The picket fence is a concept home which aims to address livability, constructability, and sustainability for missing middle housing solutions in urban settings

The University of Pittsburgh was awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the General Research and Technology Activity program (CFDA 14.506) by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Policy Development and Research. The funding supports the Picket Fence concept home research project, which aims to validate, quantify, and document the livability, constructability, and sustainability of the Picket Fence home design for urban "missing middle" housing solutions. Key activities include conducting surveys and stakeholder engagement to assess livability, documenting the modular construction process, and quantifying the home's environmental sustainability through life cycle analysis and air quality monitoring. The expected outcome is to provide scalable recommendations for the Picket Fence home concept. The project will be conducted from February 2025 through May 2026.

Activities

The study proposes six research objectives. Those are listed below with associated activities. Research objective proposed activities 1 validate livability concepts 1)conduct fourth wave of the america at home study 2) provide tailored insights for HUD on first three waves 2 convene industry stakeholders and capture actionable insight 1)hold four stakeholder engagement events 2) host four exclusive convenings 3) summarize discussions for HUD 3 document constructability. Develop rummler-brache diagrams for the design and construction process of the picket fence home. 4) quantify sustainability conduct a life-cycle cost analysis for the picket fence home 5) conduct ambient and indoor air quality testing monitor indoor and outdoor air quality at the picket fence home 6) develop or modify a dashboard either develop or modify an existing dashboard to educate homeowners.

Expected outcomes

With this proposed project, the team is validating, quantifying, and documenting the livability, constructability, and sustainability of the picket fence to provide recommendations on scaling approaches tested within the concept home. This proposal seeks to assess the scalability of key concepts introduced through the picket fence, including an assessment of the home's livability, document the modular construction process, and quantify the sustainability through using environmental life cycle assessment and key metrics.