‘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 family of 4 will live in the house. • How many people and how are they related? It would be a mother, father, and two children. • What are their genders and ages? The mother and father will be middle aged adults (age 30-40), the children will be young (age 5-7). • What do they do? The mother stays at home, cooks, and cleans. The father works construction. The children goes to school. • What are their physical needs? The children will need space to play around, the mother will need a big room. • What are their emotional needs? The want to be safe, and they want privacy. • What are some key demographical characteristics of the dwelling’s occupants? Who will interact with the container home and its occupants? • Who are the neighbors? The neighbors will be elders. An old married couple. • What are their physical needs? They wouldn’t want any stairs. So their home would have 1 floor. • What are their emotional needs? They would also want safety. • How will they interact with the unit and its occupants? • What are some of the main characteristics of the neighborhood and the community? The children’s school is down the street, and the father doesn’t work that far. The neighborhood isn’t very violent, but it happens from time to time. Who will own the house and pay for its construction and upkeep? The mother and father will own the house and pay for the constructions. • How long will they want to live in the container house? They would want to live there for up to 5-7 years. • How would you describe their aesthetic preferences with respect to the container design? Who will live or work in close proximity to the dwelling? • What concerns might they have? • How might a container house design either please or annoy a neighbor? Who might threaten the safety of the home’s occupants? • Why would they be interested in the occupants? • What physical characteristics or special abilities would they have that could endanger the occupants? 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. • What are the annual weather conditions? • What is the proximity to other people or buildings? Find dimensions to the neighboring structures/buildings. • What are the geographic conditions of the site? • What are the traffic conditions near the site? • What zoning restrictions impact the design? • How will the site location impact the health and safety of the occupants? • 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? • Where will the materials for the living space be acquired? ‘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? 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? • 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? • 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? • Will it be used for primary or secondary housing? • Will it convey some type of social status? • Will it symbolize some type of attitude regarding environmental sustainability? Why use a shipping container as a primary structure in a living space? • Why is it a good primary structure? • Why not just build a brand new house from all new materials? 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?