on productized housing design and construction.<\/p>\n

Solving the housing problem sustainably<\/h2>\n

BJ discussed the innovative approach that his company, Juno<\/a>, is taking to design and build multi-family sustainable housing in the United States. He emphasized the importance of productization as a way to meet the pressing needs for new housing while building sustainably.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By breaking down the design into a small number of components, Juno is able to create a repeatable and scalable delivery method for housing. This approach allows for faster project completion, improved precision, reduced risk for developers, and lower costs.<\/p>\n

BJ points out that while Juno uses off-site production, they are not providing volumetric modular construction: \u201cThey\u2019re very small-scale pieces, like a column or a beam or a piece of millwork. The largest piece is maybe that bathroom pod, and it\u2019s the only volumetric piece. So we\u2019re really concerned about being able to ship things in a very efficient way, flat pack, from where they\u2019re created in the factory to the job site.\u201d<\/p>\n

Housing as a product<\/h2>\n

The company draws inspiration from other industries, such as consumer electronics, where product development follows a clear process of identifying problems, defining requirements, prototyping, validating, and going into production. Juno applies this process to the built environment, which is not commonly seen in the construction industry.<\/p>\n

Juno\u2019s focus on sustainability is evident in its use of mass timber, a material that sequesters carbon and offers both expressive design possibilities and efficient manufacturing processes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By leveraging technology and data, Juno can collect detailed information about each component and integrate it into their design process. This level of coordination and planning allows for faster and more efficient construction.<\/p>\n

The first project<\/h2>\n

The company\u2019s first project, located in Austin, Texas, serves as a prototype for their system. By utilizing off-site fabrication and precise planning, Juno could complete the superstructure super-fast with minimal waste and a small labor force. \u201cWe actually put that superstructure together with just five people, four men, and a woman, in five weeks,\u201d BJ said.<\/p>\n

During the Q&A, an audience member asked about the importance of branding and marketing to Juno. BJ admitted that the original idea of Juno as a consumer brand has subsided.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realized very quickly though, the paying customer that would actually keep us in business is actually not the consumer at all. And, that was a bit of a heartbreak for me because I was really excited to be a consumer company for people living in these places. But we realized that actually, our customers were the developers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Austing project is finishing soon, so you can go and see how well Juno has combined the needs of the inhabitants, the developer, and the city.<\/p>\n

If you registered for WDBE, you can watch this and the other presentation recordings online. You can also listen to\u00a0my interview with BJ Siegel<\/a>\u00a0on WDBE Talks.<\/p>\n

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