BuIldIng ExCellenCe

building
excellence
®
The official magazine of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute
cmhi.ca
prefab101
P.7
Infill Housing
P.19
The Environmental
Advantage p.13
ACCESSIBILITY:
DESIGN FOR LIFE
p.23
Travelling
through time
p.28
CMHI
Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute
150 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 500, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1P 5J4
2012 review
Work with the
professionals!
If you’re thinking about purchasing a new home, contact
a Manufactured Housing Consultant (MHC)®. Look for
the MHC logo on advertising, brochures, in retail centres
and model homes. It’s the mark of the professionals in
the industry, and a symbol of trust, value and service.
Visit cmhi.ca to find a registered Manufactured Housing
Consultant (MHC)® in your area.
Courtesy of Prestige Homes
CMHI 2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
VICE PRESIDENT
Dale Ball
Brookswood Homes
Langley, BC
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Don Darling
Prestige Homes
Sussex, NB
PRESIDENT
John Froese
Grandeur Housing
Winkler, MB
PAST PRESIDENT
Peter Aitchison
Triple M Housing
Lethbridge, AB
MANUFACTURER
DIRECTORS
Peter McLaggan
Maple Leaf Homes
Fredericton, NB
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Gary Hauk
Pleasant Homes
Morinville, AB
David Poupore
Guildcrest Homes
Morewood, ON
Rick LeBouthillier
Parkbridge Lifestyle
Communities
Calgary, AB
David Saucy
Kent Homes
Bouctouche, NB
Frank O’Blenis
Supreme Homes
Amherst, NS
Pieter Venema
Royal Homes
Wingham, ON
SUPPLIER DIRECTOR
Doug McLean
Taymor Industries
Mississauga, ON
CUSTOM QUALITY BUILT
Modular, RTM & Manufactured Homes
Grandeur had by far the best service, worked within our schedule and needs, and the house was designed to exactly what
we wanted! We are ecstatic about our new home and have no qualms whatsoever singing Grandeur’s praises.
~ Alex & Alison, Red Lake, ON
www.grandeurhousing.com
| 204.325.9558
CMHI
BUILDING EXCELLENCE®
2012 Review
7
PREFAB 101
Buying and building
your new home
Published January 2013 by
the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute
150 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 500
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1P 5J4
t: 613-563-3520
f: 613-232-8600
e: buildingexcellence@cmhi.ca
w: cmhi.ca
13 The Environmental
Advantage
19 INFILL HOUSING
The modular way
2012-2013 President
John Froese
23 ACCESSIBILITY
DESIGN FOR LIFE
Executive Director and CEO
Kathleen Maynard
Senior Director, Technical Affairs
Adaire Chown
28 Travelling
through time
The evolution of
manufactured building
BUILDING EXCELLENCE®
Editor
Kathleen Maynard
Sales and Circulation
Reid/Foster Associates
31
Featured in this issue
33
About CMHI
Design and Layout
Allegro168
Online Management
The Online Authority
© 2012 Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute. All rights reserved.
Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part,
without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed
in this publication are not necessarily those of the Canadian Manufactured
Housing Institute, its members or staff.
Building Excellence® and Manufactured Housing Consultant (MHC)®
are registered trademarks of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute.
COVER PHOTOS: Main photo courtesy Grandeur Housing; inset photos
courtesy (top) Maple Leaf Homes, (bottom) Royal Homes.
–5–
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
editor’s message
T
he first time I walked into a building factory, I was amazed. I had worked with the
homebuilding industry for many years, but didn’t know much about prefabricated
construction. Standing on the factory floor wearing my safety glasses and hard hat,
I wondered why anyone would ever build a home any other way. No rain, no snow,
no scheduling delays—just protection from the elements and total quality control.
I took that first factory tour in 2001, and just over a decade later, the number of Canadiancertified homebuilding factories has doubled from 60 to 120. The factory-built share of new
single-family homes in Canada has also grown, to 12.5% in 2011. And it’s not just single-family
homes. Builders are producing all types of homes in factories today­—starter homes and
luxury mansions, multi-storey townhouses, condominiums and apartments. Prefabricated
modular and manufactured homes can now be found in adult lifestyle communities, in subur­ban developments, in rural and remote regions, and in the heart of the city on infill lots.
In this issue of Building Excellence®, you will find information about the environmental benefits
of prefabricated homes, technical specifications and standards, and how the buying process
works. New articles are being posted on our website regularly, so be sure to check out the
online edition at cmhi.ca.
Enjoy the tour!
–6–
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
prefab101
Buying and building your
new home
Courtesy of Prestige Homes
So you are
interested
in a prefabricated
home…
Y
ou know about
the great quality
and the energy
efficiency. You
have decided that it makes
perfect sense to build a
home indoors, protected
from the elements, using
precision technology and
a well-trained workforce.
