High prices for buyers and renters are forcing Americans out of their homes and making housing unattainable. This crisis is to a large extent driven by supply constraints.

In a recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC), 93 percent of respondents in the architect, engineer, contractor and owner fields indicated that they had implemented some form of offsite construction process in the past twelve months. However, up to this point, there has not been a focus on this expanding sector of the building industry. The Offsite Construction Expo, to be held September 23-24, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C., changes that by putting the spotlight directly on offsite construction.

This brand new event, hosted by NIBS, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will feature exhibits from offsite construction contractors, traditional contractors that have integrated offsite methods, offsite factories, transportation companies, architects, engineers, building information modeling (BIM) suppliers, materials suppliers and consultants for all types of offsite construction processes.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is still looking for input from architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals and manufacturers regarding their software use for off-site construction projects. Earlier this summer, the Council issued a survey to assess the role of software in delivering off-site constructed projects. To ensure a representative sample of industry professionals responds, the OSCC has extended the deadline to Friday, October 9 at 5:00 pm.

In a previous OSCC survey, many AEC professionals indicated utilizing off-site fabricated components to some degree over the past year, and expect to utilize off-site construction more often or the same amount in the year ahead. The purpose of the follow-up software survey is to gain an understanding of the kinds of software tools industry participants are currently using for their off-site projects.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) conducted a survey in the summer of 2015 to identify the types, frequency of use and effectiveness of software platforms being utilized by the off-site construction sector. The Report of the Results of the 2015 Off-Site Construction Industry Survey of Software Usage, which OSCC released this week at World of Modular in San Diego, California, is now available for download.

A total of 22 participants, with more than half representing the architecture/engineering or general manager/general contractor disciplines, responded to the survey. All survey respondents used off-site construction elements in one or more projects over the past 12 months. While Autodesk provided the OSCC with funding to conduct the survey, respondents were not informed of such sponsorship. Though the response pool was small, the data still provided some helpful insights.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is launching a new webinar series designed to share knowledge and improve industry efficiency, productivity and speed to market through the use of pre-fabrication and off-site construction. The webinars will feature topics across the broad spectrum of off-site construction techniques, technologies and tools. Architects, engineers, contractors, owners, code officials and other industry stakeholders will gain valuable insight into the opportunities offered by off-site construction and how to effectively implement off-site construction techniques in future projects.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) will co-sponsor the second webinar in OSCC’s new webinar series designed to share knowledge and improve industry efficiency, productivity and speed to market through the use of pre-fabrication and off-site construction. The webinar, “Precast Concrete Off-Site Construction: Techniques & Case Studies,” will be held July 26 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET) and again July 28 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm PT).

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) will host the webinar, “Getting the Most Out of Off-Site Construction (Part 2),” on August 25, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET. This is the second part of a webinar hosted by the Modular Building Institute and held in June that explored what it takes to choreograph and execute an effective permanent modular construction project.

An upcoming webinar hosted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), jointly presented with the American Bar Association Construction Forum, the Modular Building Institute and the National Institute of Building Sciences Offsite Construction Council (OSCC), will cover a variety of unique commercial and legal issues in industrial, commercial and residential modular construction. “WebEd: The Rise of Modular Construction: Emerging Commercial & Legal Issues,” is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is conducting a new survey to gain an understanding of how the U.S. building industry has changed its use of off-site construction methods in the past three years.

A knowledge center on issues related to off-site construction and productivity in the commercial building sector, the OSCC surveyed the U.S. building industry in 2014 to find out how architects, engineers, contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, owners, developers and others in the building industry were using off-site construction in their commercial construction work. Responses came from across the building industry, representing the diversity of stakeholders involved in the decision making and implementation of off-site construction. Of the more than 300 respondents, 93% indicated they had utilized off-site fabricated components to some degree over the past 12 months, while 83% expected to utilize off-site construction more often or the same amount in the next 12 months.

The OSCC is asking architects, engineers, contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, owners, developers and others in the building industry to take the survey to get an understanding of how the use of off-site construction has changed throughout the industry in the past three years. The Council surveyed the industry back in 2014, and wants to know if the benefits, such as highlighted schedule reductions, overall cost benefits, reduced defects and increased quality, have continued or expanded, and whether the challenges, such as late design changes, lack of collaboration and an adversarial climate for project delivery, have lessened over time. The OSCC will compile the results into a report of findings, and the answers will help OSCC develop tools and resources for industry.