LivaBlox, the renovation of a big box store, minimally harms the surrounding environment by recycling most of the original structure, and using the previous occupant’s cargo containers.
The metal aisle holders are reinforced as the skeleton for the shipping container living “blox”. The blox slide into the skeleton. The roofing serves as the frame for the rooftop garden situated above the 2 living blocks. This rooftop skeleton allows for a series of irrigation canals that collect excess rainwater from the garden. Ventilation units above the corridors are blades lined with solar cells. On sunny days these blades, coupled with a sun-tracking system, collect the max amount of sunshine while still being open to ventilate the corridor. On rainy days the rain sensors inform blades to shut entirely, excess rainwater flows into irrigation channels, ending up in community water tanks. Making sure to utilize every element of the previous structure, wooden cargo crates are sanded and refinished to serve as an element of exterior flooring and balcony decking. Leftover tires from the auto center are ground down to become safe and friendly flooring for the corridors and courtyard. With the old concrete flooring as the foundation, the refinished wood with the ground rubber on top break down the uniform appearance of the original concrete flooring. Some blocks serving as live/work units. Blocks sharing a rooftop garden work to grow produce to be shared at the farmer’s market. Displaced shops occupy the ground floor.
I really think this type of refurbishment is plausible (think loft refurbishment from wharehouse to residential in large cities) in a condominium/co-op set up. It can take full advantage of the high ceilings and modular housing technology (re4a.com) built off site and stacked or racked.
The parking lot could be “cut up” for playgrounds, gardens, small parks, etc. if too large.
Well Done!!
Need a site plan – with the housing this dense, outdoor space – private and public – is a necessity.
Need to see sun and shadow to understand the idea better.
Lots of container projects around; lots of containers, too. Best suited for prisoners at Gitmo,
C+
Lovely design, however, are the containers efficient in terms of heating/cooling, energy use etc?
I love the idea of “small and compact” – the usual “western-world” buildings’ footprints are way too large.. One can very well live in a container-sized apartment. We just need to get over our snobbish habbits and look at billions of people who live happily in small units as well!
I like this design because, unlike some others, its possible to build, its innovative and sustainable. Good job!
Its absolutely not “Gitmo housing”. I don’t agree with you at all, and based on the very nasty comments you’ve posted on some of the other projects, you have a unnecessarily negative perspective.
A well thought out and effective solution to a serious future problem,
A+
I disagree with the comment above.
Utilizing shipping containers, for a residential project is a novel and helpful solution to recycle the heaps of waste we ourselves generate each and every day. In today’s increasingly environmentally-conscious society, we as responsible individuals continuously strive to provide more eco-friendly answers to the buildings we build, work, & live in. As such, the architects of today & the future must learn to adapt & innovate their designs, construction techniques, and even building materials in order to better benefit our planet.
I personally think that the “LivaBlox” concept is an effective & aesthetically tasteful way to reuse shipping containers. I have seen many projects in the past involving such containers ending up as very unattractive and almost “prison-like”. However, this project seems very much the opposite in my opinion. This project attempts to conceal the ugliness that we generally associate with “shipping container architecture” and it provides the smooth lines, the natural wood finishes, and the simple beauty that we enjoy with today’s modern designs.
Not only is the design well conceived, the concept of recycling shipping containers into residential units is a big plus. Shipping containers are built with very strong & durable materials, are easy to transport & setup, and are very cheap. Especially in today’s economic recession, money is a key asset when it comes to architectural projects & costs, which the “LivaBlox” project well addresses.
I would also like to comment on how the project combines the public and private spheres. Unlike the “car” society many of us are so commonly used to, I applaud how this project creates an integrated community composed of both residential & commercial units. It minimalizes our dependency on cars and the harmful pollution we generate from that. As well, I applaud how the “LivaBlox” benefits our environmental by utilizing many eco-friendly features such as the solar energy cells, rainwater storage, and community garden plots – all which help to reduce our carbon footprint.
