Steel Framing Supports Palisades Rebuild
The RESET initiative is helping homeowners rebuild in Pacific Palisades with pre-approved home designs, offsite construction and cold-formed steel (CFS) framing. Builders Workshop partnered with leading Los Angeles architects to create the initiative. The team developed ready-to-submit home plans that reduce delays and simplify rebuilding.
“A core differentiator of the RESET production model is the shift away from standard wood framing to cold-formed steel (CFS) construction,” says Sara Kitnick, senior content strategist for the Los Angeles Times.
Each home uses CFS framing produced in an offsite micro-factory. The home designs feature non-combustible, Wildland-Urban Interface-compliant construction with fire-rated assemblies, transparent pricing and a fast path to occupancy. Homeowners also receive written commitments from multiple A-rated carriers for builder’s risk and permanent homeowner coverage.
“[Cold-formed steel] is dimensionally stable, does not absorb moisture, and holds the exact shape it was rolled and fastened into regardless of humidity or temperature swings,” says Geoff Hackett, founder of Builders Workshop.
He adds: “The frame that goes up on day one is the same frame, in the same geometry, decades later.”
CFS Micro Homes Support Attainable Housing
A new pocket neighborhood in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, highlights how cold-formed steel (CFS) framing supports faster construction and energy efficiency.
The UrbanEco on Grant development includes 12 micro homes, each measuring 600 square feet.
The homes use prefabricated insulated CFS panels instead of wood framing. The system lowers construction costs, reduces material waste and improves energy performance. Crews can assemble a home’s shell in about a day and a half.
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“Two guys can lift up a 4-by-8 panel,” says project architect Laszlo Simovic. “It’s very light, and you put them into place, screw them together, and you’re done.’
CFS framing forms the structural frame, while integrated EPS foam provides insulation. The wall assemblies achieve an R-value of 36, exceeding Evanston’s minimum requirement of 30 for exterior walls. The development demonstrates how prefabricated steel systems can deliver efficient construction and high-performance housing.
CFS Delivers Acoustic Privacy in Courtrooms
The Clackamas County Circuit Courthouse in Oregon City demonstrates how cold-formed steel (CFS) framing can meet demanding acoustic and security requirements. The six-story, 250,000-square-foot facility includes 14 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, secured circulation areas, holding cells and offices for public agencies.
Acoustic privacy within courtrooms presented one of the project’s greatest challenges. The design required multiple high-performance CFS wall assemblies to achieve strict sound transmission ratings. Even minor installation errors could affect performance. The project team refined wall systems during preconstruction to meet rigorous acoustic criteria while maintaining schedule and cost control.
Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing helped the Clackamas County Circuit Courthouse achieve demanding acoustic and security requirements across its six-story judicial complex.
The project received a 2026 Outstanding Projects of the Year Award from The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau. Judges evaluated design, workmanship, material use, jobsite innovation and overall project impact.
Additional Resources
- Update #21: Cold-Formed Steel Supports Award-Winning Church, Affordable Housing and a Noted Training Center
- Update #20: Cold-Formed Steel Used for Resilient Housing, Scalable Infrastructure and Modular Floor Systems
- Update #19: Cold-Formed Steel Used for Apartment Project, Pickleball Complex and Fire Station
- Update #18: Cold-Formed Steel Accelerates Housing Projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Brazil
- Update #17: Cold-Formed Steel Advances Healing Facility, History Center and Middle East ConTech