Worker Housing

[danbush]

Our firm has been hired by a contractor to design housing for their construction workers. This project is along the alabama and florida gulf coast. It is hard for contractors in the area to find and keep good employees and having local housing for them is essential.

The site that we have to work on limits us to a long, thin building (300' long x 90' wide). Cost is a factor [as always] but doubly so here. They are thinking 'quick solution to pressing problem". I don't think they are expecting this building to last a long time and as such are wanting to use materials that are readily available and easy to put up (think Hardi-Board).

Does anyone have examples of similar projects and/or building form? If I have to design a box, I'd at least like it to be a nice one!

[franjayo]

Shigeru Ban houses made of paper posted by Digdoi and JP? I liked the materials and the idea of using storage units as the structure.

http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1989&highlight=shigeru

http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292&highlight=paper+house

[franjayo]

This seems an interesting inexpensive ($2,150) prefab:

http://www.thepod.net/html/thepods.html

This reference site has many other interesting prefab units:

http://www.inhabitat.com/

I do not see a giant 90ft x 300 ft box in which it would be diificult to provide privacy, light and ventilation.

[chedda]

Metroshed could be usefull , i seem to remember in the past a lot of us were interested in adding a small inexpensive room to our garden as a study or guest bedroom this would also suit. mocoloco link (http://mocoloco.com/archives/000707.php) or metroshed home (http://www.metroshed.com/)

[jparchitectus]

I just recently heard - In china they are literally stacking up cargo containers....shipping containers for builders housing.

Anyone else hear of this?

[Andrew B]

JP, I saw a special which showed what you are talking about... What was it called???

[jparchitectus]

That is what I am talking about...I cannot remember

It was aweful!

[arrestme]

Here's a house built with shipping containers :wondering

[arrestme]

And another :wondering

[arrestme]

Same as before

[digdoi]

Sean Godsell's FUTURE SHACK (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/09/futureshack_by.php) is for me one of the best examples of container use, and probably could work wonderfully for workers housing:

[Hotrats]

Was done in 2001 at Trinty Bouy Wharf in London.

http://housingprototypes.org/project?File_No=GB016