You like the fact that
factory building reduces
the overall construction
time considerably.
Now you are wondering:
how exactly does one
go about buying a prefab
home, and what’s involved?
To begin with, buying a prefab home is not really that
different from purchasing
any other home. Many of
the steps are the same, or
very similar. There are some
exceptions related to the
fact that the home is built in
the factory and then moved
and installed on your site.
–7–
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Here is a general overview
of the buying and building
process, step by step. Keep
in mind that similar to any
other home purchase, the
process might be a little
different from one company
to another. Ask the compa­ny’s sales consultant to
explain their process
to you in detail.
prefab101
1. Find a company
There are prefabricated
building manufacturers
across Canada. Some
companies are large,
building hundreds of
homes annually and
delivering them over
considerable distances.
Some prefabricated
building manufacturers sell
and deliver their homes
directly to the homebuyer,
while others work with local
sales offices or independent
builders or retailers who
arrange for delivery, installation and finishing at the
site. Some manufacturers
are represented by several
locally based companies
spread over a large
geographical area.
Inspection and
Certification
All new homes must comply with the local building codes in effect, and are checked
and verified by local building officials. In order to assure compliance on the work
completed away from the building site, a system of third-party inspections and
certification govern the construction of every home built in a factory.
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) CAN/CSA A277 Procedure for Factory
Certification of Buildings standard covers certification of the factory’s quality program,
and auditing and in-plant inspection requirements, for example. In other words, the
A277 standard deals with “total quality” throughout the manufacturing process.
Before leaving the factory, each home is clearly labeled as built in accordance with
the standard. When the home reaches the building site, the label certifies to the local
inspector that the home meets the building code—including the parts the inspector
cannot see because the building is partly or almost completed. The label also offers
peace of mind for homebuyers, telling them that the construction of their new home
has followed a rigorous quality assurance regime.
To start your search for
a prefabricated building
company in your area,
check cmhi.ca under
“Find a Builder”, or the
“Canadian Manufactured
Housing Consultant
(MHC)® Registry”.
The certification label covers the work done in the factory only—any work completed
or modifications made to the home after it leaves the factory are subject to inspection
and approval at the building site.
Always verify that manu­
facturers are certified to
Canadian Standards
Association (CSA)
standards for factory
building (see sidebar).
cmhi.ca.
Certain types of factory-built homes are subject to additional and specific requirements set out in other CSA standards—CAN/CSA Z240 MH Series, Manufactured
Homes and CAN/CSA Z240.10.1 Site Preparation, Foundation and Anchorage of
Manufactured Homes.
For more information on technical standards, check
–8–
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
2. Find the right
home for you
Invest time online to see
what different prefabricated
building companies in your
region offer. Check out
models, styles and options.
Look at floor plans and
layouts, and find out what’s
included in “standard
specifications” (what is
included in the basic price
of a home). This will help
you make preliminary
decisions about the
home you want.
that are not included in the
basic price of the home,
but that can be included at
additional cost). If in doubt
whether something is inclu­
ded or an extra, ask the
sales consultant to clarify.
Visit sales centres and
spend time in “show”
homes for a close look
at the quality of design,
construction, finishing and
the products used. Show
homes may contain a
number of “upgrades”
(i.e. features and products
Factory building does
not mean your choices are
limited—far from it. Building manufacturers have a
very wide range of standard
Courtesy of Prestige Homes
Courtesy of Triple M Housing
Courtesy of Guildcrest Homes
–9–
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
plans—and standard plans
can be modified, as long
as it doesn’t interfere with
the structural integrity of
the house. Manufacturers
can also work with plans
you may have yourself—
plans might need tweaking though if they weren’t
produced with factory
construction in mind.
prefab101
3. Personalize
While your own research
will get you off to a great
start, take advantage of the
knowledge sales consultants
can provide. Manufacturers
offer so much choice that
it is often only in discussion
with sales staff that you can
truly begin to personalize
your home: changing and
adding features and selecting your own finishes (cabinets, countertops, flooring
and more).
Don’t be surprised, or
offended, if the sales consultant asks fairly personal
questions: how do you
like to spend your time at
home; do you entertain and
if so, formally or informally;
how long do you intend to
stay in the new home, and
so on. The better the sales
consultant understands
your needs and preferences, the more he/she
can help you choose a
home that’s right for you,
and finetune the design
and features so your new
home fits you perfectly.
Naturally your budget is a
key factor in the purchase,
so you will also be asked
about your financial parameters: e.g. have you been
pre-approved for a mortgage, how much are you
looking to spend?
begins. All decisions are
made before the home
goes into production,
so there are no sudden
changes or unexpected
costs. The price you are
quoted is the price you
will pay.
Once you have chosen the
home and features you
want, the sales consultant
will give you a price quote.
Make sure you fully under­
stand what’s included.
