Designing innovative workforce housing solutions to help reduce development and management expenses while finding new and creative sources of revenue streams which allow our business model to sustain itself and scale over time.
The housing life cycle includes job training, workforce housing, and economic prosperity within the community by developing the new skills and providing the capital to be reinvested back into the community. The model must continue to be innovative while continuously exploring ways to reduce expenses from acquisition through construction to the stabilization and ongoing management of the properties. Eventually each net positive home will generate enough energy onsite to support the occupants and to sell the excess energy back to the utility companies as another revenue stream for the business model. By focusing on how to maximize profits by reducing expenses instead of by raising rents this model will harness market forces and will pioneer market driven solutions to the severe housing challenges we face today. To this end, our model will revolutionize the housing manufacturing and fabrication model. The housing will be built sustainably by challenging the current resource consumption model typical of today’s construction industry.
Creating community stabilization through a managed-growth approach
The social impact will ensure community stabilization through manage growth by providing housing opportunities for existing community residents to minimize displacement from their neighborhood.
Typically, as a community begins to experience economic development, so often the target occupants are people from outside the neighborhood who are able to afford higher rents and are enticed to the new developments. Many times this will typically end up displacing the longtime community residents.
Without a managed-based business plan with cooperation from local elected officials and leadership, the end result inevitably displaces many of the existing long-time residents as rental housing becomes too expensive for them to afford and to remain in there homes.
Typically, as a community begins to experience economic development, so often the target occupants are people from outside the neighborhood who are able to afford higher rents and are enticed to the new developments. Many times this will typically end up displacing the longtime community residents.
Without a managed-based business plan with cooperation from local elected officials and leadership, the end result inevitably displaces many of the existing long-time residents as rental housing becomes too expensive for them to afford and to remain in there homes.
Our vision of job training, fabrication, innovation and community participation
Our vision is that our affordable housing will one day be fabricated off-site in our own advanced digital manufacturing facility utilizing robotics where vocational job training will take place to educate and teach workforce development skills including automation technology to local high-school students, recent graduates and community residents seeking to learn trade skills on how to fabricate (off-site) and install (on-site) the affordable workforce housing within their neighborhoods.
Over time our collective success will enhance our overall regional economy and stabilize the rich cultural heritages and neighborhood ties that bind which exist in our neighborhoods while minimizing the staggering amount of displacement which is occurring due to a lack of affordable housing and managed growth in many developments for profit companies are building.
Our innovations and new solutions include engaging residents as part of this vision which includes their participation in the construction and management of the homes.
Over time our collective success will enhance our overall regional economy and stabilize the rich cultural heritages and neighborhood ties that bind which exist in our neighborhoods while minimizing the staggering amount of displacement which is occurring due to a lack of affordable housing and managed growth in many developments for profit companies are building.
Our innovations and new solutions include engaging residents as part of this vision which includes their participation in the construction and management of the homes.
IIT Class Teams & Topics: Fall 2018
Lean Design: Design & Prototypes
Lean Methods: Methods, Systems & Manufacturing
Lean Resources: Energy & Sustainability & Proforma Review
Lean Design: Design & Prototypes
- Efficient lean design/efficiency
- Lean Supply Chains
- SIPs vs Flat Pak vs Modular
- Core/Proto Core Concepts: Mechanical core
- Housing types (2-unit duplex, simplex, etc)
- 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed demand research (Bronzeville)
