Modular Home Company Aims for Long-Term Affordability

Modular home manufacturers are promoting their product as one tool for fighting the housing crisis, reports Patrick Sisson in Fast Company. Modular builders say their homes can be built quickly and cost-effectively.

“In Europe and Asia, homes are often built with concrete or brick; in the U.S., wood is the material of choice. As described in a popular meme, there’s a reason American film and TV depict people punching through walls: Elsewhere, you’d break your hand.” On the heels of the failure of modular home manufacturer Katerra, some of that company’s former staff has formed a new venture, Onx. Onx, offers three home models that minimize heating and cooling costs and reduce mold and storm damage risks, according to the manufacturer.

“But where Katerra sought to build myriad types of projects with an array of materials, at one point focusing energy on mass timber, Onx has focused squarely on single-family residential construction, and has a new business model meant to upend how the industry works.” To date, Onx has aimed for vertical integration, owning the lots it develops on.

The company “promises to make owning the home over time much more affordable, slashing the maintenance, insurance, and utilities costs, standardizing the building process, and continually innovating, the company argues, adding more value to the consumer.”