Architect Advocates for Modular Construction 

An article in Gothamist reports that modular construction could help address the housing crisis in New York and the recently passed state budget has allocated resources “to fund the development of starter and modular homes.”

Modular construction largely takes place in factories, making it faster and cheaper than building on site the way most homes and buildings are currently constructed. But according to Jason Van Nest, M. Arch., director of the Center for Offsite Construction in the School of Architecture and Design, “It just hasn’t found traction yet in America, although we’ve been trying to do it for decades.”

Van Nest said the industry faces significant hurdles to make a dent in the city’s real estate and construction worlds. Currently, he said, the cost of a kitchen per square foot is higher than a “nice sedan,” although an automotive vehicle is far more complicated than a kitchen. He envisions that “homebuyers in New York City would one day ‘roll in’ a pre-built bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and other components of a home, rather than have all those things assembled on site. “The way you buy a Ford F-150 today is how you should be able to buy a kitchen,” Van Nest said.

The story also appeared in News Net Daily.