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About

Mission

The Housing Education and Research Center (HERC) at Michigan State University will serve the Michigan Housing Industry by promoting and conducting housing research and technology transfer activities and by serving as the adjunct education and research arm of the Michigan Association of Home Builders, and to maintain the status as the recognized resource for housing education and research in Michigan.


History

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), located in Washington D.C., is recognized as the authoritative voice of America's Residential and light building industry. The NAHB has a national research center (NAHB-RC) which provides research and training support by identifying and addressing emerging technological opportunities that affect the residential industry. During the 1980's, the NAHB leadership decided to partner with major research-oriented universities by designating several Housing Research Centers around the country. The main objectives of this decision was to:

  1. Encourage state and local home builders associations to form partnerships with designated universities for their education, research, and training needs.
  2. Provide a link between state and local associations and NAHB-RC
  3. Develop regional "Information and Knowledge Base" for the residential and light building industry.
  4. Pool together the expertise offered by different universities and NAHB In July 1988, NAHB-RC announced the formation of 13 Housing Research Centers and five more were subsequently added. In May 1992, the setup was formalized as the National Consortium of Housing Research Centers with university-based centers and NAHB-RC as equal partners. This consortium has a day long meeting for sharing research results at the annual NAHB convention.


HERC at Michigan State University

The Housing Education and Research Center is a partnership between the Michigan Association of Home Builders and the Construction Management program at Michigan State University. In January of 1996, the center was approved for membership in the eighteen-member National Consortium of Housing Research Centers. The consortium members regularly exchange ideas and research results throughout the year. Annual reports are formally presented by all members at the NAHB national convention.

Working within the Construction Management (CM) major at MSU, the Center will primarily function as an adjunct training and education arm of the Michigan Association of Home Builders (MAHB). In addition, this center will work with individual builders, associate members, utility companies, and various nonprofit organizations. By pooling these resources, the Center will provide a variety of outreach, research, training, and problem solving services to various sectors of the state's housing industry.

The activities of the center are directed by the HERC Advisory Council. HERC primarily focuses on one to two research projects a year and industry outreach activities. HERC is supported by contributions of industry participants who in turn receive a seat on the Advisory Council. Please refer to the industry participation page for information on membership.


Scope of Work

The Housing Education and Research Center at Michigan State University can provide expertise in the following focus areas:

  • Management
  • Corporate and Project Management
  • Estimating and Scheduling
  • Total Quality Management
  • Safety
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Computer Applications
  • Design and Construction
  • Building Design: Single-family, Multi-family, and Commercial
  • Construction Materials and Technology
  • Planning and Building Codes
  • Site Planning and Land Development
  • Remodeling Technology
  • Computer Applications
  • Emerging Issues
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Radon and Indoor Air Quality
  • Affordable and Specialized Housing
  • Growth Regulations and Impact Fees
  • Alternative Materials

In addition to the CM major, faculty from a number of other programs participate in HERC activities. Some of these programs/departments/majors are:

  • Biosystems Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Education
  • Human and Environment Design
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Marketing
  • MSU Extension
  • Resource Development
  • Urban Planning