Exhibitors, manufacturers, and policymakers gathered on the National Mall for the fourth iteration of the Innovative Housing Showcase (IHS).
The public event aims to raise awareness of innovative and affordable housing designs and technologies that have the potential to increase housing supply, lower construction costs, increase energy efficiency and resilience, and reduce housing expenses for owners and renters.
At the 2024 IHS, dozens of exhibitors canvassed the nation’s capital, displaying technologies, innovations, and solutions geared toward addressing affordability, increasing housing inventory, and enhancing the sustainability, resiliency, and efficiency of the built environment. The exhibitors ranged from product manufacturers, such as James Hardie, Daytek, and Solaris Toilet, to companies displaying full-sized prototype homes built using a variety of innovative building technologies.
The exhibitors included:
Structural Building Components Association
The SBCA once again installed a fully framed, two-story, 2,400-square-foot house on the National Mall in less than eight hours. 84 Lumber provided the structural framing elements, windows, doors, and framing crews for the 2024 installation. According to signage inside the house, component framing can deliver savings of more than $20,000 compared with traditional stick framing and labor advantages. The SBCA also highlighted that manufactured components are designed to exceed load requirements for improved durability and can be designed with energy efficiency in mind.
UMH Properties, Cavco Industries, and Skyline Champion Homes
Public equity REIT UMH Properties showcased two HUD-code duplex models in partnership with Cavco Industries and Skyline Champion Homes.
The home built by Cavco Industries is the factory-built Blue Ridge model, a single-level duplex home with 1,085 square feet. When divided by the fire wall, it creates two Energy Star-certified, one-bedroom dwellings. At 70 feet long and 15.5 feet wide, the floor plan is suitable for both narrow lots or developers wanting to maximize depth and curb appeal, according to Cavco. The Blue Ridge model is part of the Anthem duplex series, which Cavco says is “the most practical, logical, and affordable solution” for increasing density and developers looking to diversify their real estate portfolio.
The unit built in partnership with Skyline Champion Homes is a factory-built, 28-foot-by-70-foot multi-section unit; when divided by the fire wall, it creates two two-bedroom, one-bath 900-square-foot units. One unit features solar shingles from Timberline Solar by GAF Energy.
No Nonsense Housing and 21st Century Home Co.
A Bento Tiny House, produced by 21st Century Home Co., was displayed by No Nonsense Housing at the 2024 IHS. The design for the patented tiny home is based on the requirements of the National Residential Building Code, and the house on wheels is certified by the U.S. Department of Motor Vehicles. The home is equipped with a full-size stand-up bathroom with a 5-foot walk-in shower; a stand-up bedroom with a full-sized queen bed; 16 linear feet of kitchen, including a dishwasher, a combined clothing washer and dryer, and seating for five for dining; a full-sized air conditioner; a utility closet; and a living room that converts to an additional bed area. No Nonsense Housing said the Bento model is anticipated to go into production later in the summer.
Green Canopy NODE
Green Canopy NODE highlighted the advantages of mass timber off-site construction on its unit assembled at the National Mall. The company’s prefabricated utility kits reduce the traditional mechanical, electrical plumbing install time by 50%, eliminating a source of inefficiencies and call bucks. The mass timber turnkey structural solution is also a “carbon sink” and designed for deconstruction and the circular economy, according to Green Canopy NODE. Since the utility kits are preconstructed in an off-site factory during site work, the kits are ready for a smooth and seamless installation process during the framing phase. The Prefabricated Mass Timber Building Kits are available for cottages, ADUs, townhomes, and apartments.
TinyBox
TinyBox can assemble anywhere in just 48 hours without any required heavy equipment, according to the company. The company’s tiny homes feature up to R-60 insulation and 100-per-square-foot snow load and are also resistant to earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires, and seaside moisture, according to TinyBox. The product includes a structural steel frame, galvanized steel siding, a galvanized steel roof, and floor-to-ceiling, triple-pane U-0.17 windows.
Pallet Shelter
The 70-square-foot S2 shelter units from Pallet Shelter are designed to address human displacement. The product features a mono-pitch roof, smooth exterior and interior panels, and improved energy efficiency. Made utilizing a panelized construction process, the shelters can be easily moved by forklift to accommodate any site challenges.
Great Outdoor Cottages
Great Outdoor Cottages’ tiny homes are built with a focus on sustainability and durability at the forefront. With seven 12-foot wide model options and two 14-foot wide model options, each Great Outdoor Cottage tiny home features insulated single hung low-E windows, R-24 spray foam insulation in the floor, R-22 fiberglass insulation in the roof, and R-11 fiberglass insulation in the sidewalls and floors. The exterior features Smart LP siding, standing seam metal roofs, and trussed roof rafters while the interior features smooth finished ceilings ¾-inch floor decking, and sealed OSB and entry doors and plumbing locations.
Azure Printed Homes
Azure Printed Homes modeled its X-180 unit, “a sleek modern park model,” on the National Mall. The 3D-printed home is made with recycled polymers. Azure specializes in producing backyard studios, ADUs, and homes that are 70% faster to build and 30% more cost-effective than traditional construction methods, according to the company. Starting at $49,900, the X-180 unit is 9-feet-by-20-feet and contains a studio, kitchen, and bathroom. According to Azure, the print material delivers properties such as insulation, water resistance, printability, strength, stiffness, and impact resistance.
Lancaster Log Cabins
The log cabin tiny home builder showcased its Sierra model on the National Mall. The 400-square-foot home is 12-feet-by-34-feet and features a 10-foot porch with a loft included. Lancaster Log Cabins was founded in 2016 with the goal of building log cabins on wheels, made with real logs that maintain “100% of the rustic aesthetic.”
Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America spent three years researching and manufacturing 125 ADUs for unhoused veterans in cities across the country through a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The organization displayed one of its shipping container accessory dwelling units, produced in partnership with Makhers Studio and the Durham Community Land Trustees, on the National Mall. The shipping container ADUs are factory-built and are outfitted with a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living space.
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