Colorado Real Estate Journal - March 18, 2015

Shipping containers provide a housing solution

Patricia Parish, AIC Land planning service line director, Rocky Mountain Group, Monument

The shipping container trend has arrived in Colorado. The time is right to start using the tremendous oversupply from importing foreign goods.

(Ironically, at the time of this article, a dock worker union strike has resulted in thousands of shipping containers stranded on ships off the coast of California and threatens East Coast trade.) The piles, literally walls, of shipping containers are transforming Los Angeles docks and neighborhoods. They are attracting undesirable activities, vermin and have become quite a nuisance. So the question is, how can we solve the senior housing crisis while benefiting the environment? Shipping container homes! Architects across the country and around the world are coming up with ways to create inexpensive housing alternatives for seniors (and others, like the millennials) who don’t want a large living space or the cost associated with it. Relevant designs have resulted in award winning homes. Areas with low-cost land are experiencing new levels of interest as more seniors are thinking outside the box and researching previously overlooked towns.

What Seniors Look for in Housing

• Cost. This isn’t a deal breaker for some seniors who drift toward active adult communities starting in the $400,000 range.

But for a majority of Americans who are counting dollars or on a fixed income, an inexpensive community is attractive.

• Size. Many seniors are downsizing at this stage in their lives, either because they became empty nesters or had other lifestyle changes.

• Community. Being part of a community is key to a healthy balance. Seniors have more time to give to the community and benefit the most from the support. A diverse community serving all age groups is vibrant and attractive.

• Health services. Seniors enjoy being close to basic health services, such as doctor, dentist and hospital facilities. Many are members of health clubs, and believe staying active is key to longevity.

• Culture and entertainment. Dining out, seeing a play, attending a concert, joining clubs and frequenting events are all ways seniors stay social and engaged.

• Climate. Most seniors are excited to be outdoors and enjoy nature. Gardening is a big trend for retirees as well. A climate that allows outdoor activities much of the year with a decent growing season is very attractive.

• Transportation. Although it is still a challenge to get on a bus or train and be shuttled to some favorite venues in Colorado, the easy access to airports is a plus.

Colorado – Your Next Hometown

Colorado towns offer most of the items listed, as evidenced by the steady increase in population.

According to the Colorado Climate Center, the state boasts a majority of days throughout the year that are either clear or partly cloudy, averaging 300 days per year that the sun shines at least one hour, and monthly mean temperatures between 30 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the high cost of housing in the urban centers, many rural areas are seeing an influx of fixedincome seniors. Infill city lots that have infrastructure in place are being redeveloped into senior subdivisions. Small senior houses fit into this type of development due to their proximity to amenities and easy emergency

access.

Steel Construction

Shipping container homes are a method of saving precious natural resources by using a structurally sound material that the United States has in abundance. It is a way to reuse an already manufactured module and turn it into a “dream home.” According to Trulia, the average construction cost of a 2,000-square-foot stick-built house in the Denver metro area is $130 per sf. Compare that to a used 40-foot-long, 8-foot-wide and 8.5-foot-high steel shipping container, which costs $2,000 to $4,000. The steel container provides a strong, cheap building material that can be redesigned and stacked.

Containers can be connected and the area can be readily modified for efficient use of space. Most of the time the exterior will be cocooned with insulation followed by an outside finish, like HardiePlank. Other noncombustible materials may be used on the exterior, allowing the house to be utilized in wildfire interface areas. The interior walls are simply the steel container, giving the home a modern, “industrial chic” appearance, which is a popular design. Simple interior finishes can keep the cost down significantly. Some builders will reuse features of the container to accentuate the unique design. In some cases, shipping containers come with wood floors already installed.

In the home designed in Denmark, passive solar features were incorporated into the home, using solar panels on the roof, in addition to tapping the sun’s power through the angles of the windows and roofline. Constructing the home on pedestals or peers allows development of land within a floodplain, and with other modifications, areas that were otherwise constrained due to natural features now can be used.

Many “kits” or “prefab” buildings are available via the Internet. The unlimited configurations of containers can be designed to suit all senior needs. Putting the homes on trailers allows for mobility if the occasion arises, giving more flexibility for those seniors who prefer to be “snow birds.” As housing and basic material prices continue to rise, finding adequate senior housing becomes more difficult, which makes shipping container construction worthy of consideration.