Two newly unveiled cottages on Virginia’s eastern shore are offering a glimpse into how factory-built housing could play a larger role in meeting the nation’s growing demand for energy-efficient and attainable homes.
Champion Homes Inc., one of North America’s largest producers of factory-built housing, recently marked the opening of the Innovation Cottages, a pair of off-site-built homes designed to highlight the energy efficiency and design flexibility of modern manufactured and modular construction. The homes were developed in collaboration with iUnit Communities, a long-time partner focused on sustainable housing solutions.
Company leaders and local officials gathered in Parksley, Virginia in December for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public open house, celebrating what they described as “a model for future residential development.”
“The Innovation Cottages are a marquee example of the incredible capacity of offsite-built homes to be an energy-efficient, leading-edge housing solution,” said Bryan Phelan, Champion Homes’ director of business development. “When forward-thinking collaborators put their heads together, amazing things happen.”
The project consists of two three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes, each built to different construction standards to demonstrate the range of offsite housing options available to communities and consumers.
One home is a 1,200-square-foot modular residence constructed to the International Residential Code at Champion’s manufacturing facility in Liverpool, Pennsylvania. The second is a 1,387-square-foot manufactured home built to the federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development code at the company’s Claysburg, Pennsylvania, plant. Both homes are ENERGY STAR certified and feature custom floorplans designed by Champion.
The cottages include architectural elements commonly associated with site-built housing, including front porches and 7/12 roof pitches. Developers said those details were intentionally included to ensure the homes blend seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood.
Local officials said the project aligns with Parksley’s interest in innovative housing approaches.
“I can’t tell you how excited the Town of Parksley is to be a part of this incredible endeavor,” Mayor Frank Russell said during the ceremony.
The homes were funded in part through the Virginia Housing Innovation Grant Program, which supports new approaches to housing affordability and services, particularly for low- and moderate-income households across the state. Representatives from Virginia Housing, Accomack County, and Champion Homes attended the event.
iUnit Communities plans to list the cottages for sale in early 2026 and use the project as an educational tool to help prospective buyers better understand the long-term cost savings and environmental benefits of energy-efficient construction.
“The Innovation Cottages help us continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with offsite construction as we build energy-efficient housing,” said Brice Leconte, founder of iUnit Communities. “Champion has been a collaborator with iUnit in this journey for more than 10 years, and we appreciate their continued support of this joint mission.”
Advocates of factory-built housing say projects like the Innovation Cottages demonstrate how off-site construction can address multiple challenges facing the housing market, including affordability, labor shortages, and energy efficiency. Homes built in controlled factory environments can reduce material waste, improve construction consistency, and shorten build times, while advanced insulation systems and energy-efficient designs can lower monthly utility costs for homeowners.
Champion Homes operates 46 manufacturing facilities across the United States and western Canada and employs more than 9,000 people. Its portfolio includes manufactured and modular homes, accessory dwelling units, park models, and modular buildings serving single-family, multifamily, and hospitality markets. Beyond home production, the company also provides installation services, operates a factory-direct retail network with 82 locations nationwide, and runs Star Fleet Trucking, which transports manufactured housing and other freight across the country.
iUnit Communities focuses on developing sustainable neighborhoods that combine technology and environmentally conscious building practices, encouraging residents to make informed choices about energy use and daily living. Virginia Housing is a public-private partnership that supports housing affordability initiatives statewide through financing programs, grants, and partnerships with local governments and developers.
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