But what if the same frame and truss plants that already supply more than 90 per cent of New Zealand’s houses could be retooled to deliver entire high-performance building systems?

The Truss House feels they may have the answer. Rather than treating floors, walls, and roofs as separate pieces stitched together on site, Truss House integrates them into a single engineered portal frame. The result is a prefabricated envelope manufactured by existing truss plants, transported on standard trucks, and assembled on site in days. Kim Aiken, founder of Truss House, says, “The implications are significant: faster delivery, warmer and drier homes, and already meeting future standards today”.

Why architects hold the key

Prefabrication has often meant a trade-off for architects: standardised modules that limit design flexibility. Truss House takes a different approach. By rethinking the structural logic of the frame, its portals enable larger spans, open floor plans, and highly insulated envelopes without prescribing an aesthetic or typology.

Because the system is pre-engineered and covered under a structural PS1, Truss House, claim it reduces risk at the consenting stage. For projects targeting Homestar, Passive House, or low energy use, Truss House claim it provides a backbone already aligned with performance benchmarks. This, they say, shifts the conversation from minimum compliance to maximum performance without the usual premium.

Equally important to the solution is that the system is delivered through Pryda’s existing fabricator network nationwide. That potentially means local supply, shorter lead times, and reduced risk of delays. The same plants that currently produce roof structures can now produce full building envelopes. The system already has patents granted in five countries.

What makes this different

If combining floor, wall, and roof trusses into one portal frame seems obvious, it’s worth asking why it hasn’t been done before. The answer lies in how deeply platform framing has shaped the industry: every code, software package, and supply chain has been optimised for houses as parts, not as an integrated system.

Truss House applied systemic thinking to that problem and says it has validated it with engineers, fabricators, architects, and clients. The result is not just a new product, but a new pathway: a patented system that could meet market needs at scale.

Proof and partnerships

The delivery pathway is already being tested. In New Zealand and Australia, Truss House is working exclusively with Pryda ANZ , whose network of fabricators covers the majority of both countries. Through this partnership, the system is being deployed into large-scale developments and into smaller pre-consented designs sold through retail channels. For architects, this means the technology is not a future concept but a live option, available now.

Adam Dawson, Pryda ANZ, Engineering & Builder Solutions Manager, said, “The Truss House system addresses our biggest productivity challenges while creating a valuable point of difference for Pryda and our network. Nothing comes close in efficiency to design, manufacture, and build. It is the most significant advancement in offsite prefabrication since the invention of nail-plated trusses. Builders tell us it feels new, but familiar.”

Myles Whitcher, Owner, Pohutakawa Frame & Truss
“What attracted us was innovation without the burden of upfront capex. With Truss House, we can diversify using the equipment we already have. The time from design to delivery is weeks, not months. If you’re not innovating, you’re at risk of being left behind. Truss House lets us meet demand across typologies, from secondary dwellings to iwi housing, first-home buyers, even multi-level projects.”

Looking ahead

Truss House founder, Kim Aitken, says, “The implications for architecture are significant. If truss plants can evolve into super-factories producing entire building envelopes, architects gain a faster, more reliable way to deliver projects that are warm, dry, affordable, and aligned with future standards. More importantly, they gain a structural system that does not limit creativity but provides a platform for better design outcomes at scale”.

In a market where the housing crisis and climate crisis intersect, Truss House suggests the future of housing does not depend on importing new technologies. It depends on architects, builders, developers, and fabricators recognising the potential in the systems we already have, and choosing to use them differently.