Build Ahead
Building Smarter: AIA St. Louis Panel Explores Offsite Construction and Code Innovation
The AIA St. Louis panel Innovation, Collaboration & Offsite Construction: Gateway South will bring together leaders advancing industrialized construction and code innovation. Jason Van Nest, Executive Director of the Center for Offsite Construction, will join regional and national experts to discuss how standardized design and modular fabrication can expand housing affordability and resilience. The event underscores how initiatives like Gateway South and the CfOC’s ANSI-accredited standards work are converging to modernize how America builds.
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Connor Baily Named Senior Research Fellow for 2025-2026 Academic Year for 25-26
Blog | Oct 03, 2025
The Center for Offsite Construction has appointed Connor Bailey, Regional Prefabrication Leader at DPR Construction, as a Senior Research Fellow for 2025. With deep expertise in offsite methods, logistics, and preconstruction, he has led DPR’s efforts to standardize and scale prefabrication through lean manufacturing and integrated planning. At the Center, Connor will help shape the research roadmap and advance new legal and procedural frameworks that enable configure-to-order approaches in construction.
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Launching the Future of Design & Delivery Website
The Center for Offsite Construction has launched the Future of Design & Delivery website, expanding the groundbreaking Modular 2.0 framework into a living platform for industry transformation. Anchored by yearly Senior Research Fellow retreats, the site curates high-value essays that merge theory and practice to explain the real challenges facing offsite construction. Its Philosophy section sets a new standard, applying insights from world-class thinkers to clarify the path toward a Configure-to-Order (CTO) marketplace. With a clear research roadmap, the site invites builders, manufacturers, academics, and policymakers to join in shaping a faster, smarter, and more sustainable future for building.
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CfOC Executive Director Joins NYC Climate Week Panel on Industrialized Construction
The Center for Offsite Construction’s Executive Director, Jason Van Nest, will speak at NYC Climate Week on the panel “Learning from Experience: How Industrialized Construction Can Succeed Moving Forward.” Hosted by SHoP Architects and ADL Ventures, the event convenes leaders from across design, construction, and innovation to examine lessons from past modular projects and chart a path to scalable, low-carbon building. Jason will join experts including Consigli’s Bill Seery and Assembly OSM’s Timothy Nichols to share practical insights on industrialized construction’s role in addressing the housing and climate crises.
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Beyond Offsite: Why the Future of Construction Runs on Configurators — and Agents
The Center for Offsite Construction believes the next leap in U.S. building isn’t just offsite methods, but software configurators that blend the speed of today’s e-commerce with the intelligence of tomorrow’s AI agents. We’re developing shared infrastructure — including the ICC 1220 Modular Interface Standard — so components from any manufacturer can be instantly configured, validated, and integrated into permitting, BIM, and scheduling tools. Our goal is an open, agent-powered marketplace that accelerates design, reduces waste, and frees industry professionals to focus on higher-order problem-solving. This is our path out of the affordable housing issues that face our communities.
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"The Shoe Salesman Shouldn’t Be Stitching" - A Conversation on Modular Reform with Benjamin Toney
What will it take to shift construction from bespoke craft to standardized product? In a sharp, wide-ranging conversation, Benjamin Toney and Jason Van Nest unpacked the legal, institutional, and market barriers slowing modular adoption — from the common law’s grip on contracts to the failure of design competitions to connect with production. Their exchange underscores a core Modular 2.0 belief: true transformation requires not just technical innovation, but shared products, interface standards, and social technologies that can move markets.
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Alexandra Donovan Named Senior Research Fellow for 2025-2026 Academic Year
Blog | Aug 01, 2025
The Center for Offsite Construction is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexandra Donovan as a Senior Research Fellow for the 2025 academic year. A licensed architect and former Design & Innovation Lead at Assembly OSM, Alexandra brings deep expertise in modular construction, sustainable materials, and systems innovation. Her work at the Center will focus on shaping the research roadmap for offsite construction and accelerating the adoption of climate-aligned, manufacturing-informed building methods.
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At the Halfway Mark: Reflections on the MBI–CfOC Accreditation Task Force
This summer, the Modular Building Institute and the Center for Offsite Construction convened a high-level Task Force to explore the feasibility of creating a new accrediting body for offsite construction degree programs. Now at its midpoint, the Task Force has brought together leading professionals from across the industry to draft a foundational report examining educational gaps, accreditation models, and workforce needs. More than just a document, the effort reflects a shared commitment to shape the future of modular education through collaboration, precision, and vision.
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