Metropolis Magazine’s Post

Canada’s housing crisis is a chance to lead. Lisa Raitt’s Intelligence Memo outlines how smarter zoning, modular construction, and transit-focused design can deliver affordable, sustainable homes. https://lnkd.in/gppAf9bt

“𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹” “We’re leading the charge to change the way of construction in the Netherlands, and hopefully in Europe,” says Joziene van de Linde, managing director of modular construction company VDL De Meeuw, which joined the Holland Metropole alliance this year. Her mission is to change the way developers and construction companies think about modular building which, she says, offers huge advantages to traditional techniques, particularly given the pressure to build more homes at present. “There is a housing crisis in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, and the way we have built homes for the past 100 years is not going to work anymore,” she says. “We need to build quickly and we need to reduce our impact on the environment. Prefabricated buildings, modular ones in particular, used to be considered to be cheap rubbish and were used at times of crisis. We want to show that today’s modular approach fits in upscale developments and high rise as well.”   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eSEKq83J   𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳 𝘁𝗼 𝟵. 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟯𝟬   Illustration: VDL De Meeuw’s modular housing in practice

🌍 Modular Construction: A Global Revolution in Building 🌍 Modular construction is redefining how we build, offering tailored solutions that meet diverse needs across continents. Each region is leveraging the adaptability of modular construction in unique ways to address challenges and opportunities in the housing industry: 🏡 Europe: Leading the way with energy-efficient and design-focused innovations. Think Scandinavian prefab homes designed to withstand the harshest winters while maintaining sleek aesthetics. 🏙️ Asia: Tackling high-density urban living with compact, tech-driven modular solutions. From Japan’s ultra-functional micro-apartments to South Korea’s modular student housing, modular construction is optimizing limited space like never before. 🌱 Africa: Addressing the pressing demand for affordable and sustainable housing. Modular construction delivers quick-to-build, resource-efficient homes that make a real difference in communities across the continent. 🌟 North America: Redefining luxury with eco-conscious modular designs. Modular homes in the U.S. and Canada are seamlessly blending sustainability with high-end living in forward-thinking communities. The Future of Building is Modular. No matter the region, modular construction proves its scalability, efficiency, and adaptability. It’s not just a method—it’s a movement toward smarter, more sustainable building practices worldwide.

We've broken ground at Ripple Residence! So exciting to begin the building process today supported by Minister of Housing, Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, and Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen. This project is truly ambitious in establishing new processes in real estate. The apartment building which totals – 13,000 m2 and 115 apartments – will be the first of its kind, with less than 5 kg/m2/year in carbon emissions. We spent 9 months preparing the design work for this, even before making the first draft and selecting a suitable site. Together with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Ramboll, and Søren Jensen we dove into 150+ carbon reduction levers, a review of 100+, and 20+ external interviews within the construction ecosystem. Our site in the North Harbor of Copenhagen had all the complexity we needed... a tight zoning plan, high density, restricted design guidelines, and an existing infrastructure. If we can make it here – we can make it anywhere. Some learnings so far: 1. Architects can no longer start working with form, we need to understand the new details, building components and material sourcing. This will transform how we educate future architects. 2. Contractors are key – we need true openness and "yes we can" attitude. 3. Partnerships are the right way to go in maturing the ecosystem of the building industry. Find more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/eVyt8dzt Troels Dam Madsen, Nicole van der Star, Mikkel Hune, Frank Jensen, Claus Mathisen, Eva Ravnborg, Henning Larsen, Nrep, Søren Jensen, 5E Byg A/S, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Ramboll.

Congratulations to HTA Design LLP who have been nominated for The Pineapple Awards 2025 for Greenford Quay 🥳 A game-changer for sustainable urban development, the Greenford Quay master plan is transforming a once-derelict stretch of West London’s Grand Union Canal into a vibrant, mixed-use waterfront neighbourhood. Once complete, it will deliver 2,118 new homes across seven buildings, revitalising the area with much-needed housing and public space. At Tillermans Court, the first phase of this regeneration, the decision was made to switch to volumetric construction. In partnership with Greystar (International) and HTA Design LLP the resulting benefits have been significant: ✅ 26,000 tonnes of embodied carbon saved – a 44% reduction compared to traditional methods, outperforming RIBA 2025 and LETI Band C benchmarks. That’s the equivalent of 4,425 flights around the Earth! ✈️🌍 ✅ 560m² additional lettable area – maximising returns. ✅ 18 months shaved off the construction programme – bringing forward rental income and investment returns. This is the power of precision-engineered, sustainable construction. By optimising materials, reducing waste, and reducing vehicle movements, we’re delivering high quality, safe buildings - faster, greener, and more efficiently. 🌍 As cities push for net-zero, volumetric is proving to be a major force in low-carbon, high-performance development. #SustainableConstruction #Volumetric #GreenfordQuay #NetZero #Innovation #RealEstate #ModularBuilding #TideConstruction #VisionVolumetric #Awards

