PathHouse: Prototyping High-Volume, Mass Timber, Modular Housing

Field 7_Project Summary PathHouse is a modular mass timber housing system designed to link equitable housing production and job growth to reduction of forest fire risk. Housing can be made affordable via optimization of high-volume automated manufacturing processes and the utilization of low-value wood species from salvage and restoration forest projects as input materials in mass timber products. Expanding mass timber's application can provide permanent affordable replacement housing for low income and wildfire-impacted populations inclusive of BIPOC communities and has further application as multi-story affordable housing in high-density urban neighborhoods. These units sequester carbon replace energy-intensive materials such as steel and concrete and contribute to wildfire risk reduction and rural job creation. Through the production development and use of PathHouse volumetric mass timber housing systems we can revolutionize how America builds affordable high performance and resilient homes while at the same time make our communities more resilient through meeting housing needs improving forest management and creating well-paying skilled jobs in both rural and urban communities. Our vision is that the automated high volume PathHouse factory will produce thousands of housing units per year once running at full capacity. These units will be limited in their customization but can be configured in many ways to fit most project needs. We aim to solve the problems that slow down most modular housing manufacturers by fully standardizing unit design and offering a limited selection of module choices. By eliminating custom orders and changes to design we can drastically speed up production minimize waste and align with sustainable construction practices — while driving economic growth and job opportunities. SBIR Phase 1 grant dollars will fund the proprietary design fabrication and testing on select structural connections between the panels of the modules as they interact with other modules and with building envelope components like waterproofing weather barriers and insulation. The structural and envelope approaches will need to be developed for strength (in transport and in situ) durability performance manufacturing efficiency and site-installation efficiency.The R&D team includes architects builders and structural and materials engineering. The success of the overall project is determined by our ability to design these connections make them efficient and viable on the factory floor which will be key to keeping costs low for commercialization.