St. Louis, MO (May 12, 2026) — St. Louis will soon have the first ONE PRECISION ASSEMBLIES™ (OPA) homes west of the Mississippi River. Unico Inc., an innovative HVAC manufacturer based in St. Louis, is collaborating with building-material expert CertainTeed to construct two OPA homes this month in North City.

OPA, developed by CertainTeed, is an innovative panelized construction system using factory-built floor, wall, and roof assemblies to build high-performance homes. The offsite construction significantly accelerates timelines while improving build quality, consistency, and energy performance. What’s more, these OPA homes have been engineered in collaboration with Unico — a leader in high-efficiency HVAC systems — to combine the high-performance benefits of both systems into affordable, low-energy usage homes for local families.

As the United States faces a severe housing shortage of approximately 4.7 million units, offsite construction methods are gaining traction. This is vital to a market like St. Louis, where significant housing challenges persist around supply at attainable price points. Homes cost roughly 5.5 times the median household income, putting homeownership out of reach for many St. Louisans. The partnership between building-envelope innovator CertainTeed and HVAC expert Unico demonstrates how OPA can provide a solution, with high-quality, attainable housing.

“This St. Louis project reflects a shift from ‘build fast and cheap’ to ‘build smarter, perform better, and reduce long-term costs,’” explained Scott Intagliata, owner and Chief Marketing Officer of Unico, Inc. “With this collaboration, CertainTeed and Unico are demonstrating how a home-building partnership can deliver integrated systems that boost performance, increase efficiency, and improve long‑term affordability.”

The two OPA homes will be constructed on North Euclid Avenue in the Mark Twain neighborhood. OPA’s precision manufacturing makes it possible to build efficiently on tight urban lots, with fewer deliveries, less waste, shorter construction periods, and less disruption for neighbors and the surrounding community.

“St. Louis presents a unique opportunity to address housing supply through vacant-lot development,” said Dennis Michaud, Managing Director at CertainTeed. “This collaboration with Unico will produce real‑world results in the very near future: faster construction, more efficient use of land, and homes that are both attainable and high‑performing.”

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. 

Other benefits of the OPA system include:

Faster Timelines, Minimized Risk: According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, modular and panelized construction methods can deliver time savings of 30-50% compared to traditional construction approaches. Plus, by reducing job site complexity, OPA helps builders and developers mitigate cost overruns, labor shortages, and weather delays.
Superior Craftsmanship & Quality: Each floor, wall, and roof panel is precision-manufactured to meet local building codes and builder specifications, eliminating guesswork and variability.
Engineering for High Performance: OPA homes are engineered for superior energy efficiency and can be up to 50% more efficient than traditional construction. Airtight and moisture-managed assemblies prevent air leaks and water intrusion, improving structural integrity and indoor comfort.
Sustainability: Precision manufacturing minimizes material waste, while fewer deliveries to the jobsite help reduce transportation-related emissions, further boosting the home’s overall sustainability profile.

To access visual assets for the OPA homes, including renderings, please click here. Interior finishing will continue through early summer, with public open houses planned for mid-July. To arrange an interview with a Unico or CertainTeed spokesperson or to schedule a site visit, please contact Brooke Foster at brooke@wearenovella.com.

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 ¹United States Chamber of Commerce, "The State of Housing in America," updated March 3, 2026
²CapRateCity, "Cost of Living & Affordability: St. Louis, MO," updated 2026
³ Realtor.com, "New-Construction Insights: Urban New Builds Are Scarce and Expensive," May 2026 

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.

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”.

• €46.5 billion in sales in 2025
• 162,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
• Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

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AHR stands for “Air-conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration” and the expo is sponsored by ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air-conditioning Engineers) and AHRI (The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute). That’s a lot of “alphabet soup,” but this expo is the premiere event of the industry.

Unico has a long history with the AHR Expo and the institutions behind it.

From our inception in 1985 to this year’s show in Orlando, FL, we will again be exhibiting. This year, we’re sharing booth #5068 with our partner Chiltrix, makers of highly efficient air-to-water heat pumps.

But in addition to exhibiting the latest additions to The Unico System product lineup, we’ll be holding high-level meetings with our key partners – the sales representatives, distributors, and contractors who sell, install, and service our products.

