DIY Network

Cargotecture From "Assembly Required" episode DASR-207

Cargo shipping containers have been around since 1956, carrying everything from toys to shirts across the ocean. Today, Seattle architects Robert Humble and Joel Egan go container shopping. They don't want to use the containers for shipping, they want to build a 320-square foot studio out of them, and call it "Studio 320!"

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Cargotecture

At Conglobal Industries, in Seattle, Joel and Rob go shopping for the perfect containers. Yard manager Tim Madura gives the team a tour of the 600-acre shipping yard (figure A). Then, yard worker Joe Moreno plucks the containers from towering stacks and moves them around like building blocks. In minutes, the architects' drawings come to life. The best part is - they're cheap! Joel and Rob purchase two 40-foot containers for just $3,000.

Rob and Joel's container home will be a weekend getaway for Ronnie Alexander. Ronnie is not just the client, he is also the steel fabricator. Stageplan is Ronnie's metal fabrication shop, and the perfect place to start construction on Joel and Rob's design.

The first step for Ronnie and his team is to marry the two containers together (figure B). The team starts cutting away two 12 foot by 8 foot sections in the two metal boxes.

At Ronnie Alexander's shop, the Cargotecture team reaches the point of no return...they're cutting steel. The crew welds the frame that will sit between the two containers, keeping the walls from cracking. They then marry the two custom-cut shipping containers together, and the first Cargotecture home takes shape.

With the welding done, the next step is insulation. Shawn Wate is suited up and ready to spray foam insulation inside the container cottage. Just one-hundreth of an inch of sprayed foam will expand to make an inch of finished foam (figure C). The insulation sets in minutes, and the container is ready for step three...the trades blitz.

Experts descend on the shop to install cabinetry, electric, ventilation and windows. In order to make the 320-square-foot box feel bigger, the architects added giant windows. They also took a cue from the maritime industry when designing the cabinetry and storage space. After only a month of fabrication and installation, Studio 320 is ready to be shipped out and set on Ronnie's land.

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