Typically all the work directly
related to the home—
construction, foundation,
installation—is included in
the price. Site work such
as building a laneway or
putting in services (hydro,
water, septic) might be
outside the scope of the
contract, or might be available at an additional cost—
ask your sales consultant
what services they can
provide.
4. Decide on
the site
You can put a factory-built
home on your own land,
or land you purchase, or
you may want to live in a
landlease community where
you rent rather than own
the lot. Sales consultants
should be able to provide
advice about land availabi­
lity in the area, or can refer
you to a realtor if you are
looking to buy a lot.
If you already have your lot,
bring photos, the site plan,
soil and/or other reports,
and any other information
you think might be helpful
in discussions with your
sales representative. If you
have already made arran­
gements with a landlease
community, bring along a
copy of community design
For many homebuyers, one
of the big advantages of
buying a prefab home is
that the cost of the home
is firm before construction
guidelines, installation
requirements, and anything
else that could affect the
construction, delivery or
completion of the home
at the site.
If the house is going onto
your own property, you’ll
need to assess items such
as whether or not the lot is
serviced, if the building site
will need clearing, if there
is adequate access for a
truck carrying the home,
and possibily a crane. Soil
and/or water testing may
also be required. The sales
consultant can refer you
to the proper specialists,
as needed.
The sales consultant, site
supervisor or other company representative may
visit your property to take
a close look at access, the
proposed building site,
and so on.
If possible, you should
be present at this visit to
explore the lot, and look
closely at the best placement and orientation of
your home.
Work with a Manufactured Housing
Manufactured Housing Consultants (MHCs)® are the professionals in the all requirements to be entered into the CMHI Manufactured Housing Con
an ongoing commitment to professionalism, customer service and cont
– 10 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
5. Action!
Once a firm contract is in
place, everyone jumps into
action. In the factory, final
construction drawings will
be produced, products and
materials will be ordered,
and the house will be put
“on the line” for construction. The home will be built
as it moves through a number of work stations, each
involving an expert crew,
and each with its own quality assurance check before
the house moves on to the
next station.
Meanwhile, the building
site gets prepared—
excavation and/or grading,
construction of the foun­
dation and improving
road access, for example.
6. It all comes
together
Depending on the design
and size of your house,
it may be shipped in one,
two, or more sections
(a typical two-storey home
consists of four modules).
The house is placed onto
the foundation—modules
are either slid or lifted from
the truck by a large crane.
The site crew secures the
house to the foundation
and joins the sections.
Within a few hours of arrival,
the house is assembled and
“locked up”—protected
against the elements.
When everything is done,
it is time for you and a
company representative
(e.g. sales consultant or site
supervisor) to do a walkthrough of the home. The
purpose is to verify that the
home is finished according
to the plans, that nothing
is missing, and that everything is in good shape and
working well. The company
representative will show
you how to operate the
equipment and systems in
the home, and will discuss
general maintenance to
help you keep your new
home in tip-top shape.
Finishing work begins to
complete the surfaces inside and out where sections
were joined, to install items
that were shipped with the
sections, and to build those
elements that can best
or only be done on-site
(e.g. garage, porch, deck).
This part of the construction
can take anywhere from a
few days to a number of
weeks, depending on the
house and the items you
have chosen.
Often the representative will
touch on some of the highlights of the warranty on the
house: what’s covered and
for how long, and how to
request warranty service,
if needed. Homebuyers
are usually given a manual
or other publication that
explains the warranty
coverage in detail.
Consultant®!
industry who have successfully completed
sultant® Registry. The MHC® designation signifies
inuous learning
– 11 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
7. It’s your move
There is nothing quite like
the feeling of moving into
a brand new home, one
that no one else has lived
in before, one where you
have made all the decisions
and don’t have to live with
a previous owner’s choices.
Unpack your belongings,
get settled in and enjoy
your new home!
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The
Environmental
Advantage
It is generally known that building a home in a factory can save time and money—but can this “industrialized construction” save the
planet too? Researchers at the University of Alberta believe that modular and offsite construction will help.
– 13 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
A
ccording to
University of
Alberta Professor
Dr. Mohamed
Al-Hussein, Industrial
Research Chair in the
Industrialization of Building
Construction, “modular
and off-site cons­truction
technology has a number
of advantages over current
traditional on-site construction. Industrialized construction increases productivity, reduces costs and
con­struction time, generates higher-quality products, and creates healthier
and safer environments for
workers and occupants.”
Research conducted by
Dr. Al-Hussein for the
Sturgeon Foundation, a
not-for-profit seniors housing organization in Alberta,
shows that factory-based
construction results in a
43.0% reduction in environmental footprint (CO2 emissions) during construction
alone, in comparison with
on-site construction.
