by Elizabeth Malcolm,CHBA Communications and Social Media Officer
A new addition to this year’s CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence is the Modular Innovation Award.
Given the growing importance of modular construction in the industry, this new award is intended to recognize the unique achievements that are possible through factory construction. While interior and exterior design are important criteria for the award, significant weight is placed on the use of innovative technologies, techniques, practices, materials, and/or products. Other dimensions of innovation considered by the judges included improved productivity or safety in the factory, enhanced occupant comfort, or improvements to the overall homebuying experience.
While all the new-home award categories are open to modular homes, this award is “modular only.”
To qualify, a modular home must be certified in accordance with CSA A277 as complying with applicable building regulations, or the CSA Z240 MH Series. They must have been produced in a factory by a member of the CHBA Modular Construction Council and installed onsite.
The inaugural winner of the Modular Innovation Award is Triple M Housing’s entry, “The Homestead.”
The Lethbridge, Alta.-based company’s Homestead was designed with a contemporary country/rustic charm in mind. During planning, the Triple M team identified the desire of rural homeowners to have a space that was fit for a family, designed for the farm, and at home in a world of modern aesthetics.
Built-in decks for watching the sunset, spacious kitchen and dining areas, large hallways, and a master retreat invite the owners to the comfort of home. The enormous blue island instantly draws attention to the kitchen while simultaneously providing a gathering space for all family members. Each area of the house caters to a member in the family, with bedrooms being boxed out to allow for more space, whereas the master bedroom features a reading nook, and an ensuite bathroom with a beautiful standalone tub and 60″ full-tile shower.
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Triple M Housing’s proprietary double-rim insulated header and engineered truss floors allow for a massive open structure that is able to be transported across Canada in one piece, arriving prepared for final installation and touch ups. One of the many advantages of the Triple M Housing factory in Lethbridge is that they have the capability to build products in a controlled environment, reducing the construction time by up to 40 percent, and reducing construction waste by 60 percent.
