Unico Inc. and CertainTeed welcome the public to tour the first ONE PRECISION ASSEMBLIES™ homes west of the Mississippi River

CertainTeed and Unico Inc. hosted open houses in North St. Louis City.

CertainTeed and St. Louis-based Unico Inc. (one of the nation’s most innovative HVAC manufacturers) hosted open houses at two newly completed residences in North St. Louis. They are the first ONE PRECISION ASSEMBLIES™ (OPA™) homes west of the Mississippi River.

Developed by CertainTeed (North America's leading brand of exterior and interior building products), OPA is an offsite construction system that uses factory-built floor, wall and roof assemblies. The components are produced in a controlled environment, then delivered to the jobsite for assembly; the approach is designed to improve precision and consistency while reducing the amount of work done on-site. This comes at a time when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates the national housing shortage at 4.7 million units.

The St. Louis assemblies were delivered to both home sites and raised in July 2026. Over two days in North St. Louis’ Mark Twain neighborhood, crews lifted the assemblies into place, taking the homes from prepared foundations to enclosed structures. Mechanical systems, interior construction and finishes followed. This innovative option arrives as builders face rising costs, labor shortages and construction delays, along with a growing demand for energy-efficient homes.

For the St. Louis pilot, CertainTeed worked with Unico to integrate The Unico System® into both homes. The heating and cooling system works with the homes' airtight, moisture-managed building envelope through a compact, flexible design.

“Unico has called St. Louis home for more than three decades, and we are delighted to partner with CertainTeed for this pilot,” said Scott Intagliata, owner and chief marketing officer of Unico Inc. “With a sustained need for attainable housing, St. Louis is a fitting place to demonstrate this approach. OPA suits tight urban lots with fewer deliveries, less waste, shorter construction periods and less disruption for neighbors.”

During the open houses, guests toured the completed residences, sawThe Unico System in place and meet the teams behind the project. Representatives from CertainTeed and Unico will discuss how the OPA approach can reduce construction time and jobsite complexity and where it could apply to future developments.

“The St. Louis pilot gave us a chance to take the OPA system from the factory floor to a finished home in an established neighborhood,” said Dennis Michaud, managing director of offsite solutions at CertainTeed. “With both homes complete, we look forward to welcoming builders, developers and the general public to see the results in person.”

With this St. Louis OPA pilot program, CertainTeed and Unico offer a replicable model for other markets, one that strengthens housing availability, accelerates build speed and supports long-term affordability across communities. This is particularly important as the “new construction premium” (how much more people pay for a new home than one that’s already been lived in) recently skyrocketed to 202.7 percent in St. Louis’ dense urban areas.¹

To arrange an interview with a Unico Inc. or CertainTeed spokesperson, to access photos or other collateral materials or to schedule a site visit, please contact Brooke Foster at brooke@wearenovella.com.

About Unico Inc.

Unico, Inc. is the leader in Small-Duct High Velocity (SDHV) heating and cooling systems and other high-end HVAC systems. The company manufactures all of its products in St. Louis, Missouri, with over 125,000 square feet of modern manufacturing space.

The company is well known for extensive use in older, architecturally unique homes and buildings as well as elite, high-end custom homes. The company is family owned and operated and is available throughout the United States and Canada and in over 28 countries around the world.

www.unicosystem.com

About CertainTeed

With innovative building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds. As leaders in building science and sustainable construction, CertainTeed makes it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient places to live, work and play, so that together we can make the world a better home.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

www.certainteed.com

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME.”