Filed under: Material/Building Systems | Tags: affordable, construction, container, shipping, transportable
Converting Containers for Construction
Steel shipping containers can be used for affordable individual housing units or as building blocks for larger homes or structures. These units are designed to carry everything from vases to Volkswagens all over the world. They are sturdy, manufactured to international standards, easy to transport, readily available, and a great cure for urban blight.
Shipping Containers as Building Blocks
Containers make structural sense. They are manufactured with heavy-gauge Corten steel to make them strong and fairly impervious to the elements. These ISBUs come in two standardized sizes — 40 x 8 x 8 feet and 20 x 8 x 8 feet. They are ideal building blocks and can be stacked up to nine rows high without compromising their structural integrity.
“These are much stronger than anything you’d normally build with,” says Steve Armstrong, a structural engineer who partners with Cross in the design of these buildings. “They are designed to withstand the violent, pitching deck of a ship at sea.” ISBUs are resistant to fire and insect damage, too. The corrugated-steel look is easily camouflaged inside and out with windows, siding, insulation, and drywall.
Filed under: Material/Building Systems | Tags: bamboo, construction, materials
Pictures: http://www.bambooliving.com/construction.html
Three good reasons for choosing bamboo homes.
1. Environmental.
It takes an acre of trees to build a typical home, but
because bamboo grows so fast and dense, the bamboo for a home grows
in an area the size of the home itself. Use bamboo and save a forest.
2. Structural.
Bamboo exceeds strength of construction wood by several
times. Durable, resilient and long-lasting.
3. Aesthetic.
Bamboo has a tradition dating back thousands of years
because it is considered such a luxurious, beautiful material.
The new American Dream: 100K(+ 20) | Starter Home 