Modern Methods of Construction

The Modern Construction Methods Webinar Series will showcase construction approaches that are already being used or have strong potential for use in the non-profit housing sector. The goal of the series is to equip providers with potential ideas to build and renew affordable housing faster as well as more sustainable, climate resilient, and cost-effective. Each webinar will pair an industry expert presentation with a non-profit case study to highlight different Modern Methods of Construction and explore the successes, challenges, and lessons learned for each method in the context of the non-profit housing sector. The series is intended to introduce modern methods of construction rather than promote any specific approach. Participants will need to conduct additional investigation to determine whether a particular method is appropriate for their projects and organizational context.

Digital Design

Join us for the first session in the Modern Methods of Construction series: Digital Design, which will explore how digital design tools have the potential to streamline the planning and construction of non‑profit housing.

This webinar introduces digital methods that connect parametric design and Building Information Modelling (BIM) with production planning and robotic fabrication. Parametric models allow designs to adapt for different unit layouts and construction systems, and when fabrication details, like component identifiers, assembly sequences, and robotic handling requirements, are built directly into these models, design changes can flow smoothly into production. This reduces manual data entry, avoids miscommunication between teams, and improves coordination among designers, manufacturers, contractors, and housing providers. Using real project examples, this session shows how these methods can support more flexible design and more reliable delivery for non-profit housing in Canada.

What You’ll Take Away:

• How parametric design and BIM may allow greater design flexibility without losing the efficiency of prefabrication
• How integrating fabrication data (like component identifiers and assembly sequences) into design models may reduce manual errors and miscommunication
• How robotic fabrication fits into this digital workflow, and what it means for production planning
• Real-world examples of how these methods support high-performance, low-carbon affordable housing in Canada
• Ideas and questions to support further research and due diligence, including evaluating solutions and delivery approaches, and identifying key questions to ask vendors when considering this approach

Other Sessions in the Series:

• Mass Timber Construction – Date to Be Announced

• Modular and Prefabricated Construction – December 9, 2026

• Digital Design – October 28, 2026

• Climate Resilient Construction Techniques and Innovative Materials – Date to be Announced

• Made in Canada Innovative Construction Materials – Date to be Announced

• Innovative Capital to Fund New Construction and Renewals – Date to be Announced

Event Facilitated By

Dr. Qian Chen, University of British Columbia

Dr. Qian Chen is an assistant professor in Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering at The University of British Columbia (Okanagan campus). She holds the UBCO Impact Research Chair in Digital and Robotic Construction, and her research mainly uses digital and immersive technologies, optimization algorithms and fabrication-aware design methods to enable integration of stakeholders while accelerating the digital transformation of construction projects. She has extensive experience working with digital frameworks for multi-source data integration and automation technologies through support and funding from NSERC, CFI, NRC and CMHC. With her role as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction, Dr. Chen helps facilitate knowledge sharing in construction automation and lessons learned from her research initiatives. Prior to UBCO, Dr. Chen worked at the University of Cambridge and ETH Zurich to innovate prefabrication construction supply chain processes.

Dr. Zhen Lei, University of New Brunswick, OSCO Research Chair in Off-Site Construction

Dr. Zhen Lei is an Associate professor in Civil Engineering at the University of New Brunswick and the OSCO Research Chair in Off-site Construction. His research focuses on advancing off-site and modular construction through digitization, data analytics, Building Information Modelling (BIM), simulation, supply-chain integration, and design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA). He has led numerous academic and industry-partnered projects supported by organizations and industry companies addressing topics such as factory layout and workflow optimization, digital construction processes, modular construction planning, and automated data collection. Dr. Lei holds a PhD and a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Alberta and a bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying from Chongqing University. Prior to joining UNB, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and as a construction coordinator/engineer with PCL Industrial Management Inc., bringing both academic and industry experience to his research in off-site construction.