“The factory-based
building industry has always
been at the forefront of
building green,” says Peter
Aitchison, Senior Manager,
Design and Engineering at
Triple M Housing in Alberta,
and Chair of the Canadian
Standards Association
Technical Committee on
the Factory Certification
of Buildings.
“Factorybased
construction
also offers a
decreased
environmental footprint,”
he says.
In fact, factory-based
builders repeatedly have
been first out of the gate
when it comes to the environment. When the R-2000®
standard was introduced
in Canada 30 years ago,
it was a factory builder who
first became the largest
producer of R-2000® homes
—homes recognized by the
Canadian Home Builders’
Association as the most energy-efficient and environmentally responsible homes
on the market. The first
EnviroHome® (an R-2000®
home showcasing proven
and commercially available
environmental features) was
built in a factory. The first
of Canada’s EQuilibrium™
demonstration homes
– 14 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
(generating more energy
than they consume) was
built in a factory. Canada’s
first entirely Built Green®
community, promoting
green building practices in
Alberta, was created with
the help of a factory-based
builder, as was Canada’s
first geothermal manufactured housing community.
Despite the impressive
environmental performance
of factory-built homes, the
majority of new homes are
still built on-site. However,
the Canadian Manufactured
Housing Institute’s annual
Manufactured Building
Survey, conducted by Altus
Group, shows that 12.5%
of the new single-family
homes built in Canada in
2011 were built in factories.
The factory-built share of
new homes built in Canada
has been growing steadily
for the past decade, and
seems poised to continue
the trend.
“We have barely scratched
the surface,” Dr. Al-Hussein
says. “Industrialization in
Canada is still in its infancy,
really. As technology within
the building industry continues to evolve, a greener,
faster, smarter and safer
approach to building is
more important than ever
before. Hopefully the next
20 years will witness the
shift of a large portion of
construction from on-site
to off-site.”
Environmental
benefits of
factory-built
Optimized materials use
and minimized waste
production due to precision production processes,
reuse and recycling, and
protection from weather
damage and vandalism
Highly energy-efficient
homes and buildings due
to indoor construction
conditions, integrity of a
continuous air barrier and
insulation layer, and careful
sealing, for example
Efficient development
opportunities such as
small-lot community
design; community energy
systems; surface foundations; garden suites;
laneway housing; infill
– 15 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Reduced CO2 emissions
during construction
factoring material delivery
trips, crew trips, equipment
usage and winter heating
1. Canada’s first EnviroHome®, built at the
Prestige Homes factory in Sussex, New Brunswick
(photo courtesy of Prestige Homes)
1
2. Canada’s first EQuilibrium™ home, built at the
Alouette Homes factory in St-Alphonse-de-Granby,
Quebec (photo courtesy of Alouette Homes)
3. A home in Canada’s first entirely BuiltGreen®
community built by Triple M Housing in Lethbridge,
Alberta (photo courtesy of Triple M Housing)
2
3
4. North Ridge Place
Seniors Affordable
Housing Project,
St. Albert, Alberta
(photo courtesy of
Rose Country
Advertising and
Public Relations)
5. Winner of the
Energuide Rating
Service “Most
Efficient House”
award in 2012,
Maple Leaf Homes
in Fredericton, New
Brunswick, also won
the “Energy Efficient
Community Award” in
2012 for its part in the
first net-zero community of its kind in North
America. The townhouses manufactured
by Maple Leaf Homes
generate more power
than they consume.
(photo courtesy of
CNW Group/Maple
Leaf Homes)
4
5
– 16 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
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SUPREME HOMES BELIEVES IN
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Supreme Homes is privately owned and operated by Art & Robert Savoie and is a division of A. & R. Savoie & Sons Enterprises Ltd. Founded
in 1982, we are located conveniently in Northern New Brunswick, Canada. Our company has been in the business of manufacturing quality
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us a total of 68,000 square feet in which to create and market the most attractive homes in Eastern Canada.
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– 17 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
– 18 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
the Modular Way
They are becoming a familiar sight in some of Canada’s
major cities: construction sites in well-established
urban neighbourhoods. New single-family and
semi-detached homes are being built on vacant
or newly severed lots between existing homes
Courtesy of Royal Homes
and replacing older, sometimes dilapidated homes.
– 19 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Courtesy of Royal Homes
Infill housing plays an
important role in rejuvenating older communities. It
can help to achieve greater
density in urban areas, make
effective use of existing infrastructure and address other
municipal goals in some of
Canada’s larger centres.
But infill is not without its
problems and challenges for
those who live with the reality of new construction in old
neighbourhoods. Even when
the new house is a welcome
addition to the street, the
General Manager of
Grandeur Housing—
a factory-based building
company in Winkler,
Manitoba. According to
Froese, modular building
cuts down the construction
time on site and reduces the
disturbance in a neighbourhood significantly by moving
the building of the house
off-site, into a factory or
manu­facturing plant.
process of getting there can
be tiring and wearing on the
neighbours.
