‘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? Who will live in this house? A newly wedded couple who would like kids in the near future. How many people and how are they related? Two at the moment, but soon to be more. What are their genders and ages? Male, 31 Female, 30 What do they do? The male is a businessman, and the female is a caterer. What are their physical needs? None. What are their emotional needs? They would like to feel safe, have privacy in their backyard. What are some key demographical characteristics of the dwelling’s occupants? Very quiet/calm people. They don’t make a many problems. Friendly neighbors. They want a rustic feel in their home. Who will interact with the container home and its occupants? Who are the neighbors? Friendly people that make barbeques every weekend. Party people. Don’t make problems. Keep to themselves in the winter. What are their physical needs? Need space to have parties. What are their emotional needs? Need to feel safe, and friendly neighbors. How will they interact with the unit and its occupants They may come over for a party or dinner. Their kids may go to each other’s houses. What are some of the main characteristics of the neighborhood and the community? Very close community. Kids go over to each other’s houses. Small family houses. Very intimate back yards. No fences in the front. People always walking down streets in the summer. Who will own the house and pay for its construction and upkeep? How long will they want to live in the container house? They will like to live there while their kids grow up and possibly move when they grow older. How would you describe their aesthetic preferences with respect to the container design? This will be contemporary, with a touch of modern designing. Very welcoming and warm facade. Who will live or work in close proximity to the dwelling? What concerns might they have? Too much traffic near their house that makes it very loud. Corner stores may attract the wrong crowd. How might a container house design either please or annoy a neighbor? It may be a big difference that it stands out in the block. This may or may not please the neighbors. The construction of the house may take a long time to make and annoy some people. Who might threaten the safety of the home’s occupants? Why would they be interested in the occupants? The house may attract unwanted attention from criminals. The house may say something about the owners and give an impression of value. What physical characteristics or special abilities would they have that could endanger the occupants? There could be a break-in and the burglars could have a weapon. 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. It is in the corner of Tripp and 30th. What are the annual weather conditions? There is strong, hot, summers, cool springs and falls. Very long, snowy, cold winters. What is the proximity to other people or buildings? Find dimensions to the neighboring structures/buildings. It is in a corner, so they only have one next door neighbor. What are the geographic conditions of the site? There is a street on both sides of the house. An alley at the back of the house. A house to the right of the house. What are the traffic conditions near the site? Very calm. Not many cars pass by. Stop signs in all 4 corners. What zoning restrictions impact the design? None. How will the site location impact the health and safety of the occupants? If there is a car accident then it could affect the front and sides of the house. How will the site location impact the health and safety of people who interact with the house? It will give slight protection to the house next door. It won’t give a bad impression of the neighborhood. It will change the aspect of the neighborhood. 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? You can shop for materials at stores such as Home Depot or Menards. ‘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? The materials used will be sustainable and recyclable. I want this home to be very natural. 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? Most of the materials being used will be sustainable and durable. The whole concept of a container house is to make an affordable house, therefore the materials should be helpful enough to not spend more than is required. Will the materials have to reflect a certain type of aesthetic? Will the budget limit the type of materials that can be used? Will certain materials pose a danger to or protect the home’s occupants or those who interact with the container home? The house should be modern but still contemporary where it doesn’t seem out of place in the neighborhood. What types of recycled materials can be used to convert the container in to an affordable house? Here some materials can include bamboo, cork flooring, sustainable paint, skylights, solar panels, wind turbines, solar powered boilers, as well as recycled glass flooring among other things. 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? The house must have a living space large enough to accommodate the entire family, yet small enough to still make an intimate feeling. I will try to arrange the boxes to not make the rooms seem too firm as if making the house seem awkward. What special requirements stem from using a shipping container as a primary structure? I will stack some of my containers on top so that I can save space and use it efficiently. I have to figure out a way to not make my house look as if it were made out of shipping containers. I have to find a way to give a welcoming aspect to the house. What is the ultimate function of the container home? What does this require? The function would be to accommodate a small family comfortably with the ability to make a home for a family. WHY Why are you building a dwelling? Will the dwelling be used for any other commercial purposes such as a home business? I am focusing on making the house seem comfortable and not too modern or squared. If a business wanted to come into this house, it would not fit since the space inside would have to accommodate offices rather than rooms. Will it be used for primary or secondary housing? Will it convey some type of social status? This will be made for middle class people with a modern touch. This will be a representation of the personality of the people living there. Will it symbolize some type of attitude regarding environmental sustainability? It will show that the people living there are active with eco-friendly solutions and environmentally friendly. The outside of the house is going to be very natural looking, as well as many features inside. Why use a shipping container as a primary structure in a living space? Why is it a good primary structure? It will be easy to be able to separate rooms, the height of a shipping container is very close, if not exactly, what a normal house would be. It is eco-friendly since all the shipping containers that are not being used will be used to help will the landfill they are creating. Why not just build a brand new house from all new materials? Although shipping containers are not a usual material, it is much more efficient, time saving, ecofriendly, and economic. For environmentally friendly people this concept would appeal to them as well as people with a low budget. Why do you see a demand for these dwellings? What are some specific situations in which this housing could be most practical? This type of hose would be very practical for places where it is neither too hot nor too cold. People who just lost their houses due to natural events could be benefited from this. Houses like this could also be put as homeless shelters. Another use for this house could be as a cabin, where people would live there temporarily. Why is this more sustainable than building a brand new primary structure? This house would help with all the landfill that there is in this modern day. As well as not rotting. The maintenance is not as high as normal houses. It is safer in case of fire than regular wood houses.