The Simple Genius of a Prefabricated House - My Net Zero Home Build

The Simple Genius of a Prefabricated House - My Net Zero Home Build. Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/undecided - Enter promo code UNDECIDED for 85% off and 3 extra months for FREE! I’m in the process of building a new energy efficient, net zero, modular home to passive house standards, that’s being built in a factory. Why did I choose this path versus one of the many other sustainable and energy efficient methods like stick built passive homes, ICF, earthships, etc. (fill in your favorite technique)? There’s no one right way to do this, but I think the best way to walk through why I went the path I did is to show you how Unity Homes builds their houses. This may spur ideas for yourself. I had the chance to see my house’s panelized walls getting built in the factory, and to say it was cool would be an understatement. After seeing this, you might see why factory building energy efficient homes and buildings might be a good path for the future.
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[@terry8912]

In 1968, right out of the military, my first job was framing wall panels in a prefab plant in Washinton State. A couple of months later I was plant superintendent. I worked for large and small homebuilding companies after that, then became an architect designing almost entirely houses. What you show in this video is where I hoped the industry would go. After all these years in the industry, this still excites me. Thanks, well done to you for the video and Ted Benson for moving the industry so far forward, and being willing to share his techniques.

[@EndOfLineTech]

Ah yes… the days you could start as a janitor and be the CEO in 4 months. Must of been nice having it that easy and that kind of loyalty in a company. But I guess we could have that if we would stop eating avocado toast and whining like I am now.

[@Saxafruge]

The plant doesn't look very busy...

[@tnekkc]

In 1982 the wife and I designed and built a super insulated solar home in WA state. The house required no heat. We built wood and electric boilers, but they were not needed.

[@Vort_tm]

I legit teared up a bit when he said "we've been developing this for... quite a while," and immediately thereafter says "it's going to be open source." Everything about this video was beautiful. Those exterior walls were just astonishingly beautiful in their thickness, design, and the efficiency of the fabrication process. My wife and I want to build a geodesic dome house (goodbye 90degree angle thermal bridges and wind pressure differentials), but we want to employ all of the net-zero design elements. (We just bought our first home, so it'll be several years before we can try to make that leap, but we're fantasizing now.) Love this video (and all the others). Thank you!

[@MourningLobster]

That sounds fun! There are all sorts of cool new building options to prevent thermal bridges. If you like building, check out Matt Risinger's channel

[@Vort_tm]

@@MourningLobster It's not just the thermal bridging, we just love the design. I've even lobbied my wife to allow me to build an indoor rock wall up to the 2nd story and she's said yes! But yeah, I'm looking into any/all efficiency advancements I come across. I've heard of Matt Risinger before, but not looked at too many of his videos, so I'll give it another look. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@Chris_at_Home]

Have you talked to people that live in a dome? I know a couple of people that have them and they wish they went with something more conventional. I worked at a place where we had a dome built with a minimum of metal to calibrate induction tools and I spent many hours in there running test and couldn’t envision it as being a house. I know one thing the acoustics were strange in it. You could move a few feet one direction or another and the volume on a small stereo would change drastically. We built with double stud walls with 6” of 40 psi foam and live in a very windy area and the house never creaks. Some of the Air Force Remote Radar sites have huge domes for a camp and shop at a couple of the sites I have worked at. They were metal and leaked when it rained.

[@Vort_tm]

​@@Chris_at_Home I wouldn't use military buildings as a basis for comparison. Not to disparage the military, but I've been around it plenty and let's just say that the cliche of government contracts going with the lowest bidder is very evident in many of their buildings. I think that is more an issue with construction than the dome design. No we haven't been inside one, but we've checked out plans on some websites. Also, I'm no mind reader so I can't speak to what you're picturing, but this dome will be two stories plus a basement. The basement and the first story will be essentially normal 9-10ft ceiling rooms save for the rounded exterior wall; it's only the second story that will have the more rounded walls/ceiling, but even that should have enough height to not feel cramped or mess with acoustics too much. Basically all I'm trying to drive home is that I think most issues are more a matter of execution than a flawed core concept.

[@lotusalivelight24]

Windows, were a problem, in the geodesic-house i saw... &, it was big, but not really, big-enough, on the upper-bridge. & the second one, i loved looking at, along a freeway, got taken-out, by a tornado, one year. sad... Both were wood.

[@joeyager8479]

I have an Uncle who is a retired architect. He and his partner tried building homes similar to this using "Panelized" construction where the walls, floor sections and roof sections were built in a factory setting. This was in the 1980s. It wasn't this sophisticated and he had issues with contractors. They didn't have their own assembly teams and contractors fought him all the way. The old "we never done it this way before" attitude finally drove them out of business. But he did say that a major benefit was greatly reduced waste vs site built. Resistance to change and doing something new has kept us from progressing more rapidly.

[@LawtonDigital]

The European tilt/turn windows are awesome! Things to consider. If they open inward you'll have an easy time cleaning the glass, but you'll need space inside for the window to swing open. This means if you're thinking about growing potted plants inside, well, the plants are going to get in the way when you try to open the window. You can solve this by putting the pots on a floor shelf with wheels. If the window opens outward, you'll have a harder time cleaning the glass, and you won't be able to have a flower box outside your window without the flowers getting in the way. I'd use the outward opening windows on the ground floor if I didn't plan on have an outside flower box.

[@HenryLoenwind]

@@borjaetxebarria7746 PS: Having lived with those windows my whole life, I can attest to the fact that opening them fully is a rare event. Most times, they will only be tilted; in fact, at this very moment, there is only a single window in my home I could open without having to spend some time moving stuff out of the way. And that's the staircase window that doesn't have a sill to put things...

[@Gogolian]

European Here. That's why most Europe windows has the option to "unseal". (You have to pay extra for this, but really, not that much) You have the option to turn the handle further, so it's actually facing upside down, and then the whole window opens up just a little bit but.... hinging from the bottom! (Yes, the whole upper part of the window opens) It is super convinient to vent and to use, and you can keep your plants. Just search for "tilt and turn window". I guess some people could be amazed seeing it first time. In Europe it is in Every house i see so people treat it as common knowledge.