Additionally, our VP of Engineering, Craig Messmer, and his team will be attending technical seminars and presentations of the latest advancements in the HVAC field. Craig has a long history with ASHRAE, serving on its board and chairing committees over more than 30 years.

So, if you’re going to be in Orlando, stop by and see us – and check this space for our follow-up blog on what we saw and learned this year.

For more information on the AHR Expo visit https://www.ahrexpo.com/

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Chiltrix produces the CX35 and CX50 series of smart heat pumps, providing optimized heating performance and capacities ranging from 2.0 – 3.5 tons cooling, and 3.4 – 4.8 tons heating, making them ideally sized for residential applications. While traditional condensing units measure efficiency in SEER, air-to-water heat pumps measure efficiency using IPLV (Integrated Part Load Value), measuring equipment operating efficiency at various capacities. The CX35 has an IPLV of 23.27, and the CX50 has an IPLV of 21.2, ranking these units as the most efficient hydronic units available today.

Pairing Unico’s unique small duct system with a Chiltrix air-to-water heat pump will provide an unparalleled indoor comfort system for homes, pushing the boundaries of HVAC technology, comfort and efficiency. “For years our customers – HVAC distributors, contractors, and designers, builders, and owners of older or custom homes – have been looking for the best way to match the Unico System with the high efficiency of air-to-water heat pumps. There is no better hydronic match up than these Energy Star-awarded Chiltrix models,” adds Ms. Gavelek.

Unico provides design services to HVAC contractors, building professionals and homeowners, including plans and material lists for heating, air conditioning, ventilation, underfloor heating, domestic hot water, and radiant cooling. Unico also supports all installing contractors with comprehensive installation and operational training.

States Ms. Gavelek, “In the pursuit of Net Zero energy and the advancement of ‘Electric Home’ HVAC systems, our collaboration with Chiltrix takes residential HVAC comfort and efficiency to the next level and continues our commitment to provide the very best indoor comfort solutions on the market.”

About Unico Inc.

The Unico System is a small-duct central heating and air conditioning system manufactured by Unico Inc. Ideal for custom and new home construction, older home retrofits and historic preservation, as well as commercial applications, The Unico System takes less than one-third the space of a traditional HVAC system. Unico is an active member of the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit www.unicosystem.com.

To learn more about Chiltrix air-to-water heat pumps, visit the Chiltrix by Unico resource page HERE.

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“After decades of being the go-to HVAC system for thousands of custom home designers, builders, subcontractors, and owners we’re very excited to create a business division completely dedicated to this unique market,” said Ashton Gavelek, Unico brand marketing manager. “As their name implies, custom homes occupy their own specialized niche in the residential homebuilding industry, and we feel this requires a specialized team of professionals familiar with the wants and needs of this market’s key players.”

Spearheading the manufacturer’s efforts is Ken Ware, Unico custom sales manager. Mr. Ware comes to Unico with a twenty-year history of providing specialized product solutions for the custom home market, having started with his own contracting business, then working his way up to sales manager for a large building product supplier and, most recently, launching several divisions of a regional design-build firm.

Joining Mr. Ware is Maura Intagliata as custom home coordinator. Representing the third generation of the company’s ownership, Ms. Intagliata’s duties include overseeing the infrastructure of the division’s process flows and reporting.

Completing the custom home division is Ms. Gavelek who will handle all manner of marketing activities, communications, and outreach to the custom homebuilding community and ensure they harmonize with Unico’s larger branding efforts.

Mr. Ware states he is “most excited to help architects, builders, subcontractors, and end users of custom homes with their indoor comfort solutions. These professionals and enthusiasts are more informed, innovative, and passionate about their craft than their counterparts in production building and we look forward to forging lasting relationships with this caliber of individuals and companies.”

In addition to the new division, Unico will be adding content and navigation tools specific to the custom home industry to their corporate website.

About Unico Inc.

The Unico System is a small-duct central heating and air conditioning system manufactured by Unico Inc. Ideal for custom and new home construction, older home retrofits and historic preservation, as well as commercial applications, The Unico System takes less than one-third the space of a traditional HVAC system. Unico is an active member of the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit www.unicosystem.com.

To learn more about how The Unico System is the perfect solutions for your custom build contact Ken Ware: Ken.Ware@unicosystem.com

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