HOUSING INNOVATION SUMMIT

APRIL 2026 | BUILDSMART TechHub
UMASS LOWELL

The Housing Technology Hub at UMass Lowell is focused on advancing the way we design and build homes.

SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

MATERIALS

POLICY, REGULATION & FINANCING

BRINGING TOGETHER GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA & NON-PROFITS.

CREATING A PLACE WHERE PROFESSIONALS CAN CONGREGATE.

We can’t wait for 10, 20 or 30 years. We need to figure out how to accelerate this housing innovation process in a safe and sustainable way.
— JULIE CHEN, Chancellor, UMass Lowell
We want to bring housing innovation to not only Massachusetts and the United States but also globally. We want to think big and be a place where companies come to innovate.
— KIM HOLLOWAY, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Acceleration, UMass Lowell

WHAT THE EXPERTS HAD TO SAY.

INSIGHTS INTO TODAY’S HOUSING INDUSTRY

CHANGING THE FACE OF THE HOUSING INDUSTRY.

WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF INCREDIBLE CHANGE IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY.

You need to have a reason for very strong people in the field to congregate in the same place. Then, you need to have a mechanism in place for them to talk to one another. A lot. What we’re doing here today is exactly that. You have seen some of the most creative professionals come to this room and share what they are doing. I have seen people trading business cards, exchanging cell numbers. That’s the stuff that matters.
— TIM ROWE, Founder & Executive Chair, Cambridge Innovation Center

WHAT MAKES AN ECOSYSTEM WORK?

ATTRACTING HOUSING COMPANIES ON A GLOBAL BASIS – FROM DENMARK TO TAIWAN.

We’re talking about creating the world’s leading innovation hub for housing right here in Lowell, Massachusetts.
— TIM ROWE, Founder & Executive Chair, Cambridge Innovation Center

APPLYING CURRENT KNOW-HOW TO A NEW INDUSTRY.

WE KNOW WE CAN BUILD A LUXURY HOME AT SCALE

OTHER INDUSTRIES, LIKE SHIPPING, HAVE MODERNIZED FOR THE BETTER. SO CAN HOUSING.

When we use energy is as important if not more important than how much energy we use.
— ALEXANDER GARD-MURRAY, Executive Director, Passive House Massachusetts

INDUSTRIES CHANGE FROM THE GROUND UP

Housing is critical to the economic vitality of a community.
— KELLY LYNEMA, Deputy Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
30-40% of heat and cooling costs are lost through windows.
— AARON BASKERVILLE-BRIDGES, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, AeroShield Materials

Today’s innovations are fueling tomorrow’s housing possibilities.

WHAT COMES NEXT…

SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS

POLICY, REGULATION & FINANCING

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

MATERIALS