[@Straylightt]

One of the best things I noticed during the video is how this company, plus the process keep in mind the health and safety of their workers 10 fold. Every single station had some type of assisted device that took a 2-6 person job to one. Not a single person had to bend down to get something or hold a nail gun for a 16 hour shift. Every step was methodical and thought out for safety and clarity. Not a single finger in the way and everyone is going home at the end of the day in one piece. Awesome system all around 👏

[@dwdrummer]

I thought the same thing until I saw them bending over to tape the zip seams. Surely there's a better way to do that.

[@UndecidedMF]

I agree! When I spoke to Tedd it was one of the first things I mentioned to him. The setup for the workers is impressive. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@GammaRays10]

I was actually kinda surprised they weren't wearing cut-sleeves and/or hardhats though, due to heavy overhead equipment operation. I've spent a lot of time in metal manufacturing, so a bit different, but the same safety concepts would be applicable.

[@SemiMono]

@@dwdrummer Yeah, it looked like there was lots of room for improvement still, but it still looks WAY better than typical construction.

[@kschleic9053]

@@dwdrummer adhesive tapes like that are really hard to do with machines unless the tape is prepared with the intent to be machine applied, and I bet ZIPs warranty doesn't handle a robotically applied tape yet... all their warranty material talks about hand rolling the tape. I wouldn't be surprised to see an automatic dispenser roller tool come from them soon to handle this kind of automation.

[@anchorageprepper9008]

Matt, The first thing you will probably notice in your new home will be how quiet it is. With the level of insulation and the triple pane windows it will be very nice 👍

[@UndecidedMF]

I'm really looking forward to that aspect of it!

[@ericpmoss]

Indeed. In many parts of Europe, new construction is soooo much quieter and more solid than what I grew up with in the States.

[@Zappygunshot]

I live in a newly built apartment in the EU; and if I close all my windows, hardly a peep comes in from the outside. I live right next to a pretty busy road, but all traffic noise that gets reduced to a very quiet hum at most when a heavy truck or something passes by. A neighbour opening their apartment door is louder.

[@zam6877]

Oh yes! That will deliciously calming ☺️

[@freddoflintstono9321]

They also seem to be using just about the best materials available. The window seal tape they use, for instance (16:28), is Wigluv, which is the best on the market and Swiss made (I happen to know this because I needed it myself for a build 😋). Impressive.

[@mixwellusa]

Zip System shealthing is good stuff, too.

[@Frank_W.]

Good feedback, thanks

[@siriosstar4789]

mix well- Zip System has been shown to leak where nails penetrate the panels .

[@joem1070]

As a custom design small builder retired, I have found SIP the economical way to go. And in an attempt to protect the wall exterior wall assembly even more, we used a minimum of a 2’ overhang. Like your panels, they use less material than your factory built home and achieve an R30+ with a 6.5” depending on the type of ICF used. And has options to increase R-values barriers to R50+ when going to 2x8 or 2x10 thickness which for me is unnecessary as there are passive ways to capture heat thru solar that do not require any mechanical devices such as Trombe Walls. And I dare say, much cheaper to boot. Thanks for sharing, Matt.

[@leetjn5663]

I rarely buy what KZbinrs talk about, but you sir are likely going to cost me more money than any KZbinr in the past, present, or future when I move forward with this home construction process. You've sold me. Well done. This is every design element I have wanted executed with precision and I absolutely love it.

[@pinkelephants1421]

Even if you spend a little more on an efficient factory built home than a traditional build, you'll quickly recoup any extra expenditure from reduced running costs. Sometimes a factory built home is cheaper to do than traditional methods; it just depends on where you live in the world and who you buy it from.

[@UndecidedMF]

Ha! I'm glad you're getting value out of the videos, but sorry it's hitting your wallet. If you do end up going the prefab path, or another path, hit me up and let me know how it goes.

[@snowballeffect7812]

@@pinkelephants1421 and how much capital you have saved up for the initial buy-in. is there any good resource out there for getting loans for construction of homes?

[@snowballeffect7812]

@Frugal Family Living Thanks for that reminder. I actually forgot about that clause.

[@woolfel]

I'm a huge open source fan and have been contributing for 2 decades. Great to see people support open source and do cool stuff.

[@UndecidedMF]

👍 Agreed.

[@TheZoePath]

Very timely! I'm a custom home architect in Atlanta, GA and this topic of modular pre-fab construction has really become important to me because inflation has made the price of building custom homes outrageously expensive. This is the solution! I'll be watching the rest of your videos on this. 👍🏼

[@EVRyder]

You nailed it! I'm no framing expert but I am a carpenter who has been dreaming of building my own home for decades. I've heard a little about this method of mass-production but never with enough detail to convince me of it's merits. I'm sold!

[@kalrandom7387]

As someone who's worked in the field building many houses and doing every job in it, this looks beautiful and better than anything I have ever seen. I just want to see the Electric and Plumbing go in please that's my main question. Good choice on doing the extra thick walls, that's very good of you young man.

[@UndecidedMF]

I'll be trying to cover the electrical and plumbing in future videos.

[@renepouliot6616]

Building a passive house has been a dream of mine, I took a course with Echo homes and came out convince net zero was the way to go. Construction normes need to be upgraded to a much higher standard. The energy saving will pay for itself. The added cost of building to double current standard adds less than 10% cost for an 80% energy saving.

