Productizing housing for superior efficiency and sustainability
This year's World of Digital Built Environment WDBE summit was an inspiring two-day event in Tallinn and Helsinki. It was packed with new insights and offered a chance to meet with individuals who are changing how we plan, design, and build climate-consciously.
Solving the housing problem sustainably
One of the highlights for me at WDBE was BJ Siegel's keynote. He discussed the innovative approach that his company, Juno, is taking to design and build multi-family sustainable housing in the United States.
BJ emphasized the importance of productization as a way to meet the pressing needs for new housing while building sustainably.
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.
BJ points out that while Juno uses off-site production, they are not providing volumetric modular construction: "They're 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's the only volumetric piece. So we're really concerned about being able to ship things in a very efficient way, flat pack, from where they're created in the factory to the job site."
Housing as a product
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.
Juno's 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.
By leveraging technology and data, Juno is able to 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.
The first project
The company's first project, located in Austin, Texas, serves as a prototype for their system. By utilizing off-site fabrication and precise planning, Juno was able to complete the superstructure super-fast with minimal waste and a small labor force. "We actually put that superstructure together with just five people, four men, and a woman, in five weeks," BJ said.
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.
"We 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."
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.
PS.
If you registered for WDBE, you can watch this and the other presentation recordings online. You can also listen to my interview with BJ Siegel on WDBE Talks.
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