84 Lumber builds duplex on National Mall
84 Lumber has capitalized on an opportunity to help people in need while enhancing its reputation in central Washington, D.C.
The North Strabane-based company partnered with a familiar partner, Structural Building Components Association, to erect a 3,000-square-foot, two-story duplex that was built and displayed on the National Mall in September.
The project was part of the Innovative Housing Showcase, an annual public event hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The showcase, according to HUD, “raises awareness of innovative and affordable housing designs and technologies that have the potential to increase housing supply.”
Building the structure was an endorsement of off-site manufacturing. The entire duplex was built with prefabricated components, an undertaking that underscores the benefits of building faster, affordably and more sustainably.
Ken Kucera, vice president of Installed Sales & Manufacturing at 84 Lumber, said in a prepared statement: “This project is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when smart design, pre-manufactured components and skilled labor come together.
“We’re proud to be part of a national conversation about how the building industry can deliver high-quality, affordable housing at scale.”
The duplex was constructed in four days and fully framed in less than 12 hours by an eight-man crew from 84 Lumber, which also provided many of the materials. The company acknowledged that “several trusted industry partners” also provided key products and financial contributions.
Workers used open-web floor cassettes, wall panels and roof cassettes produced by the company’s Winchester, Va., component plant. 84 Lumber’s Brunswick, Md., store provided all windows, doors, and loose building materials.
A traditional concrete foundation was not allowed to be poured on the Mall, so the team used LVL beams and lolly columns to establish a strong, elevated base. When that was finished, the crew rapidly assembled the entire framing system.
United Window & Door donated all windows and exterior doors that were used. Huber Engineered Woods contributed decking materials, and MiTek and Simpson Strong-Tie each provided $10,000 to support the project.
After being displayed at the National Mall, the duplex was deconstructed and transported to Staunton, Va., where it was donated to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that assists families in need.
One of its units will serve as a basement house for a family of seven, and the other will be matched with another family in need. 84 Lumber provided the labor to reinstall and frame the home.
84 Lumber, founded in 1956 by the late Joe Hardy, says on its website that the company is the nation’s leading privately held supplier of building materials. It has 320 facilities in 34 states.