I also enjoy the fact that this project recycles a “big-box” store, many of which are becoming increasingly abandoned as a result of today’s economic recession. Not only that, I believe “Livabox” is an excellent way to promote more localized, independent businesses, such as “mom & pop” stores – many of which have been detrimentally affected by the advent of Wal Mart and other typical “big-box” types.
Unlike what others have commented before me, I hold that this project is well designed and well addresses the many problems we face in today’s society. I believe “LivaBlox” attempts to provide us a new look on what many of us find to be very ugly metal crates which are only best suited for inmates. Recycling ugly, trashy materials and transforming it into an artistically elegant structure is one of the many difficult challenges we as architects must face in order to become more environmentally responsible for our planet, Earth.
Although making garbage into something aesthetically appealing is difficult to achieve, I would say that “LivaBlox” tries very hard in attaining that.
Nicely Done.
YAY GO EVAN
Ever live in a container…ask anyone who has been in the military if they would pay money to live in one, not least of all to raise a family in one.
This seems a little dense to me and would never fly as a viable solution to “Reburbia”.
I dont think we can just eliminate all the amenities that come with living in suburbia, lets face it, some of them are really nice.
What a wonderful idea, I am a family therapist and what I like is the sense of community, it is more than housing, it is a lifestyle- people working together, and I love the bright cheerful colors and the warmth of the wood, and the best part is that it could be done, realistically, tomorrow, it is practical and upscale, it looks great, modern and uplifting, and it would create a sustainable living space. Many of the other projects seem silly and not a real solution. I especially take issue with the people who want”suburban amenities”, we just got back from Australia and Europe and if the USA doesn’t start to get away from this conspicuous consumption mindset we will be behind the global eightball. This project represents the future not the past, a new start that is both honest and real and could be done tomorrow with my horrible neighborhood boxstore I would LOVE to live there. Where do i buy one of these? Could be used for seniors, active couples and young families, is sooo versatile. Evan sees the future, not a silly attempt to copy the past.
i think this is a great idea. the only issue i have is that these big-box stores are not designed to stay standing for more than 25 years. would they be retrofitted to be more structurally sound in the long term?
Overall, I am intrigued with this proposal and think it has great potential. One element not addressed, though, is noise. A large number of people living in thin-walled, conjoined containers inside a larger enclosure will result in a **lot** of noise.
I am also not convinced that having an open, ventilated roof is a good idea. Studies would have to be done to determine if sufficient airflow occurs so as not to suffocate the residents. Leaving the roof closed and heating/air conditioning the entire structure might prove to be the optimal solution. All the residents would just have to kick in on some monthly fee to cover power & maintenance. (Install solar panels to reduce electricity purchased, and you reduce your monthly fee eventually.)
I like the basic idea of re-purposing big box stores to serve as higher density mixed-use communities. Some of the details here are a bit rough, as mentioned in previous comments, as to the structural integrity, ventilation, access to open space, noise, etc. However, something along these lines can be done with existing technology, in an economical way, IF . . . people want to live in the location of the former big box store.
That’s the biggest drawback I see here – these stores are often (although not always) located in areas that are geographically far from any desirable area. Unless the re-purposed big box is meant to be a self-sustaining town/commune (a far more radical idea), the location is probably the biggest hurdle to get people to live in something like this.
I feel the reuse of a big box store is rather unnecessary because it only takes two weeks to tear down the largest Walmart, and about a week and half of that is mobilizing and demobilizing on the site (meaning tearing down more than one box store in a complex would not add an appreciable amount of time). And if one was committed to tearing down a whole series of box stores recycling the steel and concrete would be made more affordable (economics of scale). The steel is fed into an electric furnace to make new steel, the concrete is ground into aggregate for new concrete. So why keep the ugly boxes (both store and container) when we can make any form with the steel and concrete?
Great practical solution, in our community the big box store is right in the desireable area and would be prime real estate for up and comers!