The noise, the dust—
competing with construction equipment, trucks and
vans on streets that were not
designed for heavy traffic–
an infill project at best is
inconvenient, and at worst
can become chaotic for
residents.
“Enter modular construction,” says John Froese,
President of the Canadian
Manufactured Housing
Institute (CMHI), and
“On-site construction time
is easily cut in half by going
to modular,” says Pieter
Venema, President of
– 20 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Royal Homes in Wingham,
Ontario, who has built
prefabricated homes for
40 years. In recent years,
Royal Homes has built a
number of infill homes
for clients in Hamilton,
Georgetown and Toronto,
Ontario, including several
in The Beaches in Toronto.
“Our clients are experienced
homeowners, buying their
second or third home–they
are very sympathetic to the
impact that the construction
of a new home will have on
the community. They want
the quality of factory-built
construction, and they know
that modular means less disruption to the neighbours.”
While the foundation is
being prepared onsite, the
modules for the home are
constructed in the factory at
the same time. The number
of modules varies with the
size and design of the home,
but typically a two-storey
home takes four modules,
although six to eight modules
are not uncommon.
Every home is different,
but generally, a home is
about 75% complete when
leaving the factory. For
instance, the walls are insulated, with siding on the
outside and painted drywall
on the inside. The modules
are pre-wired and preplumbed, the flooring may
be in place and bathrooms
and kitchens may be completely installed.
over, finishing the house
inside and out, hooking up
services, and possibly adding
a front porch, deck or garage.
Before any work begins
on site, Royal Homes staff
meet with the neighbours to
explain the project–what’s
about to happen on the street,
what’s involved and how it
might affect people living
close to the site. Most neighbours are pleased for the
new homeowners, and the
company doesn’t get many
complaints during construction. Still, “people won’t
The modules are transported
to the building site and assembled on the foundation.
Then the site crew then takes
– 21 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
hesitate to call us if any
construction waste ends
up on their property,” says
Venema. We know this is a
sore point and take great
care in keeping the building
site clean and neat.”
Venema points out that
factory building creates
much less waste and garbage,
not only on site, but also in
the factory itself. In a factory
setting, everything can be
carefully mapped out—
the building process is well
established and materials
are used very efficiently.
Courtesy of Royal Homes
There is no waste due to
mistakes, and packaging
is kept to a minimum and
recycled whenever possible.
When the modules are
almost ready to be transported to the site, the
neighbours are contacted
again. Usually, the street
has to be closed for a while,
as the modules arrive on
big transport rigs and
are lifted into place by a
large crane. Neighbours
may need to move their
vehicles out of the way,
and movement on the
street may be restricted for a
number of hours.
and utilities to minimize
disruptions to traffic and
services. Once at the site,
the modules are lifted off
the truck, high enough to
clear hydro wires and other
hindrances, and carefully
set in place.
The arrival of the home
often becomes an occasion
for a community gathering.
Neighbours bring out their
lawn chairs and cameras
and enjoy the show, which
sometimes attracts media
attention too.
There is little doubt
within the factory-based
building industry that
modular construction can
help ease the pressure of “the
urban build” and the imposition on neighbourhoods.
Rejuvenation and intensi­
fication of Canada’s urban
It is a show that requires a
great deal of coordination
and logistical precision. The
route to the building site
is meticulously planned,
and arrangements are
made with local authorities
– 22 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
neighbourhoods is already in
progress as it becomes more
and more necessary to replace an aging housing stock
and accommodate an increasingly urban population.
“Modular building is a great
solution for infill projects,”
says Froese. “If you’re living
beside a construction site,
there’s no doubt there will
be some amount of inconvenience—but with modular,
we can put a reasonable limit
on that inconvenience. And
the result is a better neighbourhood for everybody
who lives there.”
ACCESSIBILITY:
> DESIGN FOR LIFE
A new home purchase is the perfect time to take a close
look at designs and features that will add to your comfort
and convenience, and increase your enjoyment of your
home now, and in the future.
– 23 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Although often thought
of as primarily for people
with disabilities, “accessibility” is based on “universal design”—the idea
that thoughtful design can
benefit everyone in a home
at different ages and stages
of life, with or without
disabilities.
For instance, a wide
entranceway not only
accommodates a wheelchair, it also makes it easier
to get a stroller carrying
a sleeping child in and
out the front door. Lever
handles are easier on
arthritic hands, little hands,
and for anyone with full
hands but a free elbow
to push down the handle.
Accessible design can be
particularly attractive to
mature homebuyers, who
are often downsizing from
an older family home and
looking to move into a
brand-new home with all
the benefits of the latest
design and technology,
including the option to
age in place.
the bungalow, and a large
percentage of purchasers
are mature buyers, 55+,
retired or near retirement,
who prefer one-level living
with easy access and open
spaces.
