The rising cost of housing, workforce shortages and the desire to build energy-efficient homes quickly and cost-effectively are not unique to Boulder or the United States; these are global challenges.

The Japan Off-site Construction Association(JOCA) studies off-site construction technologies and provides temporary housing during national disasters in Japan. One way they do this is by using off-site modular housing supply systems, like BoulderMOD. The JOCA team visited Boulder to better understand how public/private partnerships can strengthen disaster preparedness and housing supply frameworks in Japan.

During the visit, the representatives from JOCA toured BoulderMOD, Ponderosa Mobile Home Park and 30Pearl to get a better understanding of the ways the city is working to address affordable housing needs in our community. Staff sat down with the team to discuss the details of both BoulderMOD and affordable housing in general. The conversation covered the history of modular building in Colorado, how BoulderMOD is funded, the cost to produce modular homes, the differences between onsite and offsite building, and the benefits of incorporating students and volunteers.

The JOCA team was impressed with the city's work and collaborative approach in addressing Boulder's affordable housing needs and looks forward to bringing what they learned back to the Yamagata community.

A visit from a Japanese off-site construction association to Boulder might seem unexpected until you learn that the company is from Yamagata, Japan, one of Boulder's Sister Cities. Boulder's Sister Cities program fosters meaningful relationships with communities internationally, highlights the importance of respect and cooperation between cultures, and builds trust to make it easier for communities to share ideas and learn from each other.

This sister city relationship helped make BoulderMOD visible to the JOCA team and the Boulder-Yamagata City Friendship Committee removed barriers and allowed for a seamless collaboration to make this visit possible.

While JOCA was interested in the BoulderMOD model, the exchange went both ways. Japan is a leader in building efficiency and disaster-resilient design, and it was helpful for city staff to understand that our Sister City faces many of the same challenges, including housing affordability and climate resilience, as Boulder.

Around the world, companies, communities and governments are searching for innovative ways to build homes that people can afford while reducing environmental impacts. While BoulderMOD's approach was developed to address local needs, it offers an example of how these goals can align for success in communities beyond Boulder.

The work at BoulderMOD continues to showcase Boulder's city values of connection and innovation and now this work is being recognized on a global scale. Learn more about BoulderMOD on the city's website.

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