By Beverly Smirnis with special thanks to input by Allison A. Bailes III, PhD and Zero Energy Homes Designer, Consultant & Instructor Armando Cobo
This is Part 3 of our 4-part Building Science Section: THE ENVELOPE—PLEASE!
Part 1:
Airtightness and Keeping it Dry are Goals #1 & #2
Part 2:
Making Houses Less Prone to Damage in a Natural Disaster is Goal #3
Part 3:
Fewer Components, Less Waste is Goal #4
Part 4:
Right-Sizing the HVAC is Goal #5
So many components, installation methods and materials used to create the necessary layers leave many potential points of error. This, along with the lack of skilled labor is another reason some builders choose to ditch traditional OSB and housewrap and opt for integrated exterior wall solutions that combine a structural component, continuous insulation, an air barrier, and a water barrier all in one.

Material Efficiency is A Reason to Explore Alternatives

“Nowadays, we’re designing to minimize waste. We’re recycling and using renewable and more sustainable and locally source materials,” says Cobo. “Product extraction, manufacturing and chain of delivery is included in our planning. Environmental impact and water conservation are part of our residential development plans. Reduced or zero carbon and carbon counting in buildings is the future of our industry, whether we like it or not.”
With the call for sustainable construction practices louder than ever, more builders consider using structural components made in a factory that come preassembled and ready to install on the jobsite. Offsite precision manufacturing inherently reduces waste, which is key to construction sustainability. And the benefits of building panels in a controlled environment are many.
Onsite Factories Could be the Way of the Future
Instead of constructing factories requiring huge capital expenses, complicated machinery, and specially trained staff and then shipping materials miles away in gas-powered trucks, NileBuilt builds its concrete wall panels right on the job site.
With the same philosophy, Cuby produces what it calls mobile micro factories that it set ups near the construction site. The Cuby factory is an inflatable dome of about 30,000 to 40,000 square feet. Inside, all the elements of the home—windows, wall panels, plumbing pipes, sheetrock, HVAC systems, are produced and prepped, then packaged into kits. Once delivered, Instead, it takes just four unskilled laborers to assemble one code-compliant home in about 30 days.
NEXT IN THE SERIES:
Right-Sizing the HVAC is Goal #5