🌟 Looking to Develop Affordable Housing in Los Angeles in 2024? Here's Why Modular Construction Is the Way to Go! 🌟 As development in Los Angeles continues to boom, it's essential to consider innovative construction methods. Modular construction offers a smarter, faster, and more sustainable approach to building, and here's why it's perfect for LA: 1️⃣ Speed: With modular construction, projects are completed up to 50% faster than traditional methods. In a fast-paced city like LA, this means quicker turnaround times and faster ROI. 2️⃣ Cost-Effective: Modular construction reduces construction costs by up to 20%. In a market where every penny counts, this is a game-changer for developers. 3️⃣ Sustainability: Modular construction produces less waste and has a smaller carbon footprint compared to traditional construction methods. With LA's focus on sustainability, modular is the way forward. 4️⃣ Quality Control: Factory-controlled production ensures consistently high-quality builds, minimizing the risk of errors and delays. 5️⃣ Flexibility: Modular construction allows for greater design flexibility, making it easier to adapt to the unique challenges of building in LA. At [Your Company], we're leading the way in modular construction in Los Angeles. Let's build the future together. 🏗️✨ #ModularConstruction #LosAngelesDevelopment #SustainableBuilding

Did you know the UK is leading the way in sustainable construction and green building practices, shaping the future of infrastructure for a greener tomorrow? 🌿🏗️ With a focus on eco-friendly materials and innovative construction methods, the UK's building sector is committed to sustainable development and environmental responsibility. 1. Sustainable Construction Talent Pool: Drawing experts from various disciplines, the UK attracts top architects, engineers, and construction professionals dedicated to implementing sustainable building solutions and green technologies. 🌍🏡 2. Green Building Incentives: The UK government provides incentives such as eco-construction grants, tax benefits for sustainable buildings, and support for eco-friendly infrastructure projects to promote green building practices. 💰🌱 3. Eco-Construction Hub: Positioned as a global leader in sustainable architecture, the UK serves as a crucial hub for green construction innovation and environmentally-conscious building designs. 🏢🏞️ Whether you're interested in launching a sustainable construction startup, expanding your green building business, or transforming traditional construction practices with sustainable approaches, the UK offers fertile ground for realizing your eco-friendly construction aspirations. Let's explore how we can collaborate to seize these green building opportunities together! 🌿🏗️ #SustainableConstructionUK #GreenBuildings #EcoArchitecture #BuildingInnovation

"In the race to decarbonise new and existing homes its easy to forget that this is not just a response to the climate challenges that we face but also is linked to improvements across many different areas: from improved quality of life and health outcomes; to reductions in anti-social behaviour. Passivhaus standard homes reduce fuel poverty, reliance on foodbanks and maintenance and management costs for councils and housing associations as eviction rates decrease." Alex Ely of Mæ Architects and our director Annalie Riches are in today's Architects’ Journal sharing their affordable housing priorities for the next government. The policies propose to link Net Zero and Affordable Housing goals are: 2.1 Link social housing supply to net-zero goals. All social housing to be designed to adopt RIBA 2030 targets (operational energy/embodied Carbon/water/health & wellbeing). Ensure new housing is planned around low carbon public transport infrastructure. 2.2 Introduce a decarbonisation hierarchy. Retrofit first. Promote passive measures to reduce operational carbon. 2.3 Finance: Link energy efficiency to stamp duty: more efficient homes = less stamp duty. Equalise VAT between new builds and retrofits to level playing field. 2.4 Create incentives for regenerative building material supplies (UK forestry). Read the full story on the AJ here: https://lnkd.in/eyD5KUqn. Architect's Action For Affordable Housing: https://lnkd.in/euMrwQdf We invite you to join our campaign and share widely. Pitman Tozer Architects | Mæ Architects | Bell Phillips | HTA Design LLP | Assael Architecture | Grounded | Architects’ Journal | Luke Tozer | Alex Ely | Annalie Riches | David Mikhail | Jay Morton | Tim Bell | Félicie Krikler | Simon Bayliss | Richard Waite | Chloë Phelps

In week 2 of the #AA4AH Campaign you can now read some of the thinking behind Priority 2 in the Architects’ Journal by Annalie Riches & Alex Ely 👇

Exciting developments in the modular construction industry were shared at Modular Building Institutes #WOMEUROPE24 at a recent presentation by Michael Hough The evolution rather than revolution in this field is paving the way for innovative solutions to address global housing and affordability issues. Working closely with Tide and VISION MODULAR SYSTEMS UK LIMITED Michael highlighted remarkable projects, including a staggering 50-storey building in College Road and other significant developments across the UK. The presentation showcased the flexibility and efficiency of modular systems, which allow for varied designs while maintaining high standards of quality and safety. With a commitment to R&D and a focus on sustainability, Vision is continuously pushing the boundaries of modular construction. The results speak for themselves: shorter build times, reduced waste, and impressive architectural outcomes. As we look to the future, it’s clear that modular construction is not just a trend, but a vital part of the solution to creating affordable housing in urban areas. Let’s continue to champion these advancements in our industry and share all of the positive, good news stories!! #ModularConstruction #HousingSolutions #Innovation #Sustainability