By planning ahead, and
by incorporating the right
products and features
upfront, people can “future
proof” their homes. Otherwise, they could face costly
renovations if it becomes
necessary to adapt the
home to accommodate
changing needs as they
grow older—or they could
face having to move out of
their house and away from
their home, neighbours and
community.
Accessibility covers a lot of
ground. Some features are
easy to accommodate in
any new home design, and
are aimed primarily at safety
and convenience—finishing
products like non-slip flooring and good lighting near
exterior doors. Other features, such as wide hallways,
may require adjusting the
design of some standard
floor plans and layouts.
“We are beginning to see
customers come in asking
about accessibility,” says
Peter McLaggan, Sales
Manager at Maple Leaf
Homes, a manufacturer
of prefabricated homes
in New Brunswick. “As
the baby-boom gene­­ration ages, we expect
the demand for acces­sibility features to rise
in the future.”
Dale Ball, President of
Brookswood Homes in
Langley, BC, has sold
factory-built homes for
close to 40 years to a
clientele that is primarily
“55-plus”. “We have started
to incorporate some of
the simpler accessibility
features into our standard
offerings, such as lever
handles instead of knobs,”
he explains. “We know
that our clients appreciate
the thoughtfulness.”
McLaggan notes that the
integration of accessibility
features is a natural complement to what Maple Leaf
Homes is already providing. One of the traditional
mainstays of the industry is
– 24 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
While developing a special
universal design model, or a
range of models in different
sizes and price points, may
seem like a great idea, both
Ball and McLaggan point
out that every homebuyer is
different. As Ball puts it, “no
two buyers want or need
exactly the same thing.”
The time to consider
accessibility is when homebuyers sit down with the
sales consultant, says Ball.
“We spend, on average,
upwards of 30 to 40 hours
working with each homebuyer to get the design
of their home just right for
them, and to choose all
the products and finishing
materials. We really get to
know our purchasers and
understand their lifestyle,
their vision and their needs.
As part of that process, we
will suggest features they
may want to think about—
including accessibility. For
instance, if they intend to
stay in their new home
well into retirement, we
may propose omitting the
bathtub in one bathroom in
favour of a larger shower.”
When mobility is an issue now
Both Brookswood Homes and Maple Leaf Homes have also worked with homebuyers to turn a
standard floor plan into a wheelchair-friendly home. Some of the biggest adaptations occur in
the kitchen and bathroom to ensure that there is ample space for the person in the wheelchair
to move around and cook, clean and perform other household tasks comfortably from a sitting
position. Legroom under counters, pull-out and pull-down cupboards, slanted mirrors over the
stove and other special features make for a safe and well-functioning kitchen. In the bathroom,
a roll-in shower and legroom under the vanity are some of the key considerations.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommends that hallways should be at
least 1,220 mm (48 inches) wide, with a turn-around space at all entrance areas, foyers and at the
ends of hallways. Ideally, a path at least 915 mm (36 inches) wide should be provided into and
through all living spaces, and all main interior doors should have an opening width of at least
810 mm (32 inches).
For more information on what to consider when making a home accessible for people with
mobility issues, whether it is someone living in the home or a frequent visitor, get a free copy
of CMHC’s “About Your House” fact sheet Accessible Housing by Design—Living Space and
other publications at cmhc.ca.
– 25 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Planning ahead—
ACCESSIBILITY checklist
It pays to plan ahead. Building a home that is retirementready and can accommodate mobility challenges, if necessary, can save you a considerable amount of money later on.
It also adds to the comfort, convenience and safety of your
home from day one. Ask your sales consultant about the
options available.
Wider entrance way with low-level or no threshold
Window with safety glass, or peephole in front door
Good lighting in entrance area, outside and inside, and a space to place grocery bags,
parcels etc. while getting in and out
Easy to operate door lock—push-pad or fingerprint identification rather than keys
Non-slip flooring in entrance hall
Wider hallways
One-level construction—no sunken areas, no steps
Wheelchair turning space in living/dining/family room areas
Accessible switches and outlets, i.e. not too high, not too low
Lever handles on doors and cabinets
Outward-opening bathroom doors or pocket doors
Grab bars in the bathroom or reinforcement behind the walls for future installation
Wheelchair-accessible bathroom
Potential for roll-in shower in the bathroom
Non-slip flooring in the bathroom
Good work lighting in the kitchen, over counters and the stove
In a multi-storey home, consider
“Flex” room on main floor, for future bedroom
Full bathroom on main floor, or rough-in for future completion
Behind the wall reinforcement for future stair lift (plus ensuring the staircase
is wide enough to accommodate it)
Potential space for elevator—e.g. line up closets on lower and upper levels
Outside the home, consider
Covered entranceway
The fewest steps possible to access the house, with potential for a ramp
Non-slip surface materials for the walkway
Well-lit parking area and walkway
Raised planters and flowerbeds
Low-maintenance vegetation
– 26 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
40 years.
