Future Living: Troy Thiel and Edie Dillman Talk Missing Middle and Modular Housing Solutions

By Troy Thiel

In the debut episode of “Future Living” on the Offsite Dirt Network podcast hosted by Troy Thiel, we dive into one of the most critical conversations in American housing today: solving the missing middle crisis through offsite construction, collaborative design, and modest, energy-efficient homes. Joining Troy is Edie Dillman, CEO of B. Public Prefab, a company leading the charge in delivering better-built structures through thoughtful prefab high performance panel systems.

Together, they unpack the structural and social implications of our broken housing ecosystem and how smarter, smaller, and more sustainable developments can help restore balance—especially for first-time buyers, downsizers, and multigenerational families.

Meet the Hosts of Change

Troy Thiel brings decades of real estate and consulting experience from Madison, WI to Seattle, WA—ground zero for many zoning reform movements. His passion? Restoring the "missing middle" in our housing mix. Think: townhomes, ADUs, duplexes—those small-scale, community-friendly formats that sit between single-family homes and high-rise apartments. His new show called “Future Living” is brand new to our platform.

Joining him is Edie Dillman of B. Public Prefab, a company creating panel structural thermal envelopes in an offsite factory setting. “We’re craftspeople,” Edie explains, “just doing it offsite.” B. Public Prefab’s systems are all about air-tight, energy-efficient shells—the core of any good building—customizable to fit a variety of architectural designs.

What Is the Missing Middle?

Troy and Edie are both advocates of “future living,” the housing types America used to build but has neglected for decades.

“The missing middle includes everything from cottage courts and triplexes to townhomes and ADUs,” Edie explains. “It’s what we stopped building 50–60 years ago.”

With too much focus on large single-family homes and high-density apartments, communities have lost the ability to support aging residents, first-time buyers, and young families looking for ownership—not just rentals.

Offsite Meets Infill: Why Prefab Matters

Edie shares how B. Public Prefab’s work is accelerating infill development by simplifying construction timelines and ensuring higher quality through offsite fabrication.

“We’re not the finishes,” she says. “We’re what’s hidden behind them—what keeps you warm and comfortable with low energy bills.”

Their prefab panels are optimized for energy efficiency and sustainability, making them ideal for nonprofits, small developers, and aging-in-place families who need quality housing that won’t cost a fortune to heat or cool.

One exciting example: a five-unit townhome infill project B. Public Prefab is working with Habitat for Humanity near a historic downtown. It’s proof that thoughtful design and prefab precision can meet both community needs and affordability goals.

Aging in Community, Not Just in Place

One standout message from the conversation? Aging in place doesn’t always mean staying in the same house—it’s about staying in the same community.

Troy shares how he and his wife downsized into a ranch-style condo in Madison, surrounded by friends. “It’s about connection, not just square footage,” he says.

Edie echoes this idea, adding that many of B. Public Prefab’s clients are looking for modest, functional homes that still allow for multigenerational living. “We’re seeing growing demand for ADU’s and small homes that can house aging parents or adult children.”

Collaborating for a Better Housing Future

B. Public Prefab is also innovating through its co-labs program—a national network of architects offering high-quality, ready-to-go prefab home designs. These homes are “standardized but customizable,” making it easier for local developers and municipalities to adopt smarter housing solutions without reinventing the wheel.

“It shouldn’t be a distant dream to have a well-built, efficient home,” Edie says. “We’re working to make that dream more accessible.”

Final Thoughts: The Time to Act is Now

As Troy puts it, “We’ve never built more apartments than we did last year—600,000 units. But only 18,000 condos. We’ve lost the balance.”

By championing offsite innovation, local zoning reform, and small-scale, ownership-focused housing types, leaders like Edie and Troy are creating a path forward of future living. Whether it’s through ADUs, townhomes, or prefab collaborations, the future of housing is local, livable, and lean.

“We used to build it right,” Troy concludes. “It’s time to build it that way again.”

Offsite Dirt Network is proud to elevate these critical conversations and the people behind the change. Stay tuned for more podcast episodes, project stories, and innovations shaping the future of the built environment.