For decades, populations in North American cities have been growing faster than housing can accommodate. …Dr. Yang is the director of UBC’s Smart Structures Lab, where researchers combine advanced structural simulation and large-scale experimental testing to design building systems that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and quick to assemble. Integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, and modular assembly to automate key stages of construction—and even monitor structural health in real time—the lab has evolved into a hub for next-generation infrastructure research. It also plays a central role in an $8.27-million national initiative led by UBC Civil Engineering to address housing supply through sustainable modular construction. …Dr. Yang’s team is already applying their research in the field, testing out large-scale construction machines to automate the construction sequence. …Instead of performing repetitive or hazardous physical tasks, workers become machine operators and systems managers, while supervisors monitor multiple projects remotely.