Minka Lab

“Minka” (民家) means “people’s house” in Japanese — traditional homes built by and for farmers, artisans, and merchants.

We use “Lab” to signal our commitment to rethinking the fundamentals  of how housing is designed, sourced, and delivered.

 The “Lab” mindset allows us to challenge conventions, refine methods, and act as the R&D engine behind mission-driven developers — turning modular ideas into scalable, real-world systems.

Scalable project delivery through Digital Integration, Offsite Construction & Direct Sourcing
Building exterior in Toronto, Canada

Values & our ambition:

Build smarter, serve better, lead through thoughtful disruption.

Mission Statement

We’re here to make housing better — simpler to build, smarter to deliver, and more thoughtfully designed for the people who live in it. Minka Lab partners with developers to turn ideas into real homes through thoughtful systems, digital tools, and constant improvement.

Vision Statement

We imagine a future where good housing isn’t complicated — where smart design, offsite construction and teamwork come together to serve the people who keep our cities moving. To be the R&D engine behind mission-driven developers, turning modular ideas into scalable, real-world systems that redefine urban living.

Team and Governance

Our cross-functional team brings together expertise in BIM, project controls, preconstruction and construction management.

Mario Gónzalez

  • Holds a Marketing degree and an MBA from UT (McCombs Business school). 
  • Founded Steelgo in 2002, a leading pipe prefab company serving energy, petrochemical, and oil & gas, growing revenue from $1M to $50M.
  • Led key supplier relationships and built two equipment rental companies, both successfully scaled and sold to public firms.
  • Now leveraging industrial prefab expertise to optimize offsite construction and reduce costs in affordable housing.

Diego Lang

  • Holds an MBA from the University of San Diego (USD).
  • Leads Steelgo, a pipe prefabrication company serving energy, petrochemical, and oil & gas; scaled the business from $1M to $50M in revenue over 20+ years.
  • Developed and scaled an industrial equipment rental company into a market leader in Mexico; the business was acquired by a public firm.
  • Brings 15+ years of expertise in Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) and 3 years of operational leadership, having delivered over 50 multimillion-dollar projects for clients including Exxon, Shell, and Bechtel.
  • Now focused on applying deep prefabrication expertise to the multifamily housing sector—enhancing efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness through offsite construction.

Christofer Bernal

  • Holds significant project experience across Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
  • Serves as Director of BIM GYM, driving digital design strategy and BIM implementation.
  • Works as BIM Content Specialist and Revit Technician at Bimetica, developing high-quality digital construction libraries and tools.
  • Combines architectural design skills with advanced digital modeling to enhance project coordination, efficiency, and accuracy.