[@UndecidedMF]

👍

[@Mike-zu9ke]

HAHAHAHA not to be rude but you have no idea what you are talking about.. I guess its fair because they were trying to sell you something, but lets just do a quick run down. typical wall paneling consists of 2X4 framing, exterior sheathing, batt insulation and dry wall. The energy efficient wall Matt put in has 9" I beam, zip sheathing, insulation, 2"X 3" studs and then dry wall. There is no way all that extra material and LABOR is "LESS THAN 10%" LOLZ I would love to see what they are selling you for less than 10% and still making a profit. also a lot of these thing are kind of misleading, for instance say you install an electric hot water heater that cost $500 and cost you $140/year for electricity. Now you can install a hybrid hot water heater that cost $1500 and cost $100/year for electric. It would take you 25 years to make up the difference. (granted it last that long) My point is you can build the tightest, most energy efficient home in the world but the truth is electricity is CHEAP!!

[@grast5150]

No, you are simply shipping your energy needs to another country. Where do you think all of the fancy technology, batteries, and insulations get manufactured? China, and Malasia, mostly. You are just moving the cost to build and operate your house to somewhere else plain and simple. Modern living has energy requirements and paying China to burn coal to produce batteries and solar panels for your home is just vanity to make yourself feel better. You would be better off to build with local lumber, insulate with nature products where possible or standard glass insulation with minimal plastic wraps, and then heat with wood or natural gas and maybe just maybe convince your state to allow nuclear power for electricity.

[@grizzlygrizzle]

@@grast5150 As in many things, the ideal is often the enemy of the good, especially when idealists forget that "ideal" is in some senses an antonym for "real." In human affairs, the most utopian ideologies have often resulted in huge numbers of innocents slaughtered and atrocities committed. In housing, too-high standards have resulted in a housing crisis and lots of homeless people. Too many building and zoning officials have become the residential-housing equivalents of Tony Fauci-- corrupt Karens more concerned with controlling others' lives than with what's best for the people and for society. -- The ICC codes, aside from turning over more sovereignty to international bodies, are badly written and petty. The codes of 50 years ago were far simpler, and didn't need much updating other than for energy efficiency and moisture control, with some revisions to deal with new materials that didn't work out well. One thing that tech-fanboys should keep in mind is that new tech generally results in lots of unintended consequences that reveal themselves only with the passage of time, whether it's in pharmaceuticals, automobiles, software, or biotech. Tight houses had a lot of moisture-control growing pains, and engineered wood may well show shortcomings over time. Polybutylene plumbing didn't work out all that well. Early types of foam insulation had some off-gassing problems. And so on.

[@darwynrowland]

I built my home 12 years ago using a system that was very close to what you showed here. Factory built walls, insulation and window insertion etc. It also has a metal roof and ground source heat pump. I remember that the overall cost in the end was marginally more when you subtract weeks of labourers framing the walls. I love my home and now 12 years later... I would love to build again using the even better technology you showed. So exciting.

[@hunati31]

Awesome! I'm a machinist by trade, had been working with 3D Cad Cam software for years... This is incredible, very impressive! You are super valuable, hats off to you Matt! Thank you very much for bringing us great contents!

[@TyphorT38]

here in Sweden it's very common that houses are pre fabricated in parts. even if the houses aren't passive houses. There's numerous companies producing pre fab houses and to very high standards

[@rklauco]

I had exactly the same question - how come we don't do this all over the place already. This is for sure the future. The ability to build it in controlled environment and then transport onsite, bolt together, that's a big thing. Imagine you would order a car and someone would show up with a bunch of steel sheets, CNC machines and aluminum and started to build it on your parkway...

[@UndecidedMF]

Love that picture you painted, Robert.

[@leandersearle5094]

Inertia, maybe employment inflation (that's what any bans you'll see will be about), sometimes paranoid HOAs. Those are my guesses, as someone studying architecture right now.

[@jeanchapman1301]

I would think one of the biggest issues is akin to factory built being serial in nature versus on-site being parallel construction - happening in cities all over the country at the same time.

[@timothysullivan7433]

Cost is the issue. Biggest problem is that the banks are not willing to finance the cost of the home since they use comps to determine the assessed value of the home. SIPS cost more so the homeowner will need to come up with a lot more cash and you own a home that costs more than it's assessed value

[@tims8603]

There are factory built home manufacturers all over the US. Have been for many decades. There are some misconceptions about manufactured homes probably because of the, generally, poor quality of mobile homes. Mobile homes are, largely, a thing of the past due to new building codes. Modern modular and panelized homes have come a long way from the early days of mobile homes. I worked in a modular home plant for over 30 yrs and I can tell you that they are as good or better than site built homes. The public is slow to accept them due to perceived stereotypes.

[@EireSaber]

Started watching this channel about a year ago, I've learned so much now I'm in the planning stage of getting my own solar panels installed and removing my gas boiler and getting a heat pump installed - thanks for the bright Ideas 💡

[@BigNewGames]

As a retired professional 3D CAD architect and engineer I'm totally impressed.

[@Mmmyess]

I'm very curious as to how much more (or less) your house will cost compared to a "normal" house that is not assembled in a factory. (If there's already a video about that, I hope another of your subscribers can direct me to it.)

[@DantHimself]

would also like to know

[@curiodyssey3867]

Ditto

[@t-bag1814]

I am interested in a cost comparition between this method and traditional method too.

[@nibblesnbits]

According to their website the most expensive model starts at roughly $603,000. Here in the states, for a house that size, it's a pretty reasonable amount.

[@Ineluki_Myonrashi]

Hey! This sounds like a perfect chance for Matt to make another video on the subject!

[@BLBlackDragon]

This is a pretty impressive process. You actually have a chance to see your finished house before construction even begins, and find any problems that normally wouldn't be seen until completion.

[@nasonguy]

Manufactured homes have been doing this for decades. I remember going to the factory with my parents to see their manufactured home being built back in the early 00s, we got to tour the factory floor and see where ours was in line. We were welcome to come watch it at any point, and that was just a thing that anyone was allowed to do. What I'm wondering is when the big established players such as Cavco, Clayton, Fleetwood, etc are going to start pumping out net-zero or passive homes. I think that is when we'll see a BIG shift if passive homes being attainable for your every day working stiff.

