The Deal Shop

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No. 1.-----------------------------------------------

Steel Shipping Containers into Houses.

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(Taking advantage of the upsurge in interest in Modernism, which is the dominant aesthetic in Western Culture.)



The first stage has now begun. A series of five basic designs for houses are being finalized and will be presented to the Department of Building and Safety in Los Angeles for the issuance of a building permit.



The first one will be hand assembled on the designated lot and will consist of 1400 sq ft. 3 bedroom and 2 bath home. The house will consist of A 40' by 16' "Great Room"Includes kitchen area, dining area, living room and entertainment area, extending across the front with two 40' wings at 90 degrees on each end. Each wing will contain 2 bedrooms and a bath. Or 1 bedroom and a bath plus walk in closet dressing room.

The Atrium space will be accessable from the bedrooms and of course from the Great Room. It will be a grassy space with one lemon tree and two orange trees.



To familiarize yourself more fully with the concept I suggest that you examine the posting on 12/3/2003, Mobile Home Forum, Steel Shipping Containers Mobile Home ??



Already selected for Area Directors are two persons from the Ranks of TCI who are now in residence in the areas. Los Angeles, which is the home and first area of development, and San Francisco Oakland. They are taken.



The other Area Director also selected from the Ranks of TCI is in residence in the area of Delaware..



The one area still off list is in and around Seattle, we have a super agressive young man active in that area trying to finish high school and also convert containers. Until he decides as to the effectiveness of his efforts, we are hands off and wish him every success.



All of the following areas are still unselected the requirement at this time is that you live within the area.



San Diego, Galveston Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Other areas of the country are also available but it is suggested that if you are interested you research the need for low cost housing within the area of your choice.



It is our plan to erect 30 of these dwelling which will produce to us a profit imput of about $1,600,000. With those funds we will proceed to the National Expansion and from that The International Expansion.



The Forum is now wide open for suggestions as to how to market and introduce the Container houses into each of the selected marketing areas. You may if you like consider exterior changes to make the containers more closely resemble traditional houses. It is suggested that you stay in the theme of Modernism because, lets face it these are modular boxes and Modernism is artisticaly closely aligned with the artsy step up from Cubism.



Ok go to it. Your ideas will all be considered. Remember this type of thinking is not straight line right down the center, the lunatic fringe is invited, indeed is wanted, big things come from the fringe. As you post your thinking also post your area of interest in which you would like to be the Area Director. We will financialy support that activity. Money, expenses, office whatever is required.



Have fun, go mad, I Await Your Imput. Now where have I heard that before? Oh yes it was at the Mensa Party, now that was one strange lady. Lucius


Comments(18)

  • cmiller29th January, 2004

    Exterior: Stucco Meditterranean Themed



    Marketing:

    "These just didn't come off boat yesterday!"

    Affordable, Durable, Spacious, and Expandable.

    Choose your floor plan (3 available)

    Move Up, and Realize the American Dream.

    Your own home!



    Do you make at least 9.47 per hour?

    You CAN own your own home!

    Based on $58,000 purchase price.

    Yearly income of at least $19,700.00



    ********************************

    Now, do we teach these buyers how to become debt free?

    Do we teach them how to save money?



    See this:

    http://www.investing.rutgers.edu/



    http://www.americasaves.org/back_page/american_saver4.cfm



    Do we have them go through a Dale Carnegie course so they can learn to change themselves?



    -On the lunatic fringe... Clint

    • Lufos9th January, 2004 Reply

      Dear Clint,

      Yes, Yes, now thats what I need somebody from the fringe. Your newspaper ad tops mine. "Can you breath in a regular manner? Do you walk erect, well most of the time. Then you too qualify for a home of your own. Why destroys others when you can have your own." More More Actualy my solution is have all buyers read copies of "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli and introduce them to the Pope. Yours is better.

      Cheers Lucius


    • omega15th February, 2004 Reply

      Clint,



      This link was a fine find: http://www.investing.rutgers.edu/



      Maybe you should write an article around it? Newbies would most certainly thank you for that! How is in VA? Malboro is still making money, What else? I hope those conteiner houses become the modern age standard in your aria as well.



      Alex


    • RexV9th January, 2004 Reply

      Duh! Of course raise the roof not the whole box. I have a knack for doing things the hard way. Next thought is about thermal m*****. Heat transfer would be relatively quick. I'm assuming siding on outside to fit into neighborhoods. Really want to see one put together.

      • Lufos9th January, 2004 Reply



        Yeah, me too. The first one will be pretty plain but very Modernistic. The exteriors can be covered in almost an infinite amount of gladdens. Some sprayed on, some epox and some actualy baby shot fasteners.



