Ted Benson is the coolest guy ever. Maybe 15 years ago, after I had "graduated" from a timber framing course, I called him up and asked if we could chat about a barn I wanted to build. I live a 1/2 hour away. He invited me into his home and even offered me a beer. Maybe it was iced tea....I can't really remember. But I do remember walking through his barn and talking about timber framing. I'm so glad he's continued to expand his ideas now onto Bensonwood.

So advanced compared to most US modular plants. This company is going to thrive as the years pass and the labor shortage becomes more of a problem.

Factory owner is my hero. Trying to push dawn housing prices is noble goal. Every millennial should cheer him up!

While people might be freaking out over automation lets just think about that for a second. It takes about 5 people to frame a two story house in about 40 hours/one work week. The actual decrease in the number of jobs probably isn't as much as you'd think and its certainly not as people assume just all jobs lost. First of all there's certainly no lacking of demand for housing so you always have to keep in mind if a cut in labor per unit produced also means a lowered cost that increased volume might not result in a net lowered employment due to higher rates of production. Also note that this doesn't include a lot of other things involved in home building like leveling and foundation, drilling wells, roofing, plumbing, electrical work and fixtures. In fact its mostly just structure, framing and carpentry. There is at least 10 people that could be seen in the video working in software. There's also someone (more likely a team) writing that software and there might be another employee to maintain all those computers. As he mentioned at 3:30 there are about 30 employees working the machines. I'm not sure if the its included in the former metric but there's probably several other employees and frequent subcontracted work to maintain the machines. You now also need some specialized transportation for the component assemblies for these homes and lets just say that involves maybe 2 more people. Finally you need your onsite assemblers which I'll also just guess is maybe 10 people. So ballpark estimate is some 50 people working at any given time with ten or so homes waiting to be shipped. There's a lot we don't know and a lot of guess work but that puts the labor per house at pretty similar amounts even if you assumed they shipped 10 homes a week from that facility. If I had to guess intensive automation could probably get labor down something like 30% at most at any given company. But people just completely miss the fact that as the labor used per unit goes down assuming that follows a lowered cost means higher consumption in most industries. Thus there would just end up being more companies or bigger companies. The real risk with automation comes from who controls the machines and how employees are treated through transitions.

They didn't address the plumbing or electrical. with it sheathed both sides and insulated, how do I get my electrical or piping run? I'm very curious about this.

I remember Ted. It's good to see he's still at it. Thanks guys!!

TEDD IS A CLASS PERSON~~NUFF SAID

Pre-Fabs have always been cheaper. It's a question of the quality of materials and still takes a skilled technician to assemble and finish.

Hi Ted, It's great to see you again...Frank

I help build homes, and that’s pretty cool! Not worried about losing a job lol. Will always need hands on, for the most part. It’s about quality and squareness, so I think it’s great.

As a Software Engineer student, this gave me great excitement and joy. This is cool.

Not as prevalent here in the UK yet, but it’s definitely coming, great video guys 👍

Return of the Sears Catalog kit homes

This company must be killing it.

He didnt ask how the cost compares to a traditionally built house.

I live in Quebec and Machine-Built Houses have been around for a long time and it's very popular.

A master system. WOW!

It's about the consumer as it should be.

If I were younger, I would be trained on the installation, servicing and repair of the production equipment. Some construction jobs would disappear, but other opportunities will arise.

OMG this was freaking amazing!!

yep, this is the way money is concentrated into the hands of the few- automation!

How about the electrical or the plumbing , Central Vac entertainment systems I didn't see one wire one piece of tubing run inside those walls.

Wow 😮 crazy cool stuff

About the only way you could run wiring in the furring strip are is by using metal conduit. To have boxes big enough, you would need 4-11/16 boxes with plaster rings.

Why don't you use plywood for sheathing instead of crap OSB?

"Do you think it will be taking away jobs?" Doh ! It's a really good house"

These houses have to be a shit ton of money. The software that is used a amazing technology. I wonder how they take into account plumbing and electrical work.

I think I’m going to use BMC Ready Frame on my next build

That guy squeezing the caulk gun will be unemployed tomorrow

Wow,just wow.

cellulose insulation settles after time = unwanted gaps

This is awesome.

Seen this on grand designs over 20 years ago. Germans kit homes made in factory

The question of jobs is always an issue when it comes to automation but in reality if you are a skilled tradesman you will always have a job. Especially now when so many younger people (in the USA) don't want to get their hands dirty. I worked for a home automation integrator and a lot of the construction workers I saw on the job sites should be fired. The excuse the GC's always used was "we can't find good labor so we take what we can get". Of course, this attitude resulted in poor work and failed inspections which resulted in lower profit margins. Hopefully things will change.

Awesome

This is the true definition of a modular home. A modular home is a factory stick built home; not to be confused with manufactured/ mobile/ doublewide/ homes.

Good way to deflect the answering if the question: do you think it's taking away jobs .

Great dishonor!

That degree of Automation will not last. Right now they are just making it easier for the people but everything they showed people doing like the gluing and paneling can be automated. I think what they are doing is a good thing though because it does make the house building process a lot safer and less demanding on the body.