[@reestyfarts]

@@nasonguy After selling my mother's house for 40 cents on the dollar I recommend pre fab steel with insulation rodents cannot penetrate. Seriously.

[@nasonguy]

@@reestyfarts I live in the desert (pack rats) in a manufactured home. I know the struggle well.

[@gaston.]

I am impressed by the quality of construction... the thickness of the walls, insulation etc. Also those excellent windows..so important!! Thanks for sharing.

[@davidallyn1818]

I LOVE LOVE the idea of CNC cut engineered supplies. From a carpenter perspective, it's literally IKEA for houses, and it must make the workday so much quicker!!

[@Karjis]

Ikea actually is involved in housing in Boklok project. But it has similar things. Factory built and highly standardized. I live in 22 year old factory built house and it works like new.

[@pinkelephants1421]

You're not crazy to be geeking out about your triple glazed windows, especially since you and your wife have worked hard and saved for some considerable time to be able to afford to build the house of your dreams. One of the neighbours recently swapped out her double glazed windows for triple glazed ones and she's absolutely delighted with them.

[@bzuidgeest]

There are European countries that require them as standard on new builds, i suspect only an American would get excited by something so common.

[@Sagittarius-A-Star]

@@bzuidgeest European here. They are still quite rare compared to the total number of windows. And yes, I would be excited too.

[@3Mogsters]

Finnish here, triple windows have been standard for at least 30 years here. Makes in nice and quiet inside too.

[@bzuidgeest]

@@Sagittarius-A-Star as you may have noticed from other comments, 30 years as standard for the finish. Yes in many EU countries double glazing is still more common, but that is because European build houses tend to last a lot longer. The American houses blow away every few years or get eaten by bugs out rodents.

[@zweigackroyd7301]

@@bzuidgeest And we Europeans regularly tear down those built-to-last houses after 40 or 50 years, and haven't exactly built out of renewable resources. There are good elements to both approaches. Home ownership is much more affordable in the US than most European countries, for example.

[@larrythomas4614]

Fantastic! I love how you dissect every aspect of whatever topic you are discussing. This video, in particular, is exactly what we need to understand a topic that has had way too many negatives applied to it. Many people I talk with think manufactured homes are nothing more that trailers. Not so. And you show that clearly! Thanks Matt - most appreciated

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks so much, Larry. Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!

[@bkxc]

This is so cool! Using really great modern building methods all the way through. Loved the rafter joints!

[@printnub7585]

I came to say this - Well said Jeffrey B - "I legit teared up a bit when he said "we've been developing this for... quite a while," and immediately thereafter says "it's going to be open source." Ted is an exemplary human being, I love that he is doing this! He is truly committed to this model and driving the industry forward without making it solely about making more money. +1 to Ted for being a role model of a human. And +1 To Matt - I thouroghly enjoy you videos. Thank you!

[@grahamastor4194]

This what we have in the pipeline. We've just bought our lot (cost a lot $$$) and we're working with a company that builds the frame, walls and roof of the house in their factory. Looking forward to seeing your videos on the new home build.👍

[@Rolfyto]

Excited to finally see your build. This feels like the actual realistic scalable future of home construction, especially as it becomes progressively more unattainable.

[@flemmingaaberg4457]

I'd be excited too - in fact I am on your behalf. This is where computing and automation shine. I built a house almost organically (making it up as I go) and that was fun but this pre-fab net zero is far more attractive as a future proof home. Thanks for sharing the journey with us and thank you to Unity for allowing us to see the process and for sharing their knowledge with the world.

[@rileyjordan9072]

I really appreciate the interviews you add in. I would be interested in listening to longer conversations you have with interesting folks.

[@UndecidedMF]

Do you think systems like this are the way to go for construction? Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/undecided - Enter promo code UNDECIDED for 85% off and 3 extra months for FREE! If you liked this video, check out: My Biggest Regret Building a Net Zero Home kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2XEonigftx1rdE

[@vermontsownboy6957]

Fascinating dive into your net-zero home. I'm totally hooked. I see the value and benefit of this approach...First Principles of Engineering applied to the design and construction of a home. Makes so much sense. This video series and content completely changes my opinion of pre-fab houses.

[@vermontsownboy6957]

@@Unityhomes I'm checking out your site and other videos very closely. I like what Unity/Bensonwood is doing!

[@williamrobson8876]

Outstanding! With this system you can have every convenience built right into your home at the design level instead of adding on during or after the finished product! Again outstanding...

[@6478nick]

Hi I like your video and found it very informative and to the point. I was in the process of building one house with Passive Standard, and Net Zero will be ready in early spring 2023. This house is in Sebright, Ontario. My next one is in the USA for my nephew. I am also planning to build 3 semi detach in Ontario. I have decided to help build new homeowners just passive standard Net Zero homes. May be one house at a time. Can't wait for politicians or greedy builders to bring that change. You are bringing awareness to the building industry and letting new home buyers demand such houses, and that will change. No one should buy brand new leaking homes.Buyers ask / demand for Blower door test results.

[@RubyRoks]

Super cool to hear that their software project will be open source and available for others to work from. This is a really cool process and i can't wait to see some of the other developments as your house gets closer to completion

[@iha10512]

I also find this cool an hope it can be used with standard software and file formats. I work with software in the construction industry, and there is a multitude of software for all sorts of things, the big problem though is that there isnt one software for everything so we are all forced to export and import file formats and we loose data all the time when we do this because the export and import quality isnt perfect because of how the files are written and read (Not all software are fulfilling the standard file format requirments equally good). And the standard file format for this conversion itself isnt allowing for all kinds of information to be exchanged.

[@Tunturisorsa]

Actually amazing seeing them go open source on such a monetizable software is absolutely admirable.

[@markhaus]

It sounded almost like slicer software from the 3d printed world. Take house plans and turn them into planned out stages of automated manufacturing

[@davejack8973]

Thanks as always MATT & TEAM . appreciate the insight and sharing your home with us all!

