Pippin / Rent the Backyard

Pippin aimed to revolutionize the homebuilding industry by developing an autonomous factory to address the significant $1.7 trillion housing crisis. The traditional construction of a home involves numerous labor-intensive tasks, including measuring, cutting, lifting, drilling, painting, and attaching various components. These tasks encompass the building's structure, vapor barriers, windows, insulation, siding, roofing, electrical systems, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry. The construction industry typically manages this complexity by dividing the work among small, specialized artisan companies. This fragmented approach hinders the sharing of knowledge and has resulted in stagnant labor productivity since 1947.

However, advancements in building technology, methods, and materials have created opportunities to overcome the limitations of traditional home manufacturing. Regulatory changes now permit the construction of smaller and simpler accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as backyard homes, which facilitates the mass production of housing. Pippin initially targeted the ADU market with its "Rent the Backyard" brand, with plans to expand into duplexes, quadplexes, and eventually larger apartment buildings. Unfortunately, the company is now inactive.