Advanced Modular Housing Design: Developing the CORE+

Jeff Carney
Ravi Srinivasan
Stephen Bender
Bill O’Dell
Ryan Sharston
Abdol Chini
Forough Foroutan
University of Florida

The U.S. housing industry faces three primary challenges that this project addresses—rapid deployment of housing after a disaster, energy efficiency and performance, and affordability of housing. This article will demonstrate the results of a multidisciplinary research project funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that developed an advanced modular housing design called CORE+, which provides new housing opportunities for communities facing increased risk from environmental hazards.

CORE+ combines three distinct modular units—CORE, SPACE, and DWELL—into a variety of spatial configurations based on user needs. Deployment of the dwelling begins with the installation of the 160-square-foot CORE unit, followed by the 193-square-foot SPACE addition, and finally, with the 794-square-foot DWELL unit. The CORE+ is deployed in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to provide minimal shelter. As components are added, CORE+ remains on site as an affordable and highefficiency 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home.

The research team included individuals with expertise in architectural design, building energy modeling, life-cycle economics, and affordable housing policy. Three design charettes gathered input from local architects and housing manufacturers to inform the CORE+ design. The design was further refined through a fourth community workshop in hurricane-damaged North Port St. Joe, Florida, which revealed design challenges and opportunities for improvement through stakeholder feedback.

This project aimed to develop a roadmap to enable the modular housing industry to design postdisaster housing for rapid deployment, efficiency, and long-term resilience. By working with partners—including professional architects, industrial manufactured and modular home builders, and community stakeholders—the project aimed not only to design a new modular home but also to test its feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and functionality through the design process.