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What if the future of affordable housing doesn’t come from prefab or 3D printing, but from building vertically integrated factories that travel to where homes are needed most?
In this episode, I sit down with Aleksandr Gampel, co-founder and COO of Cuby Technologies, to talk about their radical approach: Mobile Micro-Factories. Instead of shipping oversized boxes across the country, they bring a full factory on-site – producing windows, panels, framing, and even helical piers locally, then assembling homes with unskilled labor.
We get into why housing costs have exploded (up 40–50% since pre-COVID), how Cuby’s system cuts hard costs by reducing skilled labor, and why most prefab and modular ventures have failed. Aleks explains how their vertically integrated model works, why they’re targeting small-to-mid-sized builders instead of one-off homeowners, and what it will mean when dozens, or even hundreds, of mobile microfactories are running across the U.S.
We also dive into design: steel tube framing, magnetic facades, and the surprisingly elegant logic behind Toyota’s production system applied to housing. If you’ve ever wondered how we might actually build cost-effective, durable homes at scale – without sacrificing beauty or quality – this episode is worth your time.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Housing Challenges
02:53 The Concept of Mobile Micro Factories
05:35 Manufacturing Process and Product Offerings
08:24 Building Systems and Structural Integrity
11:17 Cost Management and Market Strategy
14:05 Design Flexibility and Market Demand
17:07 Community Development and Housing Affordability
19:53 Operational Dynamics of Mobile Micro Factories
24:43 Building Efficient Factories with Unskilled Labor
27:30 The Role of Automation in Construction
28:54 Phased Business Plan for Housing Production
30:34 Funding and Capital Efficiency in Startups
32:33 Design Versatility and Limitations in Home Building
34:10 Long-Term Vision and Growth Strategy
35:15 Innovative Problem Solving in Construction
39:13 Challenges of Prefabrication in the Housing Market
41:33 Material Science Innovations for Housing
43:11 The Journey of Co-Founding a Startup
44:33 Connecting with Cuby Technologies
CONNECT WITH ALEKSANDR GAMPEL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamaleksandrgampel/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/agampel1
Cuby Technologies: https://www.cubytechnologies.com/
CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL
Newsletter: https://playbook.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/
https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell
CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE
https://www.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/buildingculture/
https://twitter.com/build_culture
https://www.facebook.com/BuildCulture/
SPONSORS
Thank you so much to the sponsors of The Building Culture Podcast!
Sierra Pacific Windows: https://www.sierrapacificwindows.com/
One Source Windows: https://onesourcewindows.com/
By Austin Tunnell5
4747 ratings
What if the future of affordable housing doesn’t come from prefab or 3D printing, but from building vertically integrated factories that travel to where homes are needed most?
In this episode, I sit down with Aleksandr Gampel, co-founder and COO of Cuby Technologies, to talk about their radical approach: Mobile Micro-Factories. Instead of shipping oversized boxes across the country, they bring a full factory on-site – producing windows, panels, framing, and even helical piers locally, then assembling homes with unskilled labor.
We get into why housing costs have exploded (up 40–50% since pre-COVID), how Cuby’s system cuts hard costs by reducing skilled labor, and why most prefab and modular ventures have failed. Aleks explains how their vertically integrated model works, why they’re targeting small-to-mid-sized builders instead of one-off homeowners, and what it will mean when dozens, or even hundreds, of mobile microfactories are running across the U.S.
We also dive into design: steel tube framing, magnetic facades, and the surprisingly elegant logic behind Toyota’s production system applied to housing. If you’ve ever wondered how we might actually build cost-effective, durable homes at scale – without sacrificing beauty or quality – this episode is worth your time.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Housing Challenges
02:53 The Concept of Mobile Micro Factories
05:35 Manufacturing Process and Product Offerings
08:24 Building Systems and Structural Integrity
11:17 Cost Management and Market Strategy
14:05 Design Flexibility and Market Demand
17:07 Community Development and Housing Affordability
19:53 Operational Dynamics of Mobile Micro Factories
24:43 Building Efficient Factories with Unskilled Labor
27:30 The Role of Automation in Construction
28:54 Phased Business Plan for Housing Production
30:34 Funding and Capital Efficiency in Startups
32:33 Design Versatility and Limitations in Home Building
34:10 Long-Term Vision and Growth Strategy
35:15 Innovative Problem Solving in Construction
39:13 Challenges of Prefabrication in the Housing Market
41:33 Material Science Innovations for Housing
43:11 The Journey of Co-Founding a Startup
44:33 Connecting with Cuby Technologies
CONNECT WITH ALEKSANDR GAMPEL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamaleksandrgampel/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/agampel1
Cuby Technologies: https://www.cubytechnologies.com/
CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL
Newsletter: https://playbook.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/
https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell
CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE
https://www.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/buildingculture/
https://twitter.com/build_culture
https://www.facebook.com/BuildCulture/
SPONSORS
Thank you so much to the sponsors of The Building Culture Podcast!
Sierra Pacific Windows: https://www.sierrapacificwindows.com/
One Source Windows: https://onesourcewindows.com/

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