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks, Dave!

[@c.t.murray3632]

I've always loved modular building for all the obvious reasons. The best part of this particular company is that they're beginning to share the plans that will help enable, hopefully, more modular builders. Hire as many different people as you can to do this work because there's a shortage of housing.

[@sueg2658]

Yes, indeed this is the way to go. I’m happy for you and your wife. I’m excited to see how this works out for you both. I love those widow and I’d be geeking out too if they were going in my home!

[@rickrys2729]

Ted Benson is certainly an innovator and the factory build takes a huge risk out of managing contractors that may want to interpret drawings to their advantage. The triple pane tilt and turn windows are a huge part of the thermal performance and I see lots of effort to make the house air tight so the HRV systems will be another key element. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the mechanical and PV systems.

[@scottgilliland2061]

Very cool! Don’t blame you at all for being excited about any and all aspects of this, it’s really cool. I hope everything continues to go smoothly, and that you continue to share the process for as much as your comfortable doing so - it’s very interesting and informative.

[@UndecidedMF]

Glad you think so, Scott. I do plan on sharing more, but still figuring out what and how much.

[@daveo1002]

This was a great video! It truly us amazing to watch the behind the scenes of your prefabricated house being built before shipping. I'm just blown away by this. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!

[@gramos9115]

We have just built a passiv style house here in Greece , it was very difficult to implant the ideals into local builders , they just use concrete for everything ! I maintained and we now live in the house , and the insulation is apparent .If Ted makes this system open source the whole construction world could (gradually ) change . Great work , Matt and Ted !

[@nickfosterxx]

There was me thinking that factory built homes were a relatively straightforward evolution, little to hold them back. But now I appreciate the mind boggling complexity involved at so many levels, from software to engineering to human factors in the assembly and final construction. Very impressive, I reckon we're seeing the inflection point of a whole new industry, and one where AI could have a tremendous impact too.

[@kpnitrl38]

YES! This is the way to go for construction. Best video yet on your channel. Talk about being convinced.

[@UndecidedMF]

Glad you think so, Troy. Thanks for watching!

[@kpnitrl38]

@@UndecidedMF Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

[@salibaba]

This is a great step forward in house building. We’ve had prefabricated homes before, particularly in the post war times, both in the UK and US in particular come to mind. Homes (and jobs building them) for those who fought in the war. And to allow for a recovering of economies, with growing families and what not. The problem with the old stuff was it was thrown up with just speed and cost in mind. This meant corners were cut. Thin walls, little to no insulation. Crazy building materials in hindsight eg. Asbestos. Of the many which still remain to this day in the UK some following 40 year projected lifespans; maintaining them is becoming an issue, also getting mortgages on some of them can be particularly difficult due to their “non-standard construction”. Buildings to mind suffering these issues are some with thin steel framed construction, and ones with unusual roofs such as flat concrete. Seeing them built like your to a high standard, aiming for modularity gives me hope that we’ll be able to build homes which have a lower carbon cost to build, quicker to build, less labour (wasted due to weather, snagging, schedule problems). It should allow home builders greater turnover rates. I wonder how costs will pan out long term compared to retrofitting old housing stock.

[@briantyhy4880]

Nice. I am about to move into my passive home which has a R42 wall system. I used a double stud system to eliminate as much bridging as possible. Lots of work and double the building standard for my area on Pender island. It was nice to see the wall assemble in the video and an explanation by the builder. Best windows Ive seen. Looks like you will have a beautiful house. cheers thanks for sharing

[@joebesko5592]

looking forward to seeing the home progress and getting built. i'm really curious how heating and cooling the house will be. Thanks for sharing the experience and process

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks for watching, Joe. I'm really eager to see how heating and cooling works out. I'm definitely going to be making a video about that.

[@artboymoy]

Would have been really niceto see the tilt turn windows totally in action. Everything's hella thick, so yeah, that'll help that passive home thing really work. So cool to see this process! Love it. Thanks for showing us.

[@UndecidedMF]

Yeah, I wish I got some better video of them in action. I'll definitely be showing those in more detail later as the build progresses.

[@DJ-bh1ju]

I bought a modular back in 1995.... Got the factory tour and thought it was amazing. This - this is 2 generations beyond mine...

[@berthogendoorn2133]

I have been in the CAD industry back in 1988, and yes this is the way to go for home construction, great video!

[@Jeffvannette]

Matt I am a firm believer in this process. I have been building for over 40 years and I purchased a factory built home in 1997 for my own family because I see so many benefits there. My question to you and the company you worked with is why not use metal framing? Made from recycled metal it is more stable and dependable? I love following your channel and appreciate all I am learning there. Thanks!!

[@lancethrustworthy]

I suspect the heat/cold transmissibility of metal framing might be part of the problem.

[@ianb2107]

@@lancethrustworthy continuous exterior insulation would solve that problem, like they use in commercial construction.

[@vandettabuilds6641]

The cost is considerably high in metal framing a home. That would be insane!!!!

[@316lvmnoneofyourbusiness7]

My questions are: What is the longevity of these homes? 30 years? 50, 70+ years? Are these homes built for regional weather and environment? For instance, will they hold up in Alaska, Arizona, tornado alley and so on? For example, the last adobe home was built in Fountain Hills, AZ. It maintained a constant temperature through out the year, was fire proof, held up during the monsoon, very inexpensive to build as it used the natural materials around the area, sound proof, fire proof.... Because it was so cheap to build, energy efficient etc., a law was passed that adobe homes could no longer be built because housing companies and developments couldn't make a substantial profit from these homes. Just curious.

[@TomBTerrific]

That’s why lobbyists are a dangerous group of special interest. Interesting about you earthen homes. Surprised that your government protection focused on business rather than consumers. Thanks what’s wrong with our country.the tail is wagging the dog.

