“Thanks to Hurricane Irma, I could turn my vision into a reality”

When Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September 2017, Rob DePiazza lost everything. An old tree crashed into the house of the artist from St. Augustine and made it uninhabitable. But instead of giving up, De Piazza drew fresh artistic inspiration from the disaster and turned a long-held dream into reality: to build a house out of containers.

Rob, in the wake of Hurricane Irma, you decided to build a new house for yourself – but this time using decommissioned containers. What prompted this decision?

The hurricane had completely destroyed the house I had lived in for 32 years. No two stones were left upon each other. By chance, I was working at the time with Stephen Bender, an architect in Gainesville, on a design for a studio made out of containers. So I’d already gained some familiarity with the issue of container architecture. On top of that, I’m a big fan of the very linear new Mexican architecture and fascinated by the crisp forms of industrial design. Both of these elements are found in containers. And that’s when I thought to myself: “I’m going to build my new house out of containers!”

That had to be pretty bold and definitely a challenge, especially since containers aren’t exactly a common building material...

Cutting containers into pieces and then welding them back together again at other places, installing all the wiring, putting in a toilet ... it was a bit different than with building a normal house. You often have to be imaginative and resourceful. And if you can’t do it yourself, it can also get very expensive. In my experience, many contractors either haven’t wanted to take the risks of dealing with containers, which are probably unfamiliar to them, or have submitted bids that were just too pricey. I also haven't found any home insurance yet. When I talk to the insurance companies, most of them think I’m pulling their leg. They simply can’t imagine that someone would want to live in a container house! (laughs)

It sounds like you’ve had to do a lot by yourself...

Yeah, I did a lot of the smaller things by myself or with friends. But I worked with specialised companies on the somewhat more complicated tasks. Especially when it comes to electricity, statics and other safety-related issues, it’s better to call in the professionals.

When you think of a container, comfortable living isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. What’s it like to live in a steel house?

Well, since the house isn’t completely finished, I can’t really say for sure yet. The living spaces, which consist of five containers, have all the insulation and furnishing you’d find in a typical house. And, as far as I can tell so far, living in containers won’t be all that different from living in a normal house.

How many containers have you used to build your house?

All told, it has been nine big 40-foot containers. Two containers will be used to form a workshop room, two boxes will be used as a purely decorative element, and five containers will provide about 149 square metres of living space.

Using old things to create new ones – AKA upcycling – is very much in vogue right now, especially due to concerns about sustainability. Did that go into your thinking about this project?

To be honest, no. At first, I didn’t really give much thought to the sustainability of my project. That only came later, when there were media reports about my container house and I was more deeply engaged in building it. Now there are several projects involving containers all over the world, from student dormitories to hotels to luxury estates. And if you consider the fact that there are more than 40 million containers in circulation worldwide and that they will eventually be taken out of service, it means there’s a huge potential for creating practical and relatively inexpensive living spaces. There are definitely a lot of possibilities, especially for small communities.

Do you have any tips for people who might also be thinking about building a container house?

The first question a lot of people ask me has been: How much does it cost? But, as I see it, that’s not really the key issue here. Materials make up the smallest part of the overall costs. The other expenses – such as for the wiring, connections, the kitchen and so forth – make up a much bigger share. When all’s said and done, unless you’re planning to live in a tiny house made out of one or two containers, a custom-designed container house can cost almost as much as a normal house. So, instead of being a question of price, it’s a much more fundamental decision: How do I want to live? Aesthetic and architectural factors come into play here. And, of course, the sustainability aspect also plays a big role. But if you’re adventurous and creative, you can create wonderful new types of housing.

One last question: You’re just about to finish your project and move into your new home. Do you have any plans to build more container houses?

I actually do! I own another piece of land, and I’m thinking about building a container house there, too. After all, the main thing I learned from my first building project is this: There’s still lots of room for improvement when it comes to project management! (laughs) Erecting a container house while using every trick in the book has been an exciting challenge, but it will also be one now to approach it professionally and to see what else I can do.