MML Review Magazine July/August/September 2024

USING MODULAR CONSTRUCTION TO FIX THE HOUSING MARKET

By Nat M. Zorach, AICP, MBA

What if we had a way to build housing that was far more energy-efficient than the average product on the market, could be built in half the time, and was the same price or even cheaper to boot? It’s not a pipe dream,

nor the prelude to a pitch for a lofty Silicon Valley software platform. I’m talking about modular construction, also known as industrialized construction. It’s not new, but it’s getting a lot more attention owing to a myriad of factors facing the housing market, including historically constrained supplies of both construction labor and affordable housing in most markets. And it’s something we should be talking about in Michigan.

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| Summer 2024