Azstarnet reports four steel cargo containers turned into a two-story two-bedroom house is turning heads in Tuscon, Arizona, but also raising some voices. Modified in a factory to conform to state and local regulations, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing and meets the standards of the International Residential Code (IRC). Some neighbors in the 1950’s-era community have protested, including one who likened it to a “a bulletproof meth house.” Depending upon fixtures and custom features, homes like this sell between $70,000 and $100,000, substantially less than $220,000 to $365,000 for a comparable stick-built home. This 1,280 square foot modular home has Energy Star appliances, low-flow water fixtures, bamboo flooring, and double-paned windows for energy efficiency. MHProNews.com has learned partners Jason Anderson and Ashton Wolfswinkel had modified shipping containers previously for housing Haitian orphans. A community forum is being set to discuss this project and potential future ones.
(Photo credit: Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star)