Living Environments

GE’s Living Environments Program, directed by Michael Dickens and Mark Tilley, brought to light the question: “Since a home is arguably the most important and costly product most people will ever purchase, why is there so little industry research focused on how to design and build better homes?”

To help answer this, a home was constructed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and used to explore the “whole system” of a home and how plastics could be integrated into the homebuilding industry. A building innovation consortium was created which was backed by GE, USG Corporation, Masco Corporation, Ryland Homes, and Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates (now Stantec). Other partners in the project included AMP, Carrier, GE, Herman Miller, and Molex. 

This program was the catalyst that inspired the “birth” of IBACOS to drive innovation in residential construction