[@vandettabuilds6641]

I have heard this I am a believer in adobe I’m a framer in SLC Utah

[@joabarrera]

It so cool to see Ted!! I met him in 1999!! When he gave a talk at MIT about his story and I have been inspired by it since. I’ve applied his philosophy to machine building. Build frames that will last for ever and leave other areas to be change and route wiring where it can be access not thought the frame it self.

[@extraincomesuz]

I had my house built and not only all of the pluses you spoke about but having unknown skill level on my house shows walls not level, cracking plaster, doors that stick or leave gaps. Also the trash cleanup on my lot was extensive, not only construction materials but food containers from workers. I wish I had had access to this! Your house will be fantastic! 👍🎉

[@kgsails7102]

Matt, maybe I missed this discussion in an earlier video but you could have done a 2x6 or even staggered stud 2x4 wall with external insulation to achieve that R-38 rating more cost-effectively. Doubling up the Zipshield also seems like overkill. With mechanical ventilation you have a lot more flexibility with sealing up the house and controlling ventilation. I do like the pre-routed holes for electrical as that will save a lot of time in the field. There are always trade-offs in design and construction. I'm sure you'll have no trouble reaching your blower door performance and insulation goals.

[@travelfeet]

I had the same thoughts about the wall system. I do wonder if the double sheathing is in part to keep the walls straight and tight during transport and installation.

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

Genuinely hope Benson/Unity establish a UK based factory. The thought and engineering that’s gone into these pre-fab homes is just mind boggling!

[@markzart33]

That really would be cool, I built some similar houses in Hemel Hempstead many years ago , but we had to have the panels made in Germany.

[@dremap.6349]

This is an incredible experience. I am truly fascinated by this whole process. Thank you for sharing!

[@astrongchristian]

I have always liked the concept of panelized building. I had a small introduction to it when I was constructing on apartments in Modesto, CA in the 80's. The walls of all the units were nailed together in the factory and shipped onsite and a crane put the longer units in place. We would nail them together and only bracing and sheetrock nailers were added by the framers. It was only the 2x4 framing that was prefabbed. After plumbing and bracing the walls we put on plywood and insulation in the walls and on the roof trusses.

[@astrongchristian]

What's up Matt?

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

This is fascinating. No Matt, you are not weird for getting excited about these doors and windows. They look brilliant. I'm thinking that if a person were to live in a region where hurricanes or were other extreme weather conditions are a possibility, maybe a monolithic dome home should be considered.

[@cyberpunkspike]

domes don't work that well in practice, a slopped roof really does improve the durability of a structure.

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

​@@cyberpunkspike I said monolithic dome. Monolithic domes are made of concrete.

[@Karla_Finch-Cluff]

I am so excited for you and your family! Those windows look fabulous, I'd geek at them too :D Fantastic to hear they plan to opensource their software, while I'm not an architect it fascinates me anyway, makes me want to check that out!

[@joblo341]

Thanks for the tour of the factory. Fascinating. Hopefully the way future construction will go. Factory prefab pieces that are just "leggo'ed" together on site. More efficient, consistent (in theory) higher quality build, much more quiet construction site, and again in theory faster assembly at the construction site. I'd really like to see apartment and office buildings built that way. Factory prefab components with most/all of the interior fittings already installed. Then those prefab units are just lifted into position on the building and connected together. Quick connectors for water and electrical would reduce need for professionals. Very little need for onsite construction, just some fit, finish and final touch up. They try to account for settling of the blown in insulation, but I'd like to see on site confirmation that after transportation settling has not happened. Especially for walls that were shipped vertically! Maybe on-site ultra-sound/sonar inspection of walls or maybe a built in "window" segment at the top of the wall that can be opened for onsite inspection and "topping up" of settled insulation. Blown insulation is obviously easier for them, but batt style insulation would be less likely to settle. . As part of the price, do you get detailed construction blueprints? Or can you buy them for extra cost? They would be handy for future enhancements to know where electrical, water, HVAC infrastructure is in the building before cutting into walls. Sure there are "cost savings" in using CAD to design and an automated/CAM factory to build vs building "by hand" on site, but the buyer does not see them. The "savings" are offset by the extra cost of the extra "engineering" in the design and build quality. Multiple layers in the wall that you don't see in a "stick" wall, etc.

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

When I was a kid, I use to watch Ted Benson on "This Old House". He guested on several projects of theirs. I remember being impressed by the QUALITY & BEAUTY of his timber framing.

[@JohnNeville617]

As a software developer who also is really interested in building science this was fascinating but the thing that blew me away was when they talked about making their future software product open source. That is awesome and really shows me that they are willing to add competition to the market for the sake of having better houses in this country.

[@harishrv]

These are the future Sustainable homes. All parts of the house can be reused even after it has finished its shelf life. The wood must be made long lasting to the extremes of weather conditions.

[@homesformeremortals5935]

Another great video. I was in the building trade 20 years ago. This is pretty amazing to watch how high tech it is in a factory and how they have finally started combining science/tech and building. Also, how they are minimizing product waste.

[@homesformeremortals5935]

Did you try to message me back with some sort of prize on nicegram? Whatever that is. Sounds like a scam.

[@Farreach]

I really love this channel .. he is just making videos on stuff he has a passion about and it shows when it is he actively answering questions in the comments for people who have general curiosities about it

[@UndecidedMF]

Really glad to hear that. And I try my best to get into the comments to answer questions. Even if I don't have time to respond to everyone, I do read them.

[@SeanNelson777]

Hey Matt great video! Curious... What's the cost per sqft vs regular stick built homes? Thank you!

[@vandettabuilds6641]

I am very curious about the cost difference. !!!!!

