A partnership between Mattamy Homes’ Alberta division and Promise Robotics will unite the two in scaling-up the delivery of housing through Promise’s factory-based manufacturing process.

Under the multi-year agreement, Promise will supply panels to construct single-family, semi-detached and multifamily homes in two of Mattamy’s master-planned communities in Alberta. The components will be made in Promise’s 62,000-square-foot facility in Calgary, where production commenced in August.

Using robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), Toronto-headquartered Promise aims to unlock efficiency, scalability and sustainability in the homebuilding sector through prefabrication.

“Here we have a very large production builder that basically shares a similar vision about the future as us,” Promise CEO and co-founder Ramtin Attar said in an interview with RENX Homes. 

“This is a very incredible opportunity to really show what we scale, and what this really means for a domestic industry.”

Promise’s Factory-as-a-Service

Promise will onboard Mattamy into its Factory-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform, which centres around Promise’s “nimble, capital-efficient” robotics and AI systems, Attar said.

First, a homebuilder submits the blueprints for a wood-frame home to Promise. AI-powered technology will analyze the schematics and instruct the robots in Promise’s factory to manufacture the wall, floor and roof panels. Once the panels are complete, they are delivered on trucks to the construction site, where they will be installed to form the building’s structure.

“So we work with a builder that just brings the volume. They focus on their homebuilding operation, we focus on the manufacturing operation,” Attar said about FaaS.

Attar cited the speed, consistency and transparency of the company’s process as advantages over traditional homebuilding.

For example, a half-dozen robots working eight hours per day can produce the components for 25 to 40 single-family homes every month. In a previous interview with RENX Homes, Attar said a fully enclosed single-family home can be assembled to the lock-up stage in six hours once the components are on-site.

As an example of its precision, the Promise software can even estimate the number of nails required to complete one building, he explained.

Factory-built housing has also been promoted in recent years because it addresses the construction labour shortage that is expected to become an increasing problem in Canada. An automated process like the one Promise has developed can help bridge the labour gap.

The goal with the partnership is to supply the panels for as many of Mattamy’s products as possible, Attar added. As the partnership evolves, the product line could be expanded.

Mattamy's interest in factory-built homes

The partnership is a vote of confidence in Promise’s technology and sends a message to the homebuilding market and the company’s peers, Attar said.

Marking the first formal partnership Mattamy has struck with Promise, Collin Campbell, the president of Mattamy's Alberta division, told RENX Homes in an email exchange it is "an exciting continuation of Mattamy’s broader investment in automation and modular innovation."

Earlier this year, Promise supplied the exterior wall panels and floor cassettes for four semi-detached homes in Mattamy's Hearthstone community in Alberta.

"It’s about embracing technology to improve efficiency, sustainability and affordability while also preparing for future growth," Campbell said.

Promise will support Mattamy in building its Carrington and Cityscape communities in Calgary.

Mattamy's founder Peter Gilgan unveiled plans earlier this year to launch a prefabricated home factory in the Toronto area in 2026.

Promise's Alberta connections

Attar said Alberta is a “very interesting market” for its prefab offering because of the fast-growing demand for low- to mid-rise housing in the province. Another factor is the “long history and tradition” of prefabricated housing in Alberta, he explained.

Mattamy is not Promise’s first partner in the province. It has collaborated with Landmark Homes and other small to medium-sized homebuilders in the province, Attar said.

In fact, Promise was effectively birthed in Edmonton despite its Toronto headquarters, he said. Promise initiated its first pilot projects in the city and has a factory in Edmonton to complement the one in Calgary.

Promise will have more to announce for upcoming growth opportunities and expansion, Attar said. He believes the company is at the stage where its technology is accessible enough to address different kinds of housing and can lower the barriers of entry for homebuilders.