Comments on: PREFAB FRIDAY: ZIGLOO DOMESTIQUE

By: griffariff

griffariff — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:26:52 +0000

In Canada we have more a more harsh climate than the climate that most of the container homes that I have seen on the net. This home is the best insulated that I have seen yet. I have an idea with regard to eliminating the wood framing and removing the need for SIP as well…

If you were to weld 2″ vertical strips of steel between the top and bottom horizontal members of the outer container wall on standard 16″ centers, you could fill the corrugations with spray foam and then screw styrofoam sheets to the metal strips, apply a vapor barrier and then finish as desired with sheet rock or paneling or whatever. I haven’t researched the specs yet, but I imagine if you chose the right combination of products, your should be able to easily reach R20. An outer finish of Supertherm would reduce thermal conduction in the summer.If allowances for plumbing and electrical are needed, then the strips could be replaced with U channel. Then you could apply the spray foam once the electrical and plumbing is in place. Thoughts???

By: michelle

michelle — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:56:46 +0000

Virgil, do you realize shipping containers have an incredibly long life span and that they’re only trying to reuse them in other ways because there is a surplus of them? There’s a surplus because it is cheaper to make new ones than ship around empty ones to where they are needed. Containers are build to with stand sea salt and other harsh elements. the container with not turn into a pile of rust if it is maintained properly; much the way you must maintain a regular house by residing it of repainting it.
use some common sense, architects wouldnt go through all the trouble of designing and building these things if they were just going to fall apart

By: Virgil McAlpine

Virgil McAlpine — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:33:25 +0000

Soon the building will be a pile of rust and decay. Too bad for the owner.

By: biscuit

biscuit — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:46:26 +0000

I think this is great! Congrats to the architect for using mundane materials in a new way! I love the chain-link, and I love that he didn’t paint all of the shipping containers- rather, they speak of their history.

By: Helen Eckard

Helen Eckard — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:45:50 +0000

This is one of the ugliest homes I have ever seen.

By: Jean-Pierre El Asmar

Jean-Pierre El Asmar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 05:26:11 +0000

Brilliant, reusing and recycling containers! the result is also pleasing. I would suggest the author presents this idea to the international competition on do yourself your house I think in Portugal. I really love this website.

By: Christopher P.

Christopher P. — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:45:58 +0000

“Hidden” work (electric, plumbing, insulation, basement/foundation) factored by time+materialsX architect X 2 years of redesigns and rebuilds of “protype” = $180/sq.ft. vs. $250 to $500. Sure, there are ingenious sweat-equity shelter solutions all over the world that rival “real” architecture. (Witness Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers historic site here in LA — also not appreciated much at the time of its construction, 1925-1955.) But get a grip, people! This concept is several cuts above dumpster diving! And, as for “harsh”, look at Frank Gehry’s house (1978) the “Deconstructivist/Post-Modern” seminal work, that started the vogue in construction-site chic….

By: Bart

Bart — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:43:57 +0000

I’d… like to see a bit more glass, I’d paint the outside in other colors, but… I do admire the innovative way of building !!!
With the buildingcodes overhere one almost needs a permit to change color of curtains, unfortunately.

By: Martel

Martel — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:48:31 +0000

Won’t he paint it? The way it looks now, I think this house will lower the prices of real-estate in the neighborhood. Kudos for the designer for using shipping containers, but this is not my favorite container project. Meanwhile, check out DeMaria’s Venice Beach project:
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/05/even_more_conta.php

By: nothgiel

nothgiel — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:18:20 +0000

Great except fo the chain link, but thgats just my opinion

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:55:38 +0000

It looks like this house was a Hurricane Katrina victim! The overall design is pedestrian at best.

By: Richie

Richie — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:00:15 +0000

It’s $180 a square foot because it’s a STICK FRAME HOUSE within a shipping container shell ! There’s all that wood framing all over the place. This seems kind of dumb when much less framing would have been necessary if Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP’s) were used. Also… there’s a ferro-concrete basement and a curved, wood frame, roof. Maybe the local building codes required that this approach was taken ?

A better take on this 3 bedroom shipping container design is found at: http://www.lot-ek.com/ (click on ‘buildings’ and then on CHK[Container Home Kit] The 4 wide container(3 bedroom) design there makes a lot more sense.

Using SIP’s internally, to provide insulation, walls, and a smooth surface is the way to go. I suggest a resounding NO to stick framing inside Shipping Container Designs !

By: Bryce

Bryce — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06:00:02 +0000

Some parts of it are cool, but I’m also perplexed as to how it wound up costing $180/sf.

By: blackcomb

blackcomb — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:52:45 +0000

Seems like a lot ( $180/sf ) for what you really get, I mean the inside isn’t really cool it looks pretty trashy and the exterior isn’t really great either. The idea is fun but really the end product just looks harsh for the money spent.

By: royalestel

royalestel — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:45:24 +0000

An Architect doing this to a shipping container? Wow. Now I’m totally convinced this is within reach of the common guy.