HOMES FROM SHIPPING CONTAINERS

New Technologies in Home Building

This St. Petersburg pilot is being undertaken to field-test several new building concepts and innovative technologies. The objective is to ascertain if they can be successfully combined to produce a system that is hurricane-resistant, termite-resistant, energy-efficient, sustainable, cost-effective and that encompasses the best of modular, prefab and site built.

The 1800 sq. ft. 4BR, 2 Bath, 1-car garage house was constructed through a partnership involving primary supporters The Home Depot Foundation, NeighborWorks® America, the National Insurance Alliance and the City of St. Petersburg. Barrow Construction is the general contractor with architectural and engineering services provided by The Stratford Companies. Home repair guru Bob Vila aired four segments about the project on his national TV show in 2006, featured it on his website and has produced a DVD documenting the project from beginning through completion of the first of two house to be built. The Federal Alliance for Safe Housing (FLASH), PGT Industries, Georgia Pacific, Famous Tate Appliance and Bedding Centers and First American Housing Foundation all contributed to the project. Tampa Armature Works Inc. supplied the modified container labor and materials.

In December 2006, The Warrick Dunn Foundation included the house in its Tampa Bay area “Homes for the Holidays” presentations to the happy first-time homebuyer selected by St. Petersburg NHS.

In May, 2007, NBC aired a segment filmed in St. Petersburg on the house St. Petersburg NHS developed using recycled modified steel shipping containers as the inner shell. This segment is part of an NBC series on green-building and energy-efficient housing.

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