12,000 projects.
1 mission.
At Prestige Homes, we’ve spent
four decades refining the art and
techno­logy of factory-engineered
homebuilding. Today we serve
markets around the world, producing
superb single-family homes, multifamily dwellings and commercial
accommodation units in our New
Brunswick manufacturing facility.
Our international reach owes a lot
to our proud local heritage. As a
member of The Shaw Group of
companies, we’re part of a service
tradition that predates Confederation
in Atlantic Canada.
Yet history is only one measure of
excellence. Homebuyers, developers,
builders and institutional buyers
place equal value on our integrity,
craftsmanship and rigorous quality
control—characteristics that are
essential to deliver every product on
schedule and on budget. Guaranteed.
PrestigeHomes.ca
– 27 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Travelling
through
time
The evolution
of manufactured
– 28 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Courtesy of Atlas Mobile Home Directory
building
Courtesy of Grandeur Housing
The idea of
constructing
a building in
one place and
moving it
elsewhere
to be occupied
is not a new
idea.
O
ff-site construction has evolved
through the
ages in keeping
with changes in society and
technology.
For thousands of years, nomadic peoples have carried
tents, pitched them where
they stopped for a night, a
week or a season, and packed
them up again when ready
to move on.
Pioneers in North America
traveled vast distances, living
and sleeping in their covered
wagons.
In the 1600s and 1700s,
packages of pre-cut building
components were shipped
from Europe to North
America, ready to assemble
at the purchaser’s site. Circa
1860-80, advertising by The
American Patent Portable
House Mfg. Co. promised
“all kinds of portable and
permanent and sectional
buildings of any size and
design” for domestic use
or shipment. In the 1890s,
a Nova Scotia company
was shipping ready-made
woodframe houses to the
Caribbean as well as domestic markets, including remote
areas and settlements.
emporium that sold over
70,000 homes by mail-order
catalogue between 1908 and
1940. Sears offered quality
home design, favourable
financing and a complete
kit of pre-cut materials and
fittings that were shipped
to the customer, often by rail.
One of the largest providers
of ready-to-assemble homes
was the Sears Roebuck
Over the approximate 30year period, Sears Roebuck
offered 447 different house
Courtesy of Guildcrest Homes
– 29 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
design packages, as well as
custom-designed packages.
Sears helped to introduce
new construction products
such as drywall (easier and
faster than the traditional
lath and plaster), and asphalt
roofing shingles (fire safety),
and popularize new technologies such as central heating
and indoor plumbing.
Courtesy of Maple Leaf Homes
There are still a number
of Sears Roebuck houses
dotting the landscape across
North America, but they are
hard to spot unless you are
familiar with the models, because they look no different
than any other home—as is
the case with many factorybuilt homes today.
The popularization of the
automobile in the twentieth century paved the way
for towable and motorized
homes, and recreational
traveling for the masses
with campers, caravans
and RVs. During the Great
Depression of the 1930s,
moveable homes provided
affordable and convenient
accommodation for seasonal
and itinerant workers, and
became a popular low-cost
housing option for many
families.
after WWII, and kindled
increased interest in manufactured building. Many of
these homes are still in use,
the vast majority renovated
and upgraded to prolong
their lifespan and bring them
up to modern standards of
comfort and convenience.
As WWII began, Canada
faced a severe housing shor­
tage, and a need to create a
stable labour force close to
the work sites for the war
industries. This fuelled the
demand for homes that could
be built quickly, and that
would take a minimum of
materials away from the war
effort. Using prefabricated
wall panels that allowed
completion at the site in four
days, the one-and-a-half storey “Victory House” became
home to approximately one
million families during and
By the late 1960s, factorybased building was regarded
as the way of the future,
offering high-quality construction, protection against
the elements, a consistent
and predictable building
process and improved quality
control. The introduction
of technical standards for
factory-certified buildings
in the 1970s formalized and
documented the industrialized construction process.
Today, the future is here.
Advances in science and
Courtesy of Royal Homes
– 30 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
technology have made it
possible to build all types
of buildings inside the
factory. Modest and luxury
single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, seniors’
residences, hotels, schools,
industrial units, recreation
complexes and high-rise
office buildings are all built
in factories and transported
and finished at building sites
in urban, rural and remote
locations, across Canada and
throughout the world.
Manufactured
building has
come a
long way.