- Seamless prototypes solutions
- Slab on grade vs basement
- No roof penetrations
- Passive Haus solutions
Lean Methods: Methods, Systems & Manufacturing
- Efficient lean construction
- SIPs, Flat Pak, Modular
- Lean Supply Chains
- Life-cycle reduction of expenses from acquisition, to construction methods to asset stabilization and operations
- Modular limitations and benefits
- Energy systems: passive & active
- Targeted consolidation and partnerships towards leaner property management
- Limits of each method
- State of Illinois vs City of Chicago codes
- Resource efficiency
- SaaS (mobile/web) platform: plan, track, and manage both prefabrication and regular material handling
Lean Resources: Energy & Sustainability & Proforma Review
- Sustainable, durable yet affordable building materials
- Target AMI Study & Proforma Review (60-100% AMI)
- Chicago Community Loan Fund
- ROI on solar, wind, geo thermal
- Net Zero energy
- Passive Haus
- Target AMI Study & Proforma Review (60-100% AMI)
- Impact Partners: Housing Partnership Equity Trust, Housing Partnership Insurance Exchange etc
- Innovation and Technology Partners
- Housing Operations & Management
- Community Interest Company (CIC)
IIT Class Teams & Topics: Spring 2019
Design
Project Site
Building Systems:
Thermal Enclosures (spray foam, insulation, wall cavity systems, windows)
Mechanical & Energy Systems
Energy Components
Energy Storage
Lighting
Appliances
Smart Homes:
https://nextenergy.org/smart-home/
V2H: vehicle to home communication & home energy management
Vehicle charging stations
DC & Emerge
IoT Platforms: IoT frameworks: Interoperable smart home communication and APIs (application programming interface)
HEMS Home energy management systems
Green Technology Components
SaaS (mobile/web) platform: plan, track, and manage both prefabrication and regular material handling
Residential Micro-grids https://nextenergy.org/microgrids/
Assembly
Lean Construction Methods:
Project Site
- Site plan
- Floor plans
- Section
- Elevations
- Energy Analysis
- Energy demand
- Sources
- Envelope
- Energy loss
- Energy costs
- Construction methods
- Moisture; Hygrothermal Analysis
- Indoor Air Quality
- Air quality
- Materials: floors, furnishings, finishes
- Mechanical
- HVAC Equipment
- Mechanical ventilation
- Sizing & Load Calculations
- Comfort
- Water management
- Smart
- Daylighting
- IoT/Technology
- V2H: vehicle to home communication & home energy management
- Vehicle charging stations
- DC
- IoT Platforms: IoT frameworks: Interoperable smart home communication and APIs (application programming interface)
- HEMS Home energy management systems
- Financials
- Proforma
- Operations
- Investor ROIs
- Funding & Grant Resources
- PassiveHaus
- DOE ZNE
- Chicago Community Loan Fund
- ICECF net zero energy funds
- Opportunity Zones
- Economics, Policy and Revenue
- Target AMI Study & Proforma Review (60-100% AMI)
- Higher tenant retention
- Viability of a sustainable business model without subsidies
Building Systems:
Thermal Enclosures (spray foam, insulation, wall cavity systems, windows)
- Blown
- Closed cell & open cell spray foam
- Rockwool
Mechanical & Energy Systems
- Mini-split heat pump:
- Mitsubishi M4L36W06060606 24,000 BTU H2i 19.1 SEER Quad Zone Heat Pump System 6+6+6+6
- Toshiba RAS 125-AV-UL
- CHP
- Radiant
Energy Components
- Geothermal
- Photovoltaic
Energy Storage
- battery
- flywheel (Beacon)
Lighting
- AC & DC
- LED
- Fiber
Appliances
- AO Smith 50 Gallon Voltex Residential Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater
- Rheem Demand initiated recalculation system
- Tankless
- Refrigerator
- Oven
- Range
- Dishwasher
- Washer
- Dryer
- ERV system: Zehnder comfoAir 160 ERV
- MERV 13 or better
- 0.5 @50ACH
Smart Homes:
https://nextenergy.org/smart-home/
V2H: vehicle to home communication & home energy management
Vehicle charging stations
DC & Emerge
IoT Platforms: IoT frameworks: Interoperable smart home communication and APIs (application programming interface)
HEMS Home energy management systems
Green Technology Components
SaaS (mobile/web) platform: plan, track, and manage both prefabrication and regular material handling
Residential Micro-grids https://nextenergy.org/microgrids/
Assembly
Lean Construction Methods:
- SIPS
- Flat pack
- Modular
- Components:
- Foundation Wall R
- Slab floor
- Framed floor
- Walls
- Windows Skylights & Glazing
- Doors
- Ceiling
- Manufacturing & Assembly
- Robotics & Automation
- Process Innovation
- Automation & Production
- Workforce Training
- Lean Supply Chain
- Lean Life-Cycle:
- Expense Reduction:
- acquisition
- construction methods
- asset stabilization
- operations
- Expense Reduction:
- Critical Path Method (CPM) https://hbr.org/1963/09/the-abcs-of-the-critical-path-method
- Components: