Our industry has much to gain from our participation in the Innovative Housing Showcase in Washington, D.C. This year, one of our main goals was to lobby government officials to stimulate housing construction. In effect, the 27 exhibitors were saying right in front of the seat of government, “See what we’re doing to improve housing affordability, now please help us.” SBCA’s two-story, fully framed duplex set our industry’s component technology in sharp contrast to the more exotic displays. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
Walking down from Capitol Hill, legislators encountered our exhibit first, as did those walking down Seventh Street from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On the third day of the Showcase, Scott Turner, Secretary of HUD, was greeted by Jess Lohse, Executive Director of SBCA. Entering, they encountered a large map underscoring the wide distribution of component manufacturers across our nation, and then they “walked through” the framing of the exhibit on a large monitor. Around the corner they viewed a poster detailing the cost savings of components, with data derived from multiple “Framing the American Dream” build-offs. This poster echoed the theme of the Showcase, “The American Home is the American Dream.” While our component technology may not be as futuristic as that he encountered later in the day, Secretary Turner at least now is better acquainted with the dominant role of trusses and wall panels in homebuilding.
A short walk from our exhibit were 26 other displays of innovations that were worth exploring, if only to judge whether one of these new technologies may usurp ours. The most innovative was the first robotically printed house, from Azure, a two-year-old California startup, which utilizes recycled plastics. While this technology eliminates construction labor, it currently is feasible only in the tiny or portable home market.
There were several modular buildings utilizing new materials, including the accessory dwelling units (ADU) built by Aevolve Green Solutions. These are constructed with magnesium oxide panels, which are more durable and have better insulation properties than gypsum and cement-based siding but currently cost more. Also featured was the Connect Housing Blocks structure built with steel modules, said to be targeted at multi-family projects.
Relevant to component technology was the Solar Energy Shingles by GAF Timberline. Since these shingles weigh about the same as architectural asphalt shingles, they do not require any increase in the normal roof dead, wind, or snow drifting loads.
It could be said that our component framing technology is “old school” and is out-of-place at the Innovative Housing Showcase. However, we belong at the center of this exhibit until and unless some methodology surpasses ours, which I did not encounter among the 26 other exhibits. In fact, SBCA’s two-story home stood tall between two iconic American monuments, in contrast to the much lower-rising exhibits, and showed why our floor, roof, and wall components remain the unchallenged, dominant state-of-the-art in homebuilding. Yet, we need to constantly show current and aspiring members of the homebuilding community why we are the incumbent and also to convince the stick-framers that their days are numbered.
SBCA’s strong showing at the Innovative Housing Showcase, preceded by member visits to legislators in July, demonstrates the firm commitment of the component industry to supply the backbone of the most affordable and durable housing in America.