Barbara Ricketts, President of Kinfolk Unlimited, attended HUD’s Inaugural Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall in Washington, DC, June 1-5, 2019 where she met with numerous presenters and exhibitors, all leaders in the arena of innovative housing.
The event was opened and closed by HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson, whom Barbara met during the event.
She was privileged to have a meeting with Christopher Bourne, Director of HUD Office of Innovation, to discuss several innovative housing methods of construction.
Barb also met with Senior HUD Advisor-Disaster Response, Dana Bres, P.E. and discussed numerous up and coming and alternative forms of construction appropriate for temporary disaster relief and permanent disaster replacement housing.
Sam Rashkin, Author and Chief Architect, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, part of the Department of Energy, and Theresa Weston, Ph.D, Senior Research Fellow, DuPont Building Innovations were presenters and panelists whom Barbara spoke with at length about issues related to energy efficient, sustainable construction practices.
Two prevailing themes included by numerous presenters and panelists were the overarching and growing costs of permitting/plan review/inspections which can comprise as much as 35-40% of project costs and the dire need in the construction industry for skilled workers.
Other housing leaders she met with were Byron Stroud, Director, Community Sales, Skyline Champion Cpro and Steve Quick, VP Business Development, Cavco, as the manufactured home industry was well represented on the National Mall.
A few people from companies and organizations that are part of the solution that Barb met with: Ken Caligar, CEO Re-Structure Group, rsg3-d.com , Jolan Stoltz, President, Affordable House Kits, affordablehousekits.com, both producing variations of SIPs, Structural Insulated Panels, Hannah Rose Crabtree, President, Washington Tiny House Association, and Builder/Owner, PocketMansions.com, Stephen Jordan, CEO Institute for Sustainable Development, Indus.org, David Paschane, Ph.D. , CEO, Aplin Labs, AplinLabs.com, Pat Dunham, Author, Coach, YourTinyHouseAdvisor.com, Veronica Waithe, Piedmont Green Container Homes, to mention just a few!
The ICC, International Code Council, weighed in and were well represented as presenters and panelists.
Due, perhaps, to the increase and severity of natural disasters, the catch word “Resilient” seems to have eclipsed the word “Sustainable”, in importance. Of course, sustainability, is resilience and vic e versa!!