Summary
‘Collect Information’ Worksheet: Affordable Container House
In order to develop innovative project solutions, it is critical that you develop a clear understanding of all relevant design criteria. This worksheet is intended to help you identify important factors that shape this
project by prompting a response to questions in four key categories: who, where, what, and why.
WHO
Who will occupy the container home? A family
• Who will live in this house? A family of five
• How many people and how are they related? Five people and by blood
• What are their genders and ages? The father is (29) the mother is (28) the twin sons are (6) the daughter is (10)
• What do they do? The father works as a construction worker, the mother is a nurse, and the kids go to school.
• What are their physical needs? Heat, electricity and water.
• What are their emotional needs? They need to stay together as a family and asked for help when needed.
• What are some key demographical characteristics of the dwelling’s occupants? The parents are able to communicate with each other and they have respect for everyone.
Who will interact with the container home and its occupants?
• Who are the neighbors? The neighbors and the family are related to each other.
• What are their physical needs? Shorter stair steps
• What are their emotional needs? Safety
• How will they interact with the unit and its occupants? They don’t.
• What are some of the main characteristics of the neighborhood and the community? The people in the neighborhood keep their property clean. Also, the people in the community are helpful, respectful, kind and friendly.
Who will own the house and pay for its construction and upkeep?
• How long will they want to live in the container house? For at least 2 to 3 years
• How would you describe their aesthetic preferences with respect to the container design? I wouldn’t.
Who will live or work in close proximity to the dwelling?
• What concerns might they have? The house is pretty small and need larger rooms.
• How might a container house design either please or annoy a neighbor? While building the container house, it will start to get annoying by all the noise the workers make.
Who might threaten the safety of the home’s occupants?
• Why would they be interested in the occupants? They have good jobs and might think they have good values
• What physical characteristics or special abilities would they have that could endanger the occupants? They could be bigger than them and have weapons.
WHERE
Where will the container home be located?
• How much space is available for the container home? Collect the site dimensions and a site plan. Find
a location map. Collect photos of the site and adjacent uses. My container house has 1045.22 square feet available.
• What are the annual weather conditions? Chicago has a bipolar weather
• What is the proximity to other people or buildings? Find dimensions to the neighboring
Structures/buildings. The proximity is about 6 feet
• What are the geographic conditions of the site? They’re many schools around this place
• What are the traffic conditions near the site? The traffic condition is very high since there are
• What zoning restrictions impact the design? None
• How will the site location impact the health and safety of the occupants? High traffic conditions
• How will the site location impact the health and safety of people who interact with the house?
Where will the container home be converted into a living structure?
• Will the home be constructed on‐site? Yes
• Where will the materials for the living space be acquired? Home Depot, Menards and Walmart.
‘Collect Information Worksheet – Container House 2 | P a g e
Where will the parts used for the container home eventually end up?
• Will the materials end up in a landfill or will they be recyclable? Recyclable
WHAT
What other materials will you need to convert the shipping container into a living space?
• Will the materials used need to be durable over long periods of time? Yes
• Will the materials have to reflect a certain type of aesthetic? I don’t know
• Will the budget limit the type of materials that can be used? Yes
• Will certain materials pose a danger to or protect the home’s occupants or those who interact with
the container home? No
• What types of recycled materials can be used to convert the container in to an affordable house?
What types of designs and construction methods are best suited for converting a shipping container?
What features will the dwelling need to have to be a livable space?
• What are the essential requirements for a day‐to‐day living space?
• What special requirements stem from using a shipping container as a primary structure?
• What is the ultimate function of the container home? What does this require?
WHY
Why are you building a dwelling?
• Will the dwelling be used for any other commercial purposes such as a home business? No
• Will it be used for primary or secondary housing? Primary
• Will it convey some type of social status? No
• Will it symbolize some type of attitude regarding environmental sustainability? Yes
Why use a shipping container as a primary structure in a living space?
• Why is it a good primary structure? Because it has enough room for a family of five.
• Why not just build a brand new house from all new materials? Because building a new house is very expensive and will take much more time than a container home.
Why do you see a demand for these dwellings?
• What are some specific situations in which this housing could be most practical?
• Why is this more sustainable than building a brand new primary structure? The metal that is made out of it is very difficult to destroy.
