Using different species of ply is definitely an option - i see that there are wiki house groups and Xframe over there presumably using a more local ply. Next step for us is to take on multi unit schemes in Europe for housing (as opposed to one off homes).
durability is a key consideration - that can be how easy it is to replace parts over time but also the choice of materials. i personally love Corten steel (weathering steel) for external cladding - not only can it be digitally manufactured, but it gets better over time with its patina, as opposed to most other finishes that degrade in some way.
indefinitely - some of the oldest buildings in the world are timber. As long as you maintain the fabric (roof, cladding etc) - just as any brick build home requires.
I see light gauge steel frame as the first widely adopted digital manufacturing process - i like to think that what we do at Facit Homes is conceptually very similar - BIM to Manufacture.
scaling our approach (multi unit schemes) is definitely on the radar - we have always been ahead of the curve and are waiting for the market to catch up, to the point when the benefits of a fully digital but hybrid approach can be seen. With the struggles of large scale modular becoming clearer by the day, we are coming closer to the time that new approaches are required. We are however doing things in our own time, at our own pace.
Hi Bruce here from Facit Homes (founder). My freind tom recommended i do an AMA. So feel free to ask away.
First comment is - if you buy the right ply its super sustainable and formaldehyde free, we use exclusively Wisa spruce by UPM - they really take sustainability seriously in Finnland.