EXPERT OPINION

Tech Trends in Residential Construction

By Lauren Hasegawa

Technology is evolving at an exponential rate. Each year there are more impressive advancements than the last, and the time between a technology being born and its practical application will continue to become shorter. Today, it is more important than ever to pay attention to emerging trends and identify how they will impact our industries.
Construction innovation is happening in relation to materials, building processes and communication. Here's a look into how a few growing residential construction technology trends are working together to improve the communities we build.

Real-Time Construction Collaboration
This past year, more construction-focused technology companies were launched than ever before and the majority of them are focused on improving construction collaboration through the use of mobile apps and cloud-based web platforms. Several companies are catering specifically to the residential construction industry and are focused on workflows like managing deficiencies, pre-installation checklists and pre-delivery inspections. The options for construction collaboration software are plentiful and include Canadian products such as RENOMii (renomii.com), a change order management app for renovation contractors, and Closeout (www.gobridgit.com), a comprehensive subcontractor management software for larger residential developers.
Whether it's a single-family home or a large condo, residential construction projects always bring together a multitude of stakeholders who are all on the go and either spread out across a single project or around the city. Moving forward, communication practices that allow people to get all of the project information and updates they need-on the go and in real-time-will be a non-negotiable in construction.

The Internet of Things Is Coming Home
In the past few years, the concept of a smart home has gone from an exciting idea to an accessible option for many Canadians. Starting with the Nest (www.nest.com) thermostat (launched in 2011), which allows users to control their home's temperature from their smartphone, the integration of smart home technologies is now a simple process and includes everything from controlling heating/cooling to home monitoring and keyless entry.
Despite the simplicity of setting up smart home technologies, it is still something that many home
owners take on post-construction, replacing builder-grade thermostats, locks and switches with new, smartphone powered devices.
However, we are currently seeing a trend toward including smart home technologies in the initial construction plans for both single and multi-family projects. Companies specializing in smart home technologies, such as Toronto-based True Marque (www.truemarque.com), are partnering with leading developers to create homes that are smart from day one.
With the introduction of smart home technologies into the construction process, a new range of skills are going to be required from construction teams in order to support the installation and technical testing needed to ensure proper performance. It's time to start preparing for the day when we will literally need to test a home the same way we test a software-before launching it to the owner.

Connected Communities
The need to communicate with our friends, service providers or neighbours without friction is one of the most important trends at play today. This ranges from being able to order an Uber car from your phone in seconds to the ability to book your condo's party room during your commute.
While online community management software for condos and rental buildings has been around for over a decade, the trend of integrating this kind of technology into buildings from day one is growing rapidly.
Today, many new communities are being designed and marketed as technologically advanced. According to Peter Pietrzkiewicz, CEO of Concierge Plus (www.conciergeplus.com), "offering an online community website is now a critical component of this product positioning. Condo buyers are tech savvy and they really value knowing that the developer from whom they are making an important purchase is as well."
Software of this type is used during construction for things like sharing progress photos and communicating construction milestones as well as once the residents move in for tasks such as amenity bookings and notifying residents about deliveries or community events.
While each of these trends is important on its own, the more important takeaway is how they all work together to build smart, connected and high-quality living environments for homeowners and renters alike.

Lauren Hasegawa is the co-founder of Bridgit, a construction software company focused on developing mobile-first solutions that can help relieve on-site pain points, such as punch list management. Lauren is an active mentor to young women in engineering and a frequent speaker at local and national industry events focused on construction innovation. She can be reached at lauren@gobridgit.com.

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