Panelization for Retrofits

An Onion Flats Architecture team member recently came across a 4th Edition copy of 'Fundamentals of Carpentry: Volume 2 – Practical Construction' and took it for a spin.

Besides the fun diagrams, a standout takeaway was the reference to “experiments” in panelized construction dating back to the 1950s and ’60s, specifically the National Lumber Manufacturers Association’s 1962 UNICOM Method of House Construction.

By 1967, UNICOM was put to the test in a two-year Maryland study comparing panelized construction to traditional stick-built methods at scale. The conclusion: substantial cost savings, enough that the cumulative savings could cover the construction of two additional homes in each development!

Sixty years later, #panelization has evolved dramatically; digital workflows, precision fabrication, integrated assemblies, high-performance envelopes. These technological leaps still highlight the unwavering core ambitions of panelization: reduce waste, optimize materials, build faster, deliver quality at scale.

Through our new construction and overclad retrofit work, we continue to push on those same principles, now with the added imperative of #decarbonization and high-performance building standards. We’re proud to have contributed to projects that not only optimize construction processes through panelization, but also achieve #passivehouse-level performance.