Research & Development
The Hickory Consortium and its member manufacturers and engineers have conducted research and development in the areas of building products and processes for over thirty years, nine of them as R&D grantees of the Department of Energy's Building America Program. Keeping abreast of R&D provides awareness of cutting edge industry issues and allows for the kind of catalyzing efforts the Hickory Consortium provides.
Ongoing research activities include materials and building systems work being done at Greentech Housing. This is focused on refining integrated modular housing mechanical assembly in the factory, and combined heat and domestic hot water units. Other research includes building performance testing (commissioning); renewable sustainable wood and finishes; low VOC indoor finishes; and elimination of PVC resin products in housing. We continue to evolve the Eco-Dynamic Specification ™, now a separate Hickory program.
Our partnership with Hickory member Tamarack Technologies has produced innovations in indoor air quality, including trademarked air handling and heating systems. The Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS), another long-time Hickory member, has developed analytical tools for sustainability principles which include benchmarked and peer-reviewed datasets. CMPBS designs and creates prototypes in open building typology that highlight life cycle design. Built projects extend to Mexico and China, and consulting includes greening the US Pentagon.
We have partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on systems dynamics. Long-time research partners include the University of Central Florida Housing Constructibility Lab and the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, among others.