[@AnnetQuintanaKnowsBest]

@@vandettabuilds6641 Im planning on purchasing a prebuilt modular home as well and have found them averaging between (depending on the size and features) anywhere between $10k and $200k, while stick built houses usually run between $150k to $500k and even more. If saving money is your aim, there are much better options than stick built, such as 3d printed houses, built with a huge 3d printer out of a variety of material including both solid concrete and foam concrete which is just as strong as solid concrete, but uses 1/10 of the materials. If sustainability is your aim, you can even choose a material such as hempcrete. Hope this helps. You can Google "pre built modular homes" to see the extensive variety, with the most expensive being made in Europe and the US, while the cheapest are built in China (2k-10k for a studio-2 bdroom home). Also, for amazing value also check out "container homes", built from shipping containers, once insulated you have a home that is termite proof, fire proof, earthquake proof and extremely durable.

[@vandettabuilds6641]

@@AnnetQuintanaKnowsBest Annet you are not considering all the sub contractors coming in after the shell is put up For all the different types of materials you could use to build the home the subcontractors are going to charge you a arm and a leg to carry out their job because it’s not a standard building material they have to work around to install their product into !!! Do you understand what I mean Wood framing structure is a standard building material that subcontractors are familiar with and their materials are a standard material designed for wood framed houses You notice he didn’t give a cost per square foot on final product because it’s considerably higher than stick framed houses I come from a family of builders as well as realtors Trust me I know exactly what I’m talking about Please feel free to as me anything!!!

[@daves1646]

Matt and Undecided team, thank you for the near end-to-end look at the the fab processes for this new efficient home. I’ve always been biased against new builds b/c of the often poor quality and very high cost of building the ‘atypical’ high efficiency homes. This look in has me interested again in new build b/c of the ability to design right from the start. Thanks again!!

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks, Dave. Appreciate it ... and thanks for sharing.

[@briand5379]

Thanks for the video, Matt. I have to admit, the longer this video went on, the more interested I got. It'll be interesting to see what it costs to build a home like this and how long it takes to get the build done.

[@papparocket]

Hey Matt, Matt Risinger is a contractor who has a KZbin channel where he has shared a lot of the net zero/nearly net zero construction he and other contractors have done, including his own house. In this video he shares a process to make a tight house even tighter. This process is done when the envelope of the house is fully assembled and sealed (well, sealed as well as humans are likely to get). So the windows and doors are in and sealed, wiring and plumbing is in and sealed where it penetrates the insulated shell of the house, but (ideally) before the drywall is put up or the rest of the interior is finished. Then a blower door is put in place in an outer door opening and a system is brought in that produces a fog of aerosolized caulking material. With the blower door pressurizing the house air will start to leak out of the house out even through the most convoluted pathways and through the tiniest of holes. As the air moves from the inside to the outside it entrains the caulk particles that are so small they are suspended in the air like dust particles. As the air and caulk pass through any whole it sticks to the sides and caulk builds up until the hole is sealed. The decrease in the blower door reading is remarkable, especially considering just how carefully the other Matt and his crew were trying be when caulking and sealing in order to make an exemplar of energy efficiency out of his own house. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIrYmJyJrLyihs0

[@zed9zed]

The windows you are excited about are very nice. Some of them open on two different axes depending on which way you rotate the handle. That means you can tilt the top of the window inward (there's a stop which limits how far) so you get fresh air but rain generally won't blow in. Or you open the window sideways like a door.

[@Draxis32]

R-35 level is pretty damn good. You could survive in Antarctica with that!

[@UndecidedMF]

👍

[@jamesgay3761]

Hi Matt great video i am excited about this home build and looking into it for myself. Your work inspires me. As an old guy (72) I am kept young and enthusiastic by people like you, smart young and sharing new technologies, keep up the good work.

[@anthonysanlucas6437]

The elegance and simplicity is phenomenal.

[@jamieatwell6919]

I’ve looked at Unity in my long term goal to build a small net zero home (800 sq ft not including garage). I love the thought that goes into what they do and I don’t think there is anyone else that is as thoroughly detailed as they are. A question I have is with the wall thickness and quantity of materials necessary to achieve their results. Matt, was there any anyone you found that uses SIPs or other technology? I would love to know the R-value, thermal bridging, engineering, cost, simplicity comparison to something like SIPs or other. The walls Unity constructs look incredible, but I’m wondering if similar results are achievable with less complexity? Thank you for the videos you produce.

[@UndecidedMF]

There are many different paths you can go and get the same exact final results for R value and air tightness. It's actually kind of head spinning with all of the ways you can go. I didn't do a detailed SIPs comparison for myself, so don't have an info to share ... but that could be a good possible future video.

[@ericdow6763]

Great info. Neat to see how ‘prefab’ is going from a derogatory term to a positive one :)

[@UndecidedMF]

Yeah, there's baggage with the term/concept. This is helping to change that.

[@galas455]

I'm really impressed with the design/build process of this company. Good video Matt.

[@firstmate015]

What an eye opener. So glad your channel became part of my algorithm. I watch WELT a German channel. You probably watch it too. The US is slow to get on board but I'm seeing a catch up phase that is exciting. Our planet needs this. Thank you for bringing this newer technology to the You Tube viewers of your channel. Excited to see your home when it's finished.

[@karleck1119]

Really a great video. Kinda new to this but I've noticed in i'de say Europe this "type" of build is common place. Loads of insulation and thick walls. My guess is oil was cheap and no thought for environment impact left us with a inferior Insulation envelope. I know we can do better. Now that the need is present we will. Thanks for this great video

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks, Karl. Here in the US with our cheap energy prices there was no incentive to do better. Europe was far more motivated and advanced their building standards quickly. We've got to catch up.

[@adnefs45]

I like the way they cut up the whole construction process. In one word efficiency on champignons league level. All the components can be re used. Next step is on the materials. US wants brandnew materials formed out of waste. Building longlasting energysystems that can operate standalone

[@alfs3]

Matt, I’ve been watching Tedd do his thing on This Old House for years and IMO Tedd is a genius at what he does and the only prefab builder I’d use too! Their process and people are too notch and then some!

[@Twistedmetal-qe8kx]

Really impressive factory, great to see such a well managed operation, I think you are going to be pleased with your new home.

[@chriskelvin248]

I am also excited for your triple-glazed European-style windows. If this were my build, would Benson be able to accommodate European-type exterior roller shades as well into the construction?

