Eco revolution moves a few steps ahead with the first permitted shipping container house in Mojave desert, near Joshua tree, California. The house built by architect, Walter Scott Perry, from Ecotechdesign, named as Tim Palen Studio is built of six shipping containers. Exotechdesign joined hands with 44 West Construction to build the house with various pre-fabricated parts in an area of 2300 square feet with one bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom and a studio.
The main driving force behind it is the hybrid house design concept that combines pre-engineered buildings with conservation features, for cost efficiency, and at the time offers architectural variations and designs. The Tim Palen Studio is an all steel construction which gives the house an extraordinary durability. The large windows and the door gives way to the natural daylight, it also creates ventilation and helps in evaporative cooling. It has the solar home shading system, movable living roof, that has native desert plants and sedums sustained with gray water, a 10,000 gallon water storage tank and rainwater harvesting system capable of storing 3,000 gallons of water.
To beat the heat of the desert, the house has rigid foam insulation on some of the walls and roof and are heat treated. The house has an adjustable steel frame and shade system which is transparent and results into up to 50% heat and glare reduction, facilitating natural ventilation and view at the same time. It also gives you an option for plug-in attachment of future solar electric and water heating panel arrays.
With the total built cost of around $200 per square foot, the house will certainly not cost you a bomb. Ecotechdesign has more similar houses in the pipeline with cost ranging between $150 to $250 per square foot. Clearly, the future of the housing looks greener.
Image credits: Jack Parsons Photography
Source: Jetson Green
