Better Homes.

Delivered Efficiently.

Built Sustainably.

A modular mass timber housing system designed to accelerate housing delivery in Canada.

Developed through the DIGITAL Housing Growth Innovation (HGI) program, this study proves what is possible now, with current industry capabilities.

Challenge

Why now?

Solution

Canada first

System benefits

Challenge

We are in the midst of multiple generation-defining crises.

Housing

We need a lot of housing. Fast.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the national housing supply gap over the next 5–10 years is in the millions. In order to meet this demand, we’ll have to double our rate of housing development each year until 2035.

Climate

The point of no return is in view.

In Canada, it’s estimated that the construction industry is responsible for 11% of our total greenhouse gas emissions, with the residential sector already accounting for the largest share of that impact.

Industry

The economic potential of Canada’s pre-fabrication and mass timber industries is no longer something we can afford to ignore.

Creating a steady and reliable demand for pre-fabricated components and engineered timber will create market certainty and encourage a more robust domestic supply chain.

Why now?

Because we already have the tools to take action.

We can do better. Our study parameters were used to investigate the best possible solution with the most constrained requirements.

100% Adaptable Units: The ultimate spatial stress test

The system does not mandate 100% adaptable units. The system’s dimensional, structural, and servicing logic is validated by accommodating this most demanding scenario.

6–8 Storeys: Today’s potential for unencapsulated mass timber

Aligned with BC Building Code (BCBC 2024) latest allowances, our research targets a middle density that is currently underserved by other systems—and validates that mass timber at this scale is economically feasible.

Resiliency Through Modularity

The modular framework is robust enough to accommodate a wide range of requirements and spatial configurations. Our solution addresses the most constrained conditions and allows for a variety of possibilities.

Solution

Housing that is easy to approve, economical to build, and excellent to live in.

Our modular timber housing system optimizes the full project lifespan—from design to permitting; manufacturing, transport, and construction; occupancy and future adaptations; to disassembly and reuse.

The study creates a viable pathway to deliver critical, desirable housing stock at scale and at speed while supporting Canada’s economy and climate commitments.

Canada First

Building homes while building strength at home.

Mass Timber First

This work demonstrates that modular, pre-fabricated mass-timber housing can meet demanding regulatory, livability, and delivery constraints.

Reducing Risk, Building Confidence

By aligning with local regulatory, manufacturing, and livability requirements—the system provides a scalable framework that will de-risk housing delivery for municipalities, funding providers, and project teams.

Industrializing Quality

The study challenges the idea that pre-fabricated solutions are cookie-cutter or undesirable. Our modular system is robust—it can accommodate a variety of unit types and market conditions within the same structural and fabrication logic.

System Benefits

Better Homes

Livable: excellent homes

Our system delivers units that are more spacious, with better access to daylight and fresh air, and more family-friendly features.

Flexible: units that work for residents

Being able to stay, even when the family grows. Modularity means never having to make do with a floorplan that no longer suits your life.

Efficient adaptability

The modular system is designed to efficiently accommodate a variety of unit types—from fully adaptable to more conventional market units—without requiring bespoke solutions.

Delivered Efficiently

A pre-engineered system,
not a single building

We have worked with structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers to design a standard modular system that will support housing delivery at scale.

Approvals-ready

Our system is designed to comply with applicable regulations, meaning less time spent securing permits and approvals—and shovels in the ground sooner.

Pre-fabricated:
faster, better, cheaper

Reducing onsite work saves time while improving cost certainty, quality control, and site safety. Our manufacturer-agnostic system maximizes these benefits.

Built Sustainably

Healthier homes

Natural materials are proven to boost mood and lower stress. Mass timber may also offer better thermal regulation, acoustic dampening, and air quality compared to typical residential interiors.

Supporting Canada’s climate commitments

Using mass timber for both structure and interior finishes will minimize embodied carbon by reducing the use of concrete and other common carbon-intensive building materials.

Cradle-to-cradle

The system is designed for adaptability, disassembly, and reuse—allowing it to grow and transform with existing residents or become part of a new home altogether.