Students at the University of Maine in Orono and the University of Maine at Augusta have accepted the challenge of tackling one of the state’s most pressing issues.Posted December 30, 2025
Patrick Hansford is an assistant professor of architecture and the architecture program coordinator at the University of Maine at Augusta. He is a registered architect in six states, including Maine, with over 40 years of professional experience. The scope of Maine’s housing emergency was starkly laid out at the Maine Affordable Housing Conference in Bangor on Sept. 9. MaineHousing reported that 83,000 new housing units must be constructed by 2030, yet fewer than 1,800 were built in 2024. The scale of the deficit is alarming. What is missing from any discussion about the housing crisis is how to leverage advances in design and construction technology to reduce construction costs. In its effort to address housing affordability, the Trump administration has proposed several policy ideas such as 50-year mortgages. Experts state the interest paid on a 50-year mortgage would be nearly double the loan value. Furthermore, the current average age of a first-time home buyer is 40 years old. Researchers at the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies state there are a million fewer workers in the construction trades since the last housing boom in 2007. Younger people are not entering the trades and a decline in immigration are root causes to this labor shortage. There is a dire need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons and general laborers. According to ZipRecruiter, the average national salary for a unionized electrician is over $72,000, with top earners making six figures. While the housing crisis is a national issue, it is exacerbated in Maine by three critical local factors: Aging housing stock: Maine is ranked the eighth oldest in the country for its housing stock. Labor shortages: A national shortage of people entering the building trades limits construction capacity. Lax code enforcement: The state’s adoption of the International Residential Building Code is undermined by nearly nonexistent enforcement during construction, as only the largest cities have the capacity for full-time building inspectors.
How do we meet the housing crisis when there is a shortage of labor, shortage of housing units, and failed or unrealistic policy ideas? That’s where the University of Maine (Orono) and the University of Maine at Augusta are using their collective skills to address the housing crisis. Led by Habib Dagher, Ph.D., researchers at the Advanced Composites and Structures Center at the University of Maine (Orono) are creating 3D printed structures with forest-derived, recyclable materials. They are also researching new types of panelized mass timber construction and mass timber in general. (Mass timber is a method of using smaller pieces of lumber to create larger and stronger structural members rivaling steel and concrete.) In addition to the University of Maine (Orono), architecture students at the University of Maine at Augusta are involved with the 2025 Envision Resilience Challenge Midcoast Maine. The students are focusing on housing issues, in particular in the town of Bath. The directive given to the students is to research production methods, focusing on mass timber, panelization and large- scale 3D printing. That research started with UMA architecture students visiting the Advanced Composites and Structures Center. The UMA students are using what they have learned to think critically about how their designs for Bath can leverage these new technologies, thereby addressing labor issues, sustainability and reducing construction costs. UMA’s Bachelor of Architecture program is the only accredited professional architecture program in the state. This accreditation is crucial, as a majority of states require an accredited degree for graduates to enter the profession and eventually take the Architect Registration Exam. The program’s impact is significant and uniquely local. Nearly all graduates of UMA’s architecture program elect to stay in Maine, possessing both the desire and the skillset to improve the built environment in their communities. Our program is also growing the local talent pool. According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the number of U.S. architects fell by 4% in 2024, and approximately 13% of the profession is over the age of 65. Yet, UMA’s architecture program experienced a growth of over 14% in enrollment last year. Moreover, the department has gained national recognition through programs like the Envision Resilience Challenge, solidifying its place as a leader in sustainable and resilient design education. By placing more young, innovative designers into architecture and design firms across the state, UMA Architecture is uniquely positioned to educate the next generation of architects who can provide the essential design and construction talent to address the housing crisis in Maine and beyond.
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