{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"New Housing Alternatives","title":"From Tree to Home: Local Passive Panels, Prefab Housing, and Distributed Manufacturing","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1896,"description":"In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Melinda Zytaruk, CEO of Tooketree Passive Homes, a social enterprise that factory‑produces low‑carbon, high‑performance building panels. Together, they explore how offsite construction can deliver faster, more affordable, and climate‑resilient housing—while also creating safer, more stable local jobs.Melinda explains how panelized construction works, from sourcing Ontario wood and recycled cellulose to assembling precision panels in a controlled factory environment and partnering with builders on-site. She challenges dominant narratives about “industrialized” modular housing—like the idea that big, robot‑filled factories are the answer—and instead makes the case for a distributed network of small and medium panel producers embedded in local communities.They also unpack how federal initiatives like Build Canada Homes and “modern methods of construction” can support (or constrain) this ecosystem, why integrated design and early collaboration matter more for cost than any single technology, and how offsite construction can align with non‑market housing, co‑ops, and land trusts to deliver long‑term affordability and climate resilience.Key TakeawaysOffsite construction is about people, not robots. Successful modular and panelized housing companies rely on skilled workers and collaborative teams—not vast, automated warehouses—creating safer, more accessible jobs (including for people traditionally excluded from construction).Factory‑built panels can be both low‑carbon and cost‑competitive. By integrating design early, reducing waste, and standardizing processes (while still customizing each building enclosure), panel producers can deliver Passive House–level performance without necessarily increasing as‑built costs.Local supply chains strengthen both climate and community outcomes. Tooketree’s panels use Ontario wood, recycled cellulose, and wood fibre insulation from Quebec,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/BKM7lGJ2EZ_i6AuOOKCMh_Qqaj32gJ7zqd3Rfy62guQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84Y2Jm/MjQxMjcyZmU0MzNh/ODQ3MWFjMWVlMWQ0/YWViNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}