Quality Modular Building Task Force
The mission of the Quality Modular Building Task Force is to advance the US modular housing industry through improvements in environmental performance and quality without increasing the cost of manufacture. Now in its sixth year, it was initiated by Hickory member Josephine Carothers, who obtained its initial funding and operating costs through the US Department of Energy Building America Program and continues to spearhead it.
A collaborative venture, Task Force members include the top executives of some of the leading US modular manufacturers, as well as major suppliers to the industry. The Task Force partners have included the Consortium for Advanced Residential Building (CARB), the Industrialized Housing Partnership, and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Housing Constructibility Lab. Task Force objectives have ranged from examining the efficiency of factory construction processes to working with building science teams and national government laboratories on topics such as energy conservation, optimization of site set-and-finish process, ventilation, moisture and mold control.
These research and development results and lessons have been shared and built upon though annual Task Force conferences, as well as papers and reports. Results have also been leveraged as offerings to the modular industry through help from the US DOE and EPA (Energy Star Homes). Hickory has demonstrated commitment to building with modular through its projects. Recently, the Hickory Consortium inaugurated a modular R&D facility, Andrew Jackson Laboratories, under the auspices of Greentech Housing, a modular manufacturer in Worcester, MA.
Among the important outcomes of this collaboration has been recognizing the interdependence of energy-efficiency and quality building methods. The Hickory Consortium therefore wrote "Energy Star for Homes: A Guide for Modular Home Manufacturers", a comprehensive manual and construction management tool for modular companies, completed in 2003. It is available for $150.00 by calling the Hickory Consortium at 978-287-6950
