International Code Council and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Host Off-Site Construction Summit

On June 9, 2023, the International Code Council in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), hosted the Off-Site Construction Summit to bring together key stakeholders from across the building industry to identify housing solutions through public policy and governmental actions.

The summit was part of HUD’s annual Innovative Housing Showcase that took place from June 9-11, 2023, at the National Mall in Washington D.C. The annual showcase is a highly anticipated event that serves as a platform for innovators, industry professionals, policymakers and the public to explore groundbreaking solutions in the building industry and address the housing needs of communities across the nation.

During the Off-Site Construction Summit, the Code Council and the Modular Building Institute (MBI) launched a U.S. national initiative focused on the adoption of standards for off-site construction.

Solutions Through Off-Site Construction Standards

The Off-Site Construction Summit included an afternoon of panels and discussions that examined opportunities to leverage off-site construction to address housing challenges.

Industry experts and federal, state and local government representatives engaged in many important discussions that day, including how: 

• Off-site construction can deliver affordable, quality, sustainable housing to address the housing gap
• Effective solutions require the engagement of the public and private sectors
• State adoption of the ICC/MBI off-site standards can advance modular construction through regulatory consistency, accompanying efficiencies and economies of scale.

Attendees of the Off-Site Construction Summit voiced their support for the two ICC/MBI Off-Site Construction Standards:

• ICC/MBI Standard 1200-2021: Planning, Design, Fabrication, and Assembly – Provides requirements for designers, manufacturers, transporters and assemblers to assure that off-site construction components are produced under a quality assurance/quality control process and that they can demonstrate compliance with building code requirements.
• ICC/MBI Standard 1205-2021: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance – Addresses the compliance verification process including permitting, in-plant and on-site final inspections, third-party inspections, the role of industrialized building departments, state modular programs and the authority having jurisdiction. 

SEE RELATED: New Brief Explores Implementation of ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 for Off-Site Construction

“Currently, a patchwork of compliance processes exists for off-site construction, hindering some of the efficiency gains that modular projects can provide,” said Ryan Colker, Vice President of Innovation at the International Code Council. “The ICC/MBI standards provide a consistent approach for state and local governments that can accelerate the opportunities off-site construction provides, including much-needed access to affordable housing.”

As the industry continues to evolve, we invite you to explore our Off-Site Construction Resource Center.

If you missed the Showcase or Summit, Ivory Innovations, a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving innovative solutions in housing affordability, is hosting a webinar recap on July 12th examining how off-site construction can help address community needs. Sign up for the webinar here.