        I put one in the CAD so it looked like an adobe hut. I was just kidding but the local school teacher a fanatic on early Californian History wanted to give me a check. Can you imagine a school teacher with a check. I told her she was out of line, sit aback and conform. Yes I will do it for her. She is no. 39 .Her lot is in Chatsworth, surrounded with big bolders from a long ago glacier with a bowel problem. I think it is going to be nice. The Purists who come to visit consider it a criminal act. But a school teacher? She deserves it.



        Mordacious Lucius

    • Lufos9th January, 2004 Reply

      Hello Alpha P.Omega,



      Ah yes, you would like some pictures and some dimensions. I will see if I can pull them off and attach and send to your E..Mail address. I am not sure but a simple attachment should do it.



      I see you know little about the Department of Building and Safety. Might pay you in view of your desires to study up on them. In any case here is how it goes.



      First you do a set of plans and a plot plan and attach thereto engineering calculations. You then sit down with a Plan checker and he tries to tear them apart, He will find mistakes and he will send you back to redo the plans several times. It is almost like a dance. I have done it this way over the last 50 years. Then they will require some form of special engineering if it is not built in accordance with accepted "form 5." I have yet to build in accordance with this suggested plan. I do not like the framing and I object strongly to their concepts of foundations. This is earthquake country and other methods are more applicable. In time they will approve and then we drop containers on lot and go to work.



      Lets see in 1960 I built six hillside houses on unbuildable downslope lots in the Hollywood Hills. We went thru the same dance. We ended up designing the nine cassion system which is the accepted foundation system for those who build in the hills. In 1961 I started building small experimental houses of various types scattered thru the hills. Each went thru the same dance with Plan checkers.At about every six months I have built something. A factory in Simi, Condos in Hollywood. An auction house on Pico etc. etc. etc. Of course the inspectors on the job sites are even more interesting. They are trained in one discipline. A house made out of wood. Any deviations is heretical. We always go thru the same thing. It's like dating girls from Vassar, same stories, same dialogue etc. etc.



      I will invite you all to the housewarming. Bring gifts and leave the dogs at home. Oops not you Omega, bring the dog, the contrast will be becoming.



      Alors Lucius

    • omega19th January, 2004 Reply

      Hello Lufos,



      Can I trouble you to post a link or two to any existing drawing, picture, paper model or anything you may have about this project, depicting your container village concept and world's low income people dream cominnnnng true? After all, this sound like a well thought project and would surprise me and perhaps other TCI members to find out that you got nothing to show us about.



      I also read above in one of your posts that the city of Los Angeles building and planning department didn't (yet) approve your shipping container house/s plan/s? Knowing how curious things might turn around, I would like to ask you what is the status on the approval and what are the chances that plans are not ready when the city needs them or under the worst case scenario they are not going to be approved?



      I also wanted to ask you if you maybe thought about combining some other materials into the container house design. In my opinion, flexible design, utilizing some other materials might not increase the cost dramatically but may ad a better chance for the plans to eventualy be approved by our city planning and building department.



      Thank You.

      • Lufos9th January, 2004 Reply

        Hello Alpha P.Omega,



        Ah yes, you would like some pictures and some dimensions. I will see if I can pull them off and attach and send to your E..Mail address. I am not sure but a simple attachment should do it.



        I see you know little about the Department of Building and Safety. Might pay you in view of your desires to study up on them. In any case here is how it goes.



        First you do a set of plans and a plot plan and attach thereto engineering calculations. You then sit down with a Plan checker and he tries to tear them apart, He will find mistakes and he will send you back to redo the plans several times. It is almost like a dance. I have done it this way over the last 50 years. Then they will require some form of special engineering if it is not built in accordance with accepted "form 5." I have yet to build in accordance with this suggested plan. I do not like the framing and I object strongly to their concepts of foundations. This is earthquake country and other methods are more applicable. In time they will approve and then we drop containers on lot and go to work.



        Lets see in 1960 I built six hillside houses on unbuildable downslope lots in the Hollywood Hills. We went thru the same dance. We ended up designing the nine cassion system which is the accepted foundation system for those who build in the hills. In 1961 I started building small experimental houses of various types scattered thru the hills. Each went thru the same dance with Plan checkers.At about every six months I have built something. A factory in Simi, Condos in Hollywood. An auction house on Pico etc. etc. etc. Of course the inspectors on the job sites are even more interesting. They are trained in one discipline. A house made out of wood. Any deviations is heretical. We always go thru the same thing. It's like dating girls from Vassar, same stories, same dialogue etc. etc.



