Posted on 11/23/2012 4:14:58 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The first U.S. multi-family condo built of used shipping containers is slated to break ground in Detroit early next year.
Strong, durable and portable, shipping containers stack easily and link together like Legos. About 25 million of these 20-by-40 feet multicolored boxes move through U.S. container ports a year, hauling childrens toys, flat-screen TVs, computers, car parts, sneakers and sweaters.
But so much travel takes its toll, and eventually the containers wear out and are retired. Thats when architects and designers, especially those with a green bent, step in to turn these cast-off boxes into student housing in Amsterdam, artists studios, emergency shelters, health clinics, office buildings.
Despite an oft-reported glut of unused cargo containers lying idle around U.S. ports and ship yards estimates have ranged from 700,000 to 2 million the Intermodal Steel Building Units and Container Homes Association puts the number closer to 12,000, including whats sold on Craigslist and eBay.
HyBrid Architecture in Seattle, which has built cottages and office buildings from containers for close to a decade, coined the term cargotecture to describe this method of building. Co-founder Joel Egan warns that although containers can be bought for as little as $2,500, they shouldnt be seen as a low-cost housing solution. Ninety-five percent of the cost still remains, he says.
Heres a few recent North American projects including the new condo project where the shipping container takes center stage...
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
We have a few 40x10x8.5 containers for storage. Do you suppose that the dimensions are erroneous? We’ve seen 20x10x8.5’s.
Way too big and fancy. I lived in one of those “For $5 we can ship it anywhere” Postal Service boxes. Three bedrooms and two baths. I used an envelope for a garage.
Katrina cottages look prettier...
The nice aspect of those things is that you can configure them according to your requirements and tastes. Mr. Sg has already coated the roofs with a silver-colored sealing compound and is in the process of painting the sides white in order to create a backdrop that emphasizes the color of the shrubs and trees. Next couple of steps involve creating man-doors and laying tile on the floors.
Still in formative stages (only one container painted white but that’s the one near the rear deck he built which really looks good.) Will post photos of 6x8 greenhouse he erected and the stuff he’s growing inside it. Peripherally, I just discovered yesterday that collards need frost to make them sweet. The greenhouse interior is humid and much warmer than the outside temperature. Arrrggghhh! Anyway, will PM you to profile page when I post photos. Thx for your interest.
I was being snarky about Obama and all his Green zealots.
I wouldn’t want to live in an 8x12 in Afghanistan either. (Though I am greatful to those who did. Thanks for your service.)
If you goal is cheap domestic housing then stick with single wide mobile homes and use the storage crates for storage.
Oops...sorry.;-)
I was a zoomie, so most of my deployments were in billeting, sometimes in a tent. We had it much better than the Army or the Marines.
/johnny
S’ok my FRiend.
Sounds like a decent garage. I’d take one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.