Duke Street Cottages is a pocket neighborhood in Granite Falls, North Carolina. It is built with offsite construction methods and aims for Department of Energy Zero-Energy Ready Home standards.
The project was started in 2021 as a pilot in Rob Howard’s hometown. He said, “if I can do this in Granite Falls, I can do this anywhere.”
The project was created to address the need for affordable housing while also providing sustainable, accessible, high-performance homes.
The homes are designed to encourage neighborly interaction. Front porches face each other, and communal space at the front of each home supports community connections.
The homes exceed building code and meet Zero Energy Ready Home certification standards. They are described as healthier living spaces that use less energy than traditional construction.
The page presents the cottages as an example of offsite construction. It highlights controlled fabrication, faster assembly, and improved performance as key benefits.
The page notes that offsite homes depend on site readiness and clean handoffs. It mentions foundation accuracy, utility rough-ins, delivery access, and set-day sequencing as important factors.