Featured
in this issue
allweatherwindows.com p.17
construction.tyvek.ca
Inside
back cover
geappliances.ca p.12
grandeurhousing.com p.4
prestigehomes.ca p.27
royalhomes.com p.3
supremehomes.ca p.17
– 31 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
WATCH FOR
THE NEXT
PRINT EDITION:
FALL 2013
Design
Some of prefab’s biggest fans are architects and designers—find out what they love about
prefabricated construction
Multi-family
More and more, multi-family housing is being produced in building factories and delivered
and assembled at the building site
Robotics
Robot construction workers? Factory personnel get a helping hand with precision craftsmanship,
cost savings and quality improvements
For the birds
Landlease communities offer a great landing place for seniors—we asked them why
Prefab 360˚
A look at what’s new in prefabricated homes throughout Canada and internationally
Contact us to receive your free annual print subscription of Building Excellence®
t: 613-563-3520
e: buildingexcellence@cmhi.ca
Check cmhi.ca for new Building Excellence® articles posted throughout the year
Canadian
Manufactured
Housing
Institute
CMHI
We work for excellence
Established in 1953, the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI) represents all facets
of the manufactured building industry, bringing manufactured building producers, builders,
developers, retailers, suppliers, landlease community managers, warranty providers, financial
institutions, standards bodies, government agencies and related professions together to achieve
business excellence. We’re dedicated to industry professionalism, consumer education and
improved housing choice and affordability. We’re committed to the principles of trust, value and
service in our business practices with consumers and others in the industry. We take pride in
what we do, and how we do it.
When you become a CMHI member, you are plugged into a network that works for you
and your business, every day:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Updates on regulatory, technical and economic issues
The Manufactured Housing Now e-bulletin, covering the latest industry developments
Building Excellence® magazine
Prompt response to questions and concerns
Statistical reports
Domestic and international sales leads
Website promotion and information
Representation on national codes and standards committees
Liaison with government departments and agencies
Research reports and publications
Industry and government contacts
Promotional materials
Join us today! Send us your completed application form (see over),
or for more information, visit
cmhi.ca
– 33 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Canadian
Manufactured
Housing
Institute
Join us today
CMHI
To apply for membership, simply fill in this form and send by email, fax or post to the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute,
500-150 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1P 5J4, t: 613-563-3520, f: 613-232-8600, e: cmhi@cmhi.ca.
Company Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone ___________________________________________________ Fax ______________________________________________
E-mail ______________________________________________________ Website _________________________________________
We hereby apply for membership in the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute under the membership category checked.
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
Manufacturer—Persons, firms or corporations
engaged in building manufactured or modular
homes and/or buildings certified to the CSA A277 and/or CSA Z240 MH standards, as well
as those engaged in building panellized and
pre-engineered or packaged structures.
COMPANY PROFILE
Please provide a brief profile of your firm, which will be used to introduce your
company’s products and services to the membership:
(CHECK ONE)
Date of Incorporation/Registration _________________________________________
National
Management Structure ___________________________________________________
Background and Product Description ______________________________________
Supplier—Supplier of components, goods or services to the manufactured building industry.
National
Regional
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Builder/Retailer or Community Owner/
Manager—Persons, firms or corporations engaged in the sale of factory-constructed
buildings or the management of
manufactured home communities.
Affiliate (non-voting)—Government organization, industry association, codes or standards agency, or other parties having
an interest in the industry. National
Regional
National
Regional
CMHI CODE OF ETHICS
We undertake to, as a condition of membership:
• Adhere to applicable building codes and standards for the construction
of buildings in the factory and onsite as a minimum standard.
• Avoid all conduct or practices that would discredit or do injury to the Institute,
its members or its customers.
• Adhere to those business practices that provide the public with a clear and
definite understanding of the products, services and warranties being offered
by the member and the obligations of each to the other; and to conduct all
dealings on the basis of trust, value and service.
• Operate so as to extend the effectiveness of the Institute by exchanging
information, experience and research in order to provide better homes,
buildings and services to our customers.
• These responsibilities are freely and solemnly assumed and form part of an
obligation as members of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute.
Contact the CMHI office for information on current membership fees.
cmhi.ca
I have read and agree to abide by the Code of Ethics of CMHI as listed above.
____________________________________________ _________________________
Signature of Applicant Date – 34 –
Building Excellence ® 2012 Review
Because craftsmanship is alive and well.
We make DuPont™ Tyvek® Weatherization Systems for builders who believe that every home deserves to be built with quality.
It’s professionals like you who have helped make us the industry leader for over 25 years. And you’re why we continue to develop
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Tyvek® ThermaWrapTM and Tyvek® AtticWrapTM are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. DuPont Canada is a licensee.
Builders, developers,
architects, engineers,
technologists,
manufacturers,
product and material
suppliers, housing
providers, community
operators, students,
educators, researchers:
Manufactured Building design
and technology forum
Join the Forum.
For program and registration
information, visit
cmhi.ca
• Exchange ideas with
manufactured building experts
• Discover new designs,
technologies, products and
materials
• Explore new manufactured
building solutions
• Learn about Canadian
and international
market opportunities
• Launch your career in
manufactured building