New Brunswick hopes modular 'Lego' block construction will help tackle housing crisis

People searching for a home in New Brunswick could soon move into a place built in a warehouse and quickly assembled on-site like giant building blocks.

The province hopes modular housing will be one of the keys to ramping up new projects and addressing the housing shortage. But the construction industry says this building approach is still new to New Brunswick and it will take time and government investment for the supply chain to catch up.

Jill Green, New Brunswick's housing minister, said modular building is a growing, cost-effective way to get units built faster. She said it could shave months or even years off construction timelines.

"You could see duplexes, triplexes, quadruplexes, but interestingly you're going to see apartment buildings using modular housing," she said. "So a 10-unit building and you'll have different modular units that all get put together like Lego."

WATCH | 'You'll have different modular units that all get put together like Lego'

How modular construction could help solve the housing crisis

7 months ago

Duration 2:16

Housing Minister Jill Green hopes the new approach will get buildings up faster.

The federal and Atlantic housing ministers discussed ways to build more factory-produced housing at a meeting last month, including creating a regional catalogue of pre-approved designs. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has estimated that 3.5 million more housing units will be needed across Canada by 2030, to start to tackle the affordable-housing crisis.

The concept is not new modular has been used over the past century, primarily to build single-family homes.

New Brunswick hopes existing modular manufacturers, which primarily build mini homes, will be able to pivot to help with multi-unit builds.

Modular construction uses panels built off-site, which could include entire walls or floors, and "volumetric builds," with entire rooms and other building sections put together on-site.

Faster construction

At the University of New Brunswick's Off-Site Construction Research Centre in Fredericton, researchers are testing technology and building practices to help the industry adapt.

Brandon Searle, director of innovation and operations, said it'sdrawing interest for multi-unit builds because of the speed of construction.

"On P.E.I., there was an apartment building done in 19 months, from pre-permit until it was installed and tenants were living in the building," he said.

With traditional construction, the foundation and site preparation needs to be completed before work can start on the first, second and any additional floors. But with modular, the site work and multiple floors can all be built at the same time and assembled later.

"You are crunching down your schedule and you're able to get the projects completed much quicker," Searle said.

There are other advantages to modular builds, including reduced material waste, predictable building costs and a need for less labour at the building site. Studies have shown modular builds often result in safer construction sites for workers.

Searle said while large-scale modular is a "change in thinking" for contractors, government investment, the need for less labour, and the pressure to build faster could be what convinces them to adapt.

'Full developments' on the way

Green said New Brunswick is turning to modular construction to build hundreds of new NB Housing units this year. The province is currently creating additional public housing for the first time since the 1970s.

The NB Housing waitlist had grown to more than 10,000 households, as of Feb. 1.

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Green said the province will build more than 187 units this summer, and more than half will go up using modular housing construction. She said land will be prepped while the units are being built in a factory, shaving months off project timelines.

"We'll be seeing duplexes and triplexes and full developments made with modular housing as well," she said. "It's going to be really exciting to see these buildings going up."

Supply chain behind

While the provincial government has high hopes for modular housing solutions, the construction industry says New Brunswick builders are not yet putting apartment buildings up in large sections.

Nadine Fullarton, president of the Moncton Northeast Construction Association, said projects are using prefabricated elements on a smaller scale, such as flooring. But she said the province lacks the supply chain needed to build large sections of apartment buildings and put them together on-site.

"It's definitely something that our contractors are looking at as a viable solution, but not necessarily the solution to replace all solutions," she said.

While some modular elements are starting to be used, including flooring and wall panelling, Fullarton said preliminary research shows modular is not always faster or cost effective.

"Modular is going to play a role in our building infrastructure, especially meeting the demand of the housing supply. But it won't replace entirely how we build," she said.

"Is it a one-size-fits-all solution? No."