Off-site Construction Research Centre

Canada is in the midst of a housing crisis, marked by rising costs, escalating environmental goals, and an urgent demand for scalable housing. Intelligent City, a Vancouver-based tech-enabled housing manufacturer, is meeting these challenges head-on through a product-based approach to construction that leverages mass timber and automation to redefine how mid-to-high-rise housing is built.

From project-based to product-based housing

At the core of Intelligent City’s model is a product platform system that takes an industrialized approach that treats housing as a product, not a one-off project. Unlike traditional construction, which is site-specific and often custom-built, this model introduces standardized, repeatable components with customizable design options. Buildings are treated as configurable products, assembled from a kit of parts that follow clear rules for integration.

Why does this matter?

Because our current construction system is not effective. Housing delivery is bottlenecked by:

• Soaring construction costs (7.5% annual increase over 20 years)
• Growing environmental and ESG expectations
• Labor shortages and productivity stagnation
• Fragmented, inefficient building practices

Intelligent City’s solution: stop thinking project-based, start thinking product-based. Projects are temporary and unique. Products are scalable, repeatable, and designed for continuous improvement.

Enabling Canada’s mass timber value chain

Canada is uniquely positioned to lead the world in mass timber construction. With abundant forest resources and emerging support for tall wood buildings across provinces, the opportunity is clear. Intelligent City is helping enable a vertically integrated value chain, connecting sustainable material supply with industrialized manufacturing and urban housing demand./

• Supply: Sustainably sourced, high-quality mass timber, including partnerships with Indigenous communities.
• Demand: Urgent need for affordable, high-performance housing.
• Regulation: Nearly every Canadian province has adopted—or is adopting—building code updates to allow 7–18 storey mass timber structures.

Product platforms for mid-to-high-rise urban housing

Intelligent City’s pre-engineered building typologies fall into three product families:

• 3–6 storeys
• 7–12 storeys
• 13–18 storeys

Each building is configured through a web-based design system that enables mass customization. Behind the scenes, a common data environment connects design to automated fabrication in their advanced robotic facility. While not 100% automated, much of the manufacturing process, such as panel cutting, drilling, and assembly, is robotics-enabled.

Case studies: Product in action

Frances Street Project (Vancouver)
For the BC Indigenous Housing Society, Intelligent City manufactured and installed 122 Passive House-compliant mass timber envelope panels. This building is scheduled to be complete in summer 2025.

230 Royal York (Toronto)
Toronto’s first 9-storey rental mass timber building. This fully integrated design-build project is currently under construction, with manufacturing beginning in early 2025.

The bottom line: Better buildings, less money

• Time savings: Faster planning, fabrication, and assembly
• Operating savings: Reduced energy use and maintenance costs
• ESG performance: Up to 93% GHG reduction over 90 years
• Higher ROI: Up to 15% more building value
• Cost savings: Up to 20% lower than comparable traditional builds

Final thoughts

Mass timber is more than a material, it's part of a smarter system. Intelligent City’s product-based approach to urban housing isn’t just innovative, it’s essential for a future where buildings are faster to deliver, cheaper to operate, and better for people and the planet.

Did you miss the webinar?

Watch the presentation to learn more about how mass timber systems are transforming mid-to-high-rise residential projects.

Interesting in learning more about off-site construction? Join us on the third Thursday of every month for in-depth discussions with industry leaders.

Email offsiteconstruction@unb.ca to be added to our mailing list.

Photos via Intelligent City.