National Research Council of Italy
Trees and Timber Institute

The MAI-Ivalsa Modular House is a research project carried out by Cnr-Ivalsa Trees and Timber Institute with the support of Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Ceii Trentino and Habitech. MAI-Ivalsa Modular House is an environmentally sustainable system of pre-fabricated housing modules with structural technology based on X-lam solid timber panels and hence is made with renewable materials. A new technological system is being investigated in this project that can use re-used X-lam for the load-bearing structure and that can be prefabricated at one site and successfully transported to another. The prototype – an important outcome of public/private collaboration – has been invented and planned by CNR- Ivalsa architectural design team – Andrea Briani and Paolo Simeone under the supervision of Prof. Ario Ceccotti – and built by 13 Trentino-based handicraft companies associated with the wooden housing industry, under Ivalsa’s supervision.