To address #2, I think the “green” angle is interesting. From the site: “This project will be a model of a small, green (energy-efficient, sustainable) building, using 25% less energy than a conventional new office building. The main goal of the design team was to engineer a well-insulated building, utilizing high performing windows and implement the most efficient HVAC system feasible for the project.”

It would be wonderful if we could find a way to start mass producing affordable housing units that could be easily shipped oversees to improve the conditions of those living in slums. Sadly I don’t think anyone is funding that great experiment quite yet.

Love the experiment. Hope it works well.

I wasn’t aware the Internets was now requiring informed commenting.

Require? no. Deserve? yes.

I also think that it is somewhat impractical because steel is actually not best used as walls because it has so much value elsewhere in cars, building skeletons, and roofs.

I’m pretty sure this is about what we do AFTER we’ve already decided what to use the steel for, and after that original use was obviated. This (and the other links too) is about recycling and reuse using found materials to provide shelter, not about design from scratch to meet your ideal room shape.

Also that so many end up sitting in American ports where we have so much housing stock already.

I had no idea there were no shipping containers in foriegn ports where housing stock might be an issue. I just had no idea.

Also, are there real photos of the finished product? As far as I can tell, the “South Elevation” picture on http://boxoffice460.com looks to be a digitally-created architect’s rendering. The “East Elevation” picture could be real, but it looks like a computer rendering as well.

Scrap steel is never wasted these days, it’s too valuable. The completed building at the end is an eyesore. Are they planning on sheathing it with something or at least painting it?

Great idea, but not for Providence or probably many places in North America. Right behind the construction are at least three empty office/factory/warehouse buildings. We need to convert and use existing buildings not make new ones regardless of what their made of.

Those boxes are pretty much the worst place to work.

That area is a bit run down, and I’ve been curious as to what they were doing with shipping containers there.

Prior to this new development there appeared to be a weird standalone loading dock there. I drove by when they were ripping that down too :)

My only problem with this is that it looks really ugly. They could have at least painted it. Maybe what’s missing is to develop a way to coat paint inside and out. If it was more attractive it would be more widely accepted.

I also wonder how this highly heat conductive material withstand New England’s weather. It would be counter intuitive if the heat and energy bill is prohibitively high.