        I will invite you all to the housewarming. Bring gifts and leave the dogs at home. Oops not you Omega, bring the dog, the contrast will be becoming.



        Alors Lucius

  • jfoley12th January, 2004

    What are the guidelines you are using for selecting possible sites for construction. Is it a growing demographic of lower income households? Is it an oversaturation of an existing market where home prices have skyrocketed? I live in Las Vegas and am wondering if this is a viable idea here. I love the idea and feel that it is appropriate in many areas of the world but apprehensive of whether or not it would work in Nevada.

    • EUREO14th January, 2004 Reply

      Sanchez? Maybe Don Kichot's Sancho Pansa?

    • MrMike12th January, 2004 Reply

      "Where the hell is Sanchez?"



      Don I have not forsaken the, although I DO prefer to be called Sancho, I am HERE



      http://wso.williams.edu/~agonzale/quijote/sancho.gif



      on the right side of the map with my wife Alvarez checking on el precio of metal boxes. We are off to little Havana today with their great big cruise ships and little metal lego boxes.



      Then to the 'other west coast' manana por la manana to wallow in the cigar factorys of Tampa and to look for rusted but NOT rusted through boxes.


  • markspaz8th January, 2004

    I would like to receive more information on this. I like the concept but, need some facts.

    • Lufos8th January, 2004 Reply

      Dear Markspaz,



      There is no profile listed on you so I do not know exactly how to respond. I suggest you might read some of the prior postings from us on this subject and then if you like make comments. I promise to read, yes you may misspell a word or to. Really keen on imput as I find at this stage of an enterprise all imputs have value. I do not approve of solo performance in a present time marketing situation. My experience is all bad. So launch your ideas. I await expectant Lucius

  • jackman8th January, 2004

    Sir Foster,



    great to see the plan is moving well. i'm still busy trying to find the best spots to acquire land here (Philly). there are a lot of places, but also a lot of red tape. naturally, i'll keep you posted!



    what would the feasibility be of putting an asymetric or even a curved (think: sine curve from math cl*****) roof on it for a freaky appeal? or at least a very slightly pitched 1 directional one for rain/snow runoff? super important here, with the weather ...

    • Lufos8th January, 2004 Reply

      Hi Jackman,



      Not a problem, you would be amazed at the additions and subtractions in place all over the world. In Bombay they have a very unique plumbing system. They just open a window and throw. Yip. The temp is over 130 F inside. But it is better then nothing. So they use them. Saw one in Iraq used as a bomb shelter, they just dug a hole, loaded the top with sandbags and covered it up.



      Got a picture from Toulon. Painted light red, has window boxes full of flowers a woody door and the windows look like they are old leaded gl***** panels about 12inches per panel about six light. Little green hedges on either side of the door and a painted address on the side. Pretty crazy. Skys the limit. Have not decided what and how to paint mine.



      Lucius

  • RexV9th January, 2004

    I've been intrigued for years with ideas for alternate types of construction; pressed earth, straw... This one looks like a potential winner! Can you raise some ceilings and open room for clerestory windows by setting some containers higher? I can see you'd lose the ready made floor but it could add another dimension. (pun intended). Is there any way I can see a progress report on the hand assembled prototype?

    • Lufos9th January, 2004 Reply

      Interesting that you suggest the need to raise. So I have one in my CAD now where I cut the roof off at the top and raise it 12 inches and insert in the space so created support steel extenders. Then I custom out clerestory windows. The increase ceiling distance makes it easy for air distribution and by opening the clerestory windows you get a nice air movement. This way we keep the floor, which I unscrewed and working on the insert of the radient heating system.



      I must tell you during one of my strange times when Pustu was the language of choice I lived in a really nice cave. The natives were hostile but interesting. The cave was warm and cool as required. The Goat I slept with was non friendly. Other then that a great Habitat.



      In China up the Pearl River about 70 klicks above HongKong, I helped build a house and we made all the bricks out of mud and a few other goodies. I added to the fund of native knowledge by introducing the first oil into the mix, as you know that makes the mud brick really something else. Still non edible but very attractive. I appreciate your comments, keep them coming. I need imput, I am not God, well close Moses and I were shippers together. Cheers Lucius


      • RexV9th January, 2004 Reply

        Duh! Of course raise the roof not the whole box. I have a knack for doing things the hard way. Next thought is about thermal m*****. Heat transfer would be relatively quick. I'm assuming siding on outside to fit into neighborhoods. Really want to see one put together.

  • raymo2823rd February, 2004

    i would suggest alot of gl*****. mirrored windows to give it that high-rise look cover the exposed metal with stucco for that concrete look and offset a few cube to give it the cubist look.

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