©Fast+Epp

The Fraser Valley is in pole position to adopt prefabrication and other innovative construction methods despite the current market downturn, says a new report. There is a fundamental need for faster, “smarter” housing delivery, according to an Oct. 30 report by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB). …The FVREB report gives nine policy recommendations to accelerate prefab adoption. Chief among them is the need to harmonize municipal zoning. …The FVREB report highlights mass timber prefabrication as a particularly promising technology, saying it’s “a key component in off-site building methods.” One Metro Vancouver mass timber company with Fraser Valley projects says benefits include sustainability, suitability for prefabrication and quicker installation. But challenges include the need for wider education about how mass timber works differently as a structural system. …Coquitlam-based Seagate Mass Timber’s current projects in the Fraser Valley include a 92,000-square-foot covered soccer field.