Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) wins President’s Medal

Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) is a digital platform that helps the housing and construction industry deliver multi-family homes faster, more efficiently and at scale. By combining standardized designs, prefabricated components and coordinated supply chains, DASH reduces complexity and improves predictability.

About 500 DASH units are already underway in British Columbia, demonstrating early success. The platform has been recognized with CMHC’s President’s Medal for Outstanding Housing Research, reflecting its scalability and national relevance.

Project scope and expected outcomes

A standardized system for housing delivery

DASH moves away from one-off custom housing projects. Instead, it offers a repeatable system that can be used across multiple projects and regions. This approach helps industry partners plan better, scale faster and reduce risk.

The platform is centrally administered and non-proprietary, allowing it to support a wide range of technical solutions. Its system-based approach has been recognized for advancing practical, scalable housing innovation.

Digital tools and permit-friendly designs

DASH provides:

• ready-to-use digital building tools
• standardized designs that align with permitting requirements

These tools support architects, designers, builders and housing providers throughout the project lifecycle. By reducing design and approval complexity, DASH helps projects move through planning and construction with fewer delays — one of the strengths highlighted through its industry recognition.

Focus on mid-rise housing

DASH launched with a focus on mid-rise housing of up to 6 storeys. This building type offers strong potential for standardization and prefabrication while meeting performance and decarbonization goals. The platform can expand over time to support other housing forms as industry needs evolve.

Supporting decarbonization at scale

DASH supports the National Research Council of Canada’s goal to decarbonize the construction sector. It helps the industry adopt lower-carbon building approaches through:

• standardized designs that streamline construction and reduce rework
• prefabricated parts produced off-site for efficiency and lower emissions
• coordinated supply chains that enable repeatable, scalable processes
• digitalization to improve workflow and collaboration

Through these innovations, DASH makes sustainable construction more accessible and practical for builders while maintaining quality and efficiency.

A collaborative platform for industry partners

DASH is designed for collaborative use. Industry partners can use the platform and help shape its ongoing development:

• Builders can streamline construction projects.
• Designers can apply standardized, permit-ready designs.
• Manufacturers can adopt repeatable, low-carbon components.
• Housing providers can deliver housing more efficiently.

It introduces a repeatable system that improves pipeline predictability, reduces barriers for manufacturers and accelerates the adoption of low-carbon, prefabricated construction. The platform’s collaborative and scalable approach have contributed to its recognition as an example of impactful housing research.

Proven results and recognition

An estimated 500 DASH 1.0 housing units are already underway in British Columbia.

The platform has been recognized with CMHC’s President’s Medal for Outstanding Housing Research, a $25,000 grant awarded for research that helps advance the vision of accessible and inclusive housing in Canada. The award supports the continued development of impactful work and helps extend its reach to a wider audience across the housing and construction sector.