A High-Tech Solution to Canada’s Housing Crunch
Robotics and prefab housing are coming together in Vancouver, creating real momentum in solving Canada’s housing crisis. At the forefront of this change is Intelligent City, a cutting-edge construction firm using automation to deliver fast, efficient, and sustainable homes through mass timber technology.
Inside its Delta-based prototype facility, Intelligent City is redefining the way buildings rise. Their method? Replace traditional labor-intensive processes with powerful machines that build entire floor and wall sections before they even reach the construction site.
How Intelligent City Builds Homes Before They’re Homes
Picture two robots working in perfect sync. That’s the scene at the heart of Intelligent City’s factory, where automated machines follow digital plans to layer glue, align components, and nail panels into place. Each floor unit comes complete with HVAC ducts, electrical wiring, and plumbing conduits. Wall sections arrive fully insulated, with windows and cladding already installed.
“It’s industrialized construction,” explains O.D. Krieg, President of Intelligent City. And it’s not just a concept. Their latest project in Etobicoke marks their second full-scale application of the model, following last year’s 80-unit build for the Vancouver Native Housing Society.
From Factory Floor to Apartment Door—In Just a Day
Efficiency is where this system shines. Once a storey’s components are complete, they’re flat-packed onto trucks and shipped to site. Assembly? Done in a day—per floor.
And this isn’t just theory. “It’s going faster than we thought,” Krieg admits. In fact, the Delta facility itself has become the bottleneck. That’s how streamlined the on-site process has become.
This kind of time-saving approach—shaving four to six months off traditional construction timelines—could prove vital. Especially with Canada’s federal target of 500,000 new homes a year over the next decade.
Prefab Isn’t New—But This Level of Automation Is
While prefabricated construction has existed for decades, the rise of robotics is changing the game. Mass timber construction, pioneered in B.C. through examples like UBC’s Brock Commons, laid the foundation. Now, Intelligent City is taking it to the next level—one robotic nail at a time.
The timing couldn’t be better. With federal funding like the proposed $25 billion push for innovative prefab builds, and legislation such as B.C.’s Bill 44 encouraging modular development, the path is clear.
A Critical Moment for Modular Construction
Paul Binotto of Modular B.C. calls this a “pivotal moment” for the sector. His goal? Boost prefabricated construction from today’s 4.5% to 25% of all homes built in the province.
Modular systems—especially “volumetric” ones built almost fully in factory—can arrive at sites 95% complete. The benefits go beyond speed. A University of Alberta study found prefab methods reduce carbon emissions by 43% and construction waste by up to 70%.
Cost, Carbon—and Coordination
Still, challenges remain. Permitting delays, higher upfront costs, and a traditionally fragmented industry slow down growth. But experts argue the payoff is worth it.
Industry adviser Chris Hill believes scaling repeatable design elements across buildings is where real savings lie. “Modular builders thrive in repeatability,” he notes. And Krieg adds that timber’s light weight—about half that of concrete—reduces foundation needs, materials, and build time.
Building Smarter—and Closer to the Market
For now, Intelligent City ships components from Delta to Toronto, but the long-term plan includes new factories near growing markets. “We’re talking to Toronto developers and raising funds to build a plant there,” Krieg reveals. “We’re also seeing growth opportunities here in Vancouver.”
Interestingly, though B.C. produces cross-laminated timber, the company currently sources from Austria due to better pricing. “Europeans are aggressive,” Krieg admits. “But we have the resources right here—we just need investment to stay competitive.”
The Future is Factory-Made, Locally Powered
With support from industry advocates, mayors, and government incentives, Canada’s prefab housing sector is poised for exponential growth. Intelligent City’s approach shows that solving the housing crisis doesn’t just require more builders—it demands smarter building.
Stay tuned to Maple Wire for more stories reshaping Canada’s future.