Progressive concept that utilizes the space and adds depth to allow compatability of area. When do I move in?
“funkyfreshfx” ’s comments are dead on target. What a terrific concept for utilizing two otherwise unused resources. As a Planning Commissioner member as well as land planner I will remember your solution when & if another “big box” becomes vacant. Well thought out!!
Wow! This is a great use for the thousands of empty big box buildings that dot america. Very lucid and forward thinking. Way to go Evan. Good luck to you in the future.
Wonderful insightfulness. Nice way to think outside the box!
Many cities in the world lacking housing space are looking for a way to handle it. Look at the houses and buildings in big cities in Japan. This design seems to provide a noble approach for efficient and enviromentally friendly utilization of space and used materials.
This design will be a good starting point to develop further sophisticated outcomes. I’m looking forward to his next design!
I do not see a big cramped container home. I do not see a dirty, crude group of boxes. All that I see is a wonderful, environmentally friendly, space efficient solution of housing space for the future.
I like the idea of working with containers as dwelling spaces. Containers can be arranged and rearranged like “lego” blocks, and if they are inside a former “big box” or other structure we don’t need to worry about leaky roofs. This is a great concept, and it’s good that some people can still think big without letting the potential downsides of this proposal get in the way.
Other commenters have suggested that the big box should simply be torn down, or that living in a container is not sufficiently pleasant. But consider this: there are a lot of people living in even less pleasant circumstances. For many people, a container home in a former big box store would be a big step up.
Another thought: this could be a way to quickly provide temporary housing to people displaced by more ambitious projects in the urban area.
And a final question for those who post negative comments about every concept: where’s your submission, eh?
Good idea…kinda reminds me of 5th element.
What a great idea! As a Realtor, I am encouraged to see the youth of today putting so much thought into ideas that will help our environment. It makes so much sense, and I am sure with solid design and engineering, this is something that would absolutely make a difference!
I also like the idea of using this concept in a vacant “anchor store” of a medium-sized suburban shopping mall. A little tweaking of the retail tenant mix (like adding groceries and perhaps medical/dental clinic space) and you’ve got a nice self-sufficient mixed-use community. Hmm, maybe the anchor store at the other end of the mall could become a magnet school…
Excellent work Mr. Collins, dream on!
I like this project, I hope the judges understand this because the voters are way too ignorant to realize the concept of this competition. Wait, it also looks like the judges have gotten it wrong, are ya’ll sure you picked the right 20? Or perhaps you should read your own guidelines again. Way to lead the charge.
I think this is a very imaginative way to utilize a space and create a community, innovative use of resources.
I would like to thank everyone for the positive comments, this has been an exciting and eye-opening experience for me. Being a 19 year old architecture student at Cal Poly, surrounded by proposals from famous and well-established firms, architects, and new-urbanist pioneers, is humbling. I knew going into this competition, I wouldn’t have intricate graphics, or highly detailed plans and renderings. I only hope that my ideas were as clear and realistic as I’d hoped they’d be, based on the parameters described in this competition.
there are quite some grandious and exotic ideas introduced in this contest. for me this is the most wonderful idea, because it is doable in an easy way and that is the most important factor. one may dream about great ideas but one may not loose sight of the easy solutions. in this case used containers are becoming a new purpose as low cost housing. simply wonderful.
Way to go Evan!!!! Beautiful idea… hope it becomes reality.
Good Luck!
Strict no-go here. People don’t want to live that close together, at least not without thick, soundproof walls.
That leads to the next issue – air quality. Apparently, no smokers will be allowed? Beyond that nuissance, what about heating and cooling? While there will be a mass insullating effect, you are going to have to have individual units for each box, loosing the efficiency of the original store’s mass units. Just conditioning the whole area on a shared cost plan wouldn’t take into account individual preference.
I think you would come out cheaper to look at think like indoor malls, as the storefronts in those already lend themselves to home style and home sized living.
A trailer park, but without the privacy.