America at Home Study Announces Plan to Build Two New Concept Homes

The two new homes—a for-rent townhome with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and The 412, a for-sale paired townhome—will be constructed in a factory and assembled at two nearby infill sites in Pittsburgh later this year and into early 2024. 

The concept homes are a collaborative effort between the founding partners of the America at Home Study, architect partner Dahlin Architecture | Planning | Interiors, builder partner EcoCraft Homes, manufacturing partner Structural Modular Innovations (SMI), and development partner Housing Innovation Alliance. The 412 also will serve as a multimedia demonstration home in collaboration with Pro Builder Media.

The America at Home Study is the only longitudinal study of consumer behavior, values and attitudes about home and community, accumulating more than 10,000 responses nationwide during early, peak, and post-pandemic times.

“Studying and reflecting on the consumer data collected since the America at Home Study’s inception in 2020, we have a clear view of the behavior and lifestyle trends that emerged, escalated and endured,” said community design and marketing expert Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki, who spearheaded the study with consumer strategist Belinda Sward and architect Nancy Keenan, president of DAHLIN. “It has led to the creation of two new concept homes that will address these lasting changes and spark important dialogue about adopting more progressive home design and construction practices. The Picket Fence and The 412 will focus on the livability and buildability of attainable market rate for-rent and for-sale homes.”

Both concept homes will be built in an offsite factory using a modern method of construction called volumetric modular construction, a process that is only currently used in 6% of housing starts in the U.S. This homebuilding solution means consistently higher quality homes, reduced environmental impacts and construction waste, and more predictable, faster delivery times.

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