b'INNOVATIVE HOUSINGThe delivery of modular components to a NUQO building in Capilano, B.C.Modular home construction is quickly gaining traction. The process involves building components of a house in an off-site factory and then transporting them to a community where they can be quickly assembled and populated.[Modularconstruction]isntvery different from the traditional building approach, explains Rory Richards, president of NUQO Modular in West Vancouver, B.C., and member of the Coast Salish Nation. We build our homes using the same materials, the same codes, and the same standards, but instead of being made outside in the rain, sleet and snow, the vast majority of the building is made in the factory.Foundedin2020,NUQOisanThe interior of a Bison Modular home, which rivals traditional builds in style and durabilityIndigenous-owned and female-ledoff-site home construction as a meanscan build quickly and deliver quickly, company building modern modularof addressing housing needs fasterand that are also going to last.homes, childcare centres and commu-nity facilities. With a focus on high- and more efficiently. Since opening quality, culturally grounded design,its doors in 2018, the Beausejour,Prevost and his crew take pride in the company builds homes, childcareManitoba-based builder has appliedconsulting with community members facilities, and classrooms for communi- its modular solution to First Nationsand leaders to build homes that ties throughout the province. Its port- housing needs. This has includedaddress timely housing deficits while folio includes Esttkw Place, a 55-unittransforming shipping containersaddressing quality issues that have supportive housing development forinto mould-proof houses for Norwaycropped up in older, more traditional the Swxw7mesh (Squamish) Nation. House Cree Nation.residential builds. Weve designed the homes to be a quick solution, For NUQO, the key word in describingToday, the company has moved onfor one, but also to be resilient and its modular construction strategy isfrom shipping containers to buildinglong-term solutions, he says. Thats modern. Richards says that historically,complete modular homes that rivalwhy we build our homes with steel modular construction in Canada wastraditional builds in style, durabilitycomponents and make them fire, rot closely related to workforce housingand accessibility. More importantly,and mould resistant. Its also why we thatwasfunctionalbutnotveryBison Modular aims to provide reli- create them to be as maintenance-free appealing to homeowners. She saysable housing alternatives that addressas possible by ensuring the windows that today, NUQO leverages modularhousingqualityissuesinsomeare breakproof, and no shingle ever building to create comfortable, warmIndigenous communities. In the past,needs to be replaced.and beautiful spaces. communities needed to build urgently and that had an impact on their overallWeve seen communities grow with our HUGE POTENTIAL quality. Today, says Shane Prevost,homes, and many use them to relieve Bison Modular is another IndigenousBison Modulars vice president, Thetheir current housing stock needs, builder invested in the potential ofreal solution is creating homes that wePrevost adds. Along the way, he says, Indigenous BUSINESS REPORT19'