[@UndecidedMF]

You should be able to accommodate exterior shades.

[@andyluchsinger]

This makes so much sense. Very exciting for you! Too bad they have to wrap them in all that plastic just for delivery…but I would suspect it is a quality control measure to keep things from shifting in transport.

[@mr.majestic8713]

Everything is wrapped in case of rain or snow. It keeps everything dry.

[@leozaboudi8005]

Regular construction would generate much more waste than this little plastic. 1/5 of the carbon emission in the world is due to buildings.

[@UndecidedMF]

Yeah, it's disappointing, but still the best option available. It keeps things dry and safe from the elements until its ready to assemble onsite.

[@williamholmes7529]

Nice one Matt and carry on geeking out over your beautiful new home. I feel the label 'game changer' actually applies to this method of house design and construction. Bravo mate, bravo 👏👏👏

[@Lilmiket1000]

Yep this is basically how my sister house was built. I dont think it was a selling point that it was built this way but watching them build it, everything was mostly pre built off site and put together on site. Makes the build go quicker and nothing gets left out in the rain. She was able to get I believe is about 2500sqft+ house for 120k 5yrs ago. Very very sweet deal!

[@brentmcdonnell360]

This process is pretty sweet! I'm 90% done building my own high energy-efficient tiny house that I designed, and it was a trip to 3D model every structural connection myself. However, you spoke about thermal bridging, and it seems to me that your envelope will still have thermal bridging through every stud. I used 2 layers of 2in polyisocyanurate insulation to eliminate this on the walls and roof, with 1 layer under the floor (I made pier foundations, so it is 6in+ off the ground). How are you mitigating thermal bridging?

[@nasonguy]

I might be wrong, but I believe the Zip sheathing is a large part of breaking those thermal bridges.

[@brentmcdonnell360]

@@nasonguy ah ok, I suppose if that's true, that's a good feature. Being up in the NE of the US though, it won't do all that much. Maybe south of NY it'll be good enough? Thanks for the heads up 😊

[@crazy1be]

The I-Beams (as opposed to traditional studs) will significantly reduce the thermal bridging by reducing the total amount of material.

[@brentmcdonnell360]

That may be true, however it's still there. Just 1 layer of exterior rigid insulation eliminates thermal bridging, which is a more cost effective technique

[@jakeaustin901]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for sustainable practices like these shown. If you have ever done any handywork within your home, then you will see that the best part about this autonomous process is that your studs will be exactly 16" center-to-center.

[@nathanmiddleton1478]

Everyone should have their house built this way. My wife and I have discussed getting our first house built this way for many of the same reasons you mention.

[@gajosmugmug]

Amazing how modern technology when used correctly makes long lasting homes, this is the way of the future, indeed. Matt thanks for sharing.

[@canosisplays5152]

This is very neat. I’m curious if this outfit only builds houses regionally. There is a lot of bureaucracy in residential building and the building code can change region by region annually.

[@josephsweeney4219]

Their facility is in NH and most of their builds are in New England and upstate NY.

[@garrygballard8914]

Alright Matt let’s jump in to the future. WOW 😵 Matt this is perfect for what I’ve been looking for in a company to work with my start-up 21st century sustainable city development. Tks for the video. Would they work with someone over here in Nashville ? What do you think ?

[@UndecidedMF]

Hi Garry. Glad you enjoyed the video ... and yeah, they would work in Nashville. They build homes over most of the eastern half of the country (occasionally further out).

[@TakanashiYuuji]

I've always been really excited about factory-built modular homes. It just seems to make so much sense to me.

[@miguelvelasco2097]

I used to work on a modular home manufacturing facility. This plant is so beautiful!

[@paul_ashkar]

Prefabulous!

[@dwftube]

Underrated comment.

[@UndecidedMF]

Tip of the hat.

[@MayankJairaj]

This looks really cool, but how did the plumbing get done? Did I skip some bathroom portion. Also what is the hurricane resistance on these? Please release the future vids related to home back to back, it looks really exciting Is the house completed?

[@UndecidedMF]

I'm releasing the home videos as progress is being made, so they won't be back to back because of that. My next update will most likely come after the house has been assembled onsite, but not finished.

[@nerdy_dav]

This is what competition looks like.. Fantastic work from Unity... I wish we had these in Australia.

[@kennethm2312]

I love it! The additional utility cavity to run power and water etc is great, because if you do ever want to fix, add or move services the work is within that utility concealment wall. Instead of lining the interior with plaster board you could feature specific wall sections in plywood board that has routed slots as vents and run in wall hydronic heating pipe behind, essentially concealed radiators, for direct fast comfort heat in select zones like bathroom or lounge. Very Scandinavian chic! I would love to know more about your triple glass windows selection as there are many views on what makes for the best U-values and then there is the thermal bridging though the frames and their mechanical reliability. It might sound tacky but I would like to use coated aluminium frames because they’re precise don’t warp, always seal and have excellent overall longevity but then there is the dreaded thermal bridging. There are a number of buildings groups in Switzerland and Germany that run prefabrication plants similar to your builder, but they do not generally run the additional service cavity wall like your builder. They instead run flexible electrical conduct and in-wall connection boxes used to pull cable and then fit off power outlets. For safety and peace of mind the fireproof electrical conduit and boxes keep the electrical separate from the insulation that shares the wall cavity. Not having the double skin wall lowers the amount of materials, but I prefer your builders system which offers latitude for future additional services and ease of in wall repairs, we are now promoting use this method in Australia. Btw the Swiss group even repurposed the plastic wrap that the walls are sealed in for pre delivery. They have their own onsite purpose built recycling plant to repurpose this plastic protective wrap. By choosing and engineering the right materials the recycling is purposeful and not just a warm fuzzy feeling for customer appeal. These companies wherever possible select or engineer materials that have worth in recycling, to extract the maximum value out of everything they use, this is just good business.