V Owen Bush welcomed Julien Jalbert to Practice Forward, where Julien Jalbert provided an overview of Knickerbocker Group's residential projects in Maine, emphasizing their design-build firm's "one-stop shop" approach for clients. Julien Jalbert discussed their architectural inspirations, the impact of client budgets on design, and the firm's strategic focus on prefab ADUs due to new Maine legislation and their expertise in modular construction, highlighting the energy efficiency and sustainable material choices in units like the Ailing ADU and Lupine. Julien Jalbert also elaborated on the challenges of achieving air-tightness in modular construction, the benefits of biophilic design, and the "plug-and-play" assembly of their prefab units. The Knickerbocker Group is focused on sustainable materials, streamlining processes through Revit plugins, and exploring off-grid, self-sustaining communities.

This episode is brought to you by Scan2Plan — the measure of excellence for architects and engineers.From adaptive reuse to MEPF modeling, Scan2Plan delivers high-fidelity BIM and CAD documentation grounded in LiDAR precision and project-ready accuracy. Whether you're preserving heritage, coordinating across disciplines, or modeling for a net-zero future, their tailored workflows and rapid delivery help you focus on what matters most: design.Certainty lies in good data. Scan2Plan gives you both.

Scan2Plan Website

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https://www.scan2plan.io/

We’re joined by Julien Jalbert of Knickerbocker Group—an architect leading a prefab program for small, all-electric homes. The team runs a tight ship with car-buying–style personalization, proving it on Aisling and Lupine while feeding lessons back into custom work. Were going to look at how constraints protect craft, where modeling and automation free design time, and what grid-optional, self-reliant housing could mean for Maine.

Knickerbocker Group Website

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https://www.knickerbockergroup.com/