Kathy Tafel's Cargo Container Home
With partners, I own land in a remote part
of California. It has wild beauty, and some need of environmental restoration. Our
first years there were spent in basic infrastructure such as water and road. To
be there on a more regular basis, though, we needed to not spend hours setting up
and tearing down a tent each time we visited. My partners built a yurt. I am building
a house framed by shipping containers.
I find much modern building to be ugly and lifeless. Alexander's
work helped me put a finger on why. At the same time, the science fiction lover
in me likes the mechanical and industrial. I don't think technology has to be a
bad thing. But. Our modern lifestyle of overconsumption has led to serious problems
with the environment. In the future, not only should we think about the effects
of our technology on the environment, but we should develop something that fixes
a past problem at the same time. I also believe that modern architecture can be
uninspiring and depressing, and when one is depressed, one cannot produce great
work. Fixing up architecture is a way of making people more psychologically able
to solve problems.So, this is my contribution to propagating
solutions to problems. The ability to have a playground to put ideas into practice,
for tangible study, pleases me greatly. Having said that, there is far more romance
in the idea of a shipping container home than the actuality of building one. Working
with metal is a pain. You need to know metal-working skills or someone who has them.
It is dangerous to work with power tools of course, but angle grinders and welders
are especially not for the faint of heart. I am of course happy with the result,
but this has been harder work than I imagined, and I didn't do the hardest labor.
And as far as project management goes, I would not try anything larger than this
as a DIY hobby project.
More optimistically, I am happy if you use any of my ideas.
Let me know if you do. I'm also happy to answer any questions, send me email using
my user at domain as address. This is also a work in progress, I welcome constructive
suggestions. If you want to republish this work, or use my ideas to generate income,
however, contact me first.
Editors Note: Great website!
A must see for anyone interested in a Cargo Container home.
Thank you Kathy!
(from all us that still believe in sharing knowledge)
Other "Doing It!" Earth Links(relative links):