What’s the price per square foot?

This reminds me of that level in the video game Titanfall 2.

We should automate everything that can be automated (everything). :D

great

Nvr homes build about 3-6 houses a day in factory then ships them out.

With automation quality should go up, everything should be plumb and square, the only thing I didn't like was the insulation, you need to stop the movement of air. I would've like to have seen spray foam insulation...

I'm sure their stuff is nice but HOLY $#!+ their prices! I suppose if you have money to spare it isn't bad as I'm sure it is decent construction.

No more incessant hammering and racket from the construction site down the street. The sheer waste of excess building materials and scraps ends up in the landfill. In the factory everything can be recycled

What is the software they are using to do this homes?

How does the house get to the location?

Holy god that was a giant circular saw

I want one of those houses! How do I go about ordering one? Edit: contact Bensonwood.com

I wonder what's the cost difference from regular framing?

So where's the house???????

Wow

The only reason to use automation is to drive down cost. I'm curious as to how this compares to traditional onsite built homes. I'm thinking this process might be more expensive by the way the owner side stepped a few questions and how he pitched out the quality side.

Keith, sit up straight 2:08

Should I Pursue this type of construction for my future? How does the salary compare to an actual construction job outside?

Almost no humans required.

That software looks 20 years old.

Didn't say good or bad, just making an observation.

Great eliminate human error.. no more shim to fit construction..

Quality is not really there.

I wish he would have asked some decent questions about things like cost and mechanicals. He did a good job patting him on the back though.

Cheaper than a Huff House???

I thought it would be built in modules...This is just panelized...We've been doing that for decades and maybe the consistency isn't comparable but the speed is pretty close to the same..The only difference I see is more machines...No robots in that building...Those were all just automated or manually run cutters, nailers, jigs and fixtures...As well; those fir studs look like shit from home depot...Checks, warps, missing chunks...Yuk...

in Europe manifacturers like Rubner haus or Rensch haus do this kind of fabrication since 1970

Put as many tradesmen out of work as possible. But god damn the houses will be affordable. As long as you’re not a carpenter, or counter guy, or window guy, etc.

Engineered wood is stronger? In which universe?

Those railings at 0:55 don't look legit.

He still didn't answer the question at the end; he just sidestepped it.

Half-million dollar house, BLACKTOP SIDEWALKS. Jeez people...

He didn't answer the question about replacing people with robots.

Will american houses still be built out of cardboard and yogurt lids?

That's what we Germans do for over 80 years :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Even their whole machinery was built in Germany.

I want to have my house built inside a tree by the Keebler Elves.

Aren't you worried about jobs? Well I look at it as I make more money.

Let's see a robot do my job,hvac

Keith has bad posture...

Won't be happy until they have snuffed out every peaon

Oh boy , robots taken our jobs

PARTICLE BOARD SHOULD BE BANNED. TONS OF FORMALDEHYDE

I didnt see a single thing other than programming, qa, design, that couldnt be automated at the factory. I wouldnt feel comfortable having a job knowing that my position could be automated easily. IE the factory floor could be handled by maybe 3 people at most and one of them is to repair/replace equipment failures.

Swedes have been doing this since the 80s. Anyways, 3d Autocad is nothing new, this is 1970s technology.

Its gonna dumb down the people from doing carpentry and all the skills we now today i don't see education in this format.

The yankee 'lenders' typically shunned these in the past. (think of Palm Harbor.. NOT mobile homes.. I'm speaking of in factory MODULAR home with SIX INCH wall studs) ... Yet NOWWW they have interest? ... Hmmm 🤔 ... They MUST have 'friendly connections' ! ROFLMFAO 😂

He steered around the question about the machines taking away jobs with a big bundle of verbal bullshit!.lol

You remove the tradesmen from the picture what type of pride the next generation of men gonna have.... Socialism 🤦🏻‍♂️

Seems this wouldn't be cheaper, but just more faster so not sure I'd pay the extra unless I was 100 percent sure I'd never sell the house. That's the thing about TOH, they just high-end materials and methods to get the job done, but if one sells one of these homes, no one cares how or what it was built with so they still only paying same as if it was built by a bunch of mexicans. With AI coming, maybe the US will officially do something to reduce the labor supply which reduces wages which is why so many don't want to work in construction any more.

This is going to make housing more affordable? What jobs are going to be available to get the money to buy machine built houses when 90% of the jobs are automated. And no, other jobs are not going to arise to take their place. We're past the tipping point where automation will provide more or as many jobs as it eliminates. The two employees featured here? Their jobs will soon be gone. Doctors? Other than a overseeing MD, their profession will be largely replaced by computers and probably will be done better. Even certain surgeries are being done through automation. Lawyers? computers will do 90% of their work. Just a matter of writing the programs. Oh, and what about writing computer programs? Computers are doing that too and doing it better. Just give the computer a desired outcome and the computer will figure out the best way to do it. I write this only so that you will know what you or your children will be facing so that you can look into preparing for the not so bright future.

Sad, sad. Tech geeks replacing people and killing crafts. With this guy around we don't need this old house. He says, "raise the quality", this high tech stuff doesn't last near what things used to.