Brian Just
Username
Brian Just
Proposer First Name
Brian
Proposer Email
bjust@veic.org
Proposer Last Name
Just
Proposer Company/Organization
VEIC
Proposer Phone
(802) 540-7792
Proposer Job Title
Director, Engineering
Boston 2023 Areas of Focus
Proposed Session Description
VEIC’s work on Zero Energy Modular (ZEM) homes has helped hundreds of low income families achieve dignified, resilient, low-carbon housing. Over the past decade, we’ve partnered with five factories and countless funding partners and lending institutions to make this happen. The need is growing, not fading—for workforce housing, farm worker housing, mobile home replacement, affordable housing communities, and more. The problem? The ZEM model does not scale well within the current paradigm. Building on our experience in this challenging market, we present a compelling vision for where the New England market goes from here.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
In the past 2-3 years, ZEM work has increasingly focused not just on low income populations but migrant farmworker housing in particular
Learning Objectives
Understand the critical features of ZEM homes and what has made them unique and successful
Learn about the challenges faced in a decade-plus evolving the design, construction, funding mechanisms, and code/zoning issues
Quantify the scale (in terms of housing units) of the need/demand for affordable, resilient, low-carbon housing in New England
Understand how the presented vision builds upon lessons learned and addresses the key challenges identified
Has this session been presented before?
No
Session Format
Collaborative problem-solving session
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
40 minute presentation by means of intro, followed by Q&A and facilitated discussion / problem-solving session
Recommended Length
90-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2023
Reviewer 1
Greenberg, Asher
Reviewer 2
Greenberg, Asher
Curator
Greenberg, Asher
Proposal #
199
Session #
105
Committee Decision
Accepted
Presenters
Full Description
ZEM has been proven to work and has helped hundreds of families. Since the pandemic, our work on it has expanded in end use to include workforce and migrant farmworker housing. We continue to understand more roadblocks, and have been revising our concept of how to scale ZEM in a way not achievable to date. This is critical to DEI and has never been more important.