The affordable housing crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. It is estimated that the US now has a national shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes. The skilled labor shortage remains the key limiting factor to expanding home construction and improving housing inventory and affordability. Even though everything seems doom and gloom in the industry, there are a couple of companies working on innovative solutions to the housing crisis.
One of them is the P4 Housing Collective in Idaho.
This group was established by two co-founders of a unique automated construction factory. The huge success of this factory inspired them to form the collective to help develop more automated facilities using a standardized, predesigned system. They build affordable apartment buildings in a factory environment with robot arms, gantry cranes, CNC machines and more.
Their modular, prefabricated approach reduces the skilled labor needed, cuts out risks, and speeds up the construction process. This innovative 400,000 sqft factory is a turnkey automation solution for offsite construction. The process removes a lot of the on-site risks by building prefabricated modules in a controlled, indoor environment.
Digital Models
Their automation line begins with highly detailed digital models that contain mechanical, electrical, plumbing data, structural members, windows, doors, final finishes and more. A digital kit of parts is sent to a Hundegger machine that cuts down all the structural lumber to size. It is then wrapped into bundles and sent off to the first assembly line.
A vacuum robot lifts dimensional lumber, LVLs, glulams and other structural members onto conveyor rollers. Robot arms then pick up the members, place them in precise locations and begin nailing them together to create wall panels. These can be exterior wall panels with window openings or interior wall panels with door openings.
Robot Nailing Machines
These robot nailing machines can even assemble smaller panels with extreme precision. You will not find nails that have missed their targets or even overnailed connections that could compromise strength, like you typically do with onsite construction. The next step of the assembly involves applying glue to the studs to prepare them for sheathing and drywall.
Another set of robot arms lift OSB and drywall with suction cups and place them in correct locations. These are nailed to the studs with 4 robots that hold 5 nail guns, so you can hear 20 nail guns going off at the same time.
Assembly
The next part of the assembly involves routing out holes in the drywall and sheathing for window and door openings. The robot arms even cut out holes for electrical boxes and lights. All the waste pieces of drywall and OSB drop down onto a conveyor belt and head straight into a dumpster. In addition to wall assemblies, the team has automated the construction of floor assemblies. Open web joists are picked up by a large robot arm and placed on conveyor rollers. They are nailed to a supporting frame and passed down the assembly line to meet their corresponding wall panels.
Company Values
- Cleanliness is another important value to the company. The factory was constantly being cleaned; whether it was the area run by robots, the finishing area run by humans, and even the storage yard outside.
- Raw materials and supplies were clearly marked and stored in designated locations and every supply cart was fully stocked.
- The communication and collaboration between workers also impressed me. Everyone seemed knowledgeable not only about their task, but also about the entire construction process.
- The company seems truly passionate about solving the affordable housing crisis in the States. To them, it is not just a tagline.
- Another advantage of automated factories for offsite, modular construction is the role it can play in helping fix the skilled labor shortage. The next generation of workers who will enter the construction industry are not as keen on outdoor, manual labor. Their lifestyles are different and their expectations are different. An automated, technology-driven environment with new methods of construction can attract new talent and younger workers.
- The company is applying the concept of gamification to construction. They don’t need to hire skilled masons or carpenters. They have actually found that video gamers are pretty good operators for their robotic systems.
Conclusion
I think one of the many challenges to standardization of buildings is that clients and designers take a lot of pride in their projects. Construction isn’t identical to the automotive industry where we’ve accepted that we’re going to drive the same car as millions of other people. Homeowners, businesses and designers want a bespoke or unique project. I think architects need to work with people from a technical background, to prove that we can make bespoke projects with standardized components.
