“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”
– Frank Gehry
When the plans for Olsen House were drawn up, they evolved to include both traditional building methods and converted shipping containers. John Deppe, the architect responsible for designing Olsen House, has never worked with converted shipping containers before, and the project has not been without its challenges.
While shipping containers are very strong as a whole, once they are cut and modified, they have a tendency to twist and bend when moved. Cutting into containers can also cause uneven stresses when the containers are stacked or loaded with weight, and this can lead to catastrophic failures.
It is therefore of paramount importance to consult with an engineer who is familiar with container conversions. All the window and door openings were cut into the Olsen House containers off-site. Custom frames were built to strengthen the containers and ensure structural integrity. Working with the corten steel (from which shipping containers are constructed) required special techniques.
The floorboards of the containers were removed so that the container bases would be able to become part of the foundation once the concrete was poured over them. This necessitated careful positioning of the plumbing and electrical infrastructure so that the containers would not cut off important pipes or wiring.
Some of the containers had entire sides removed. Certain cross beams on these containers were left intact so that the containers could survive the transportation process to the Olsen House property. Once the containers were placed, aligned, bolted, and welded together, these cross beams were removed on site.
Some of the material that was removed from the sides of the containers was used to build extensions to the remaining container walls, giving them increased height and enabling them to support a sloping roof. As the converted containers would be transported to the Olsen House property on trucks, they needed to comply with South African National roads’ height restrictions.
This necessitated the construction of a “pop-up” structure for the extended container walls. The wall extensions would be transported in the “down” position, and then lifted into their final, vertical position once on site. This needed to be accomplished without the use of heavy machinery.
To minimize the visual impact of the containers during construction, they were painted with colours that matched the natural lichens on the trees found on the Olsen House property. As construction continues, these walls will eventually
It was both exciting and scary to see the containers arrive on the Olsen House property. Olsen House immediately feels more complete now that the containers are in place, although there is still some way to go before Mr. Olsen can move in. The journey to completion will continue to be documented here!
“We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity”
– Ludwig Mies van der Rohe