If you’re searching for a breath of fresh air—in more ways than one!—then make Pro Builder’s annual Show Village at IBS your first stop. Located outdoors in front of the main entrance to the Las Vegas Convention Center, Show Village offers an impressive array of activities, including self-guided tours of five full-scale homes demonstrating innovative building methods; live construction how-to demonstrations and competitions; new products from leading suppliers; daily contests and prizes; and casual networking meet-ups and lively after-hours block parties to finish your day. And if you just want to put your feet up or enjoy lunch from nearby food trucks, Show Village is the place for you.
Tour Tomorrow’s Homes at Show Village
At IBS 2023, Show Village will showcase five full-scale homes that elevate off-site production methods and push the boundaries of design and technology—all open all day for self-guided tours—no tickets or reservations needed! Arranged in a cul-de-sac, the homes include:
A Casita and prototype two-story model from Boxabl (below). The 361-square-foot Casita is a complete studio built to modular-home code that unpacks from a flatbed trailer in about an hour, complete with a finished kitchen, bath, and heating and cooling system. The 722-square-foot prototype offers a three-bedroom, two-bath floor plan, with the second-level owner’s suite opening to a full-size deck. Also fully equipped and ready for move-in, that model unpacks in about three hours. “Boxabl is a new post-industrial building construction technology that enables factory mass production of homes,” says Boxabl CEO Paolo Tiramani. “As it scales, the technology significantly reduces delivery time to days instead of months, improves construction quality and lowers prices.”
The Cottage model from Impresa Modular (below) is a 1,306-square-foot two-story home with two bedrooms and two baths, front and rear porches, vaulted ceilings, and an upstairs loft/flex space. Designed as a lakeside retreat, “The Cottage represents a simplistic offering that breaks down the preconceived notion among builders, developers and homebuyers that modular construction creates design limitations,” says Ken Semler, president and founder of Impresa Modular, a franchise opportunity for home builders. “In fact, they’re learning that beautiful, well-designed homes are possible with this advanced method of construction.
A two-home set from Genesis Homes by Champion Home Builders includes a three-bedroom, two-and a-half-bath main house flanked by a two-bedroom one-bath detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU), demonstrating the increasing ability of HUD-code homes to deliver on-trend style and comfort at an affordable price point. “For decades, Champion has served asa leader in the manufactured housing industry, offering factory-built solutions for single-family and multifamily homes,” says Wade Lyall, EVP of Business Development at Champion Home Builders. Representatives from all three Show Village builders will be on hand to explain their advanced technologies, design flexibility and their go-to-market strategies.
Take a Swing (or a Saw)
A tradition at Show Village, the lively and skilled crew from ProTradeCraft will deliver three levels of construction training: academics, construction how-to demonstrations and hands-on skills testing and competitions.
The Academics station (below) will use animations and videos to show and teach basic building concepts for resilient construction and design.
On stage, the “Shop Class” allows attendees to watch and learn from professional carpenters as they build the concepts presented in the Academics area, including proper rainscreen walls, critical flashing steps and sequences, and techniques to achieve better energy-efficiency (below).
Nearby, during each day’s Block Party at the IBS Outdoor Exhibits, attendees can test their own skills and compete for prizes in the ProTradeCraft Olympics ... including an obstacle course of “standard” skills tests such as laying out a wall, as well as high-performance upgrades such as bending kickout flashing and sealing a rim joist. Skills will be judged and winners awarded, so bring your best!
Check Out New Products
In addition to contributing their latest (and greatest) products to the homes showcased at Show Village, leading suppliers will be available to dive into the details of their advanced indoor comfort systems, the latest windows and doors, pest protection solutions, exterior finish accessories and accents, and caulks and sealants for better-performing homes, among others.
Networking Meet-Ups
If you haven’t experienced a Show Village meet-up, you’re missing out. Enjoy a beer on Pro Builder at these casual networking events from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, where you can unwind with friends and colleagues and still engage with everything Show Village has to offer (below).
On Tuesday, we’ve invited tomorrow’s young leaders for an Under 40 meet-up, and will honor women in construction at Wednesday’s event ... though everyone is welcome.
