Unusual Building Material - Shipping Containers!

Shipping Containers Used as a Building Material

People believe that like many things sold in the United States, shipping containers were made in China, however, this is not true. Malcolm McLean, an American man, created and patented the very first shipping container in 1956 (All About Shipping Containers, 2010).

Before McLean all cargo was boxed in wooden crates made of odd sizes, making the process of loading and unloading very slow and inconsistent. After 20 years of observing this slow and unorganized process, McLean decided he would create a better system to transport cargo to ships and warehouses. After purchasing the Pan Atlantic Tanker Company and renaming it the Sea-Land Shipping Company, McLean was able to experiment and create a better transportation and delivery container than the crate. His final design is now known as the Shipping Container. The Shipping Container is strong, durable, left resistant, stackable, and easy to load, unload, ship, transport, and store (All About Shipping Containers, 2010)

On November 23, 1987, Phillip C. Clark became the first man to file for a United States patent for a “Method for converting one or more steel shipping containers into a habitable building at a building site and the product thereof”.  The patent was granted on August 8, 1989.  Then, in 2006, Southern California architect Peter Maria designed the first two-story shipping container home to exist in the United States. (Pagnotta, 2011).

Shipping Container architecture is widely approved and encouraged as a trendy green alternative to traditional building materials. Shipping container homes are considered a fast, green, and sustainable approach to building. Due to the fact that the Intermodal Steel Building Unit’s (ISBU) are manufactured in a factory-controlled environment, they are considered to be standardized and reliable. Home builders save time, money, and wood by using a product that is manufactured, pre-fitted for installation, and structurally complete. Shipping containers, or building units, also have outstanding fire and safety ratings and tremendous sustainability and strength (Pagnotta, 2011).

Design Expo

During the Design Expo we got to explore lots of new materials and furnishing. I was really impressed by many of things that were being offered. However, my favorite material from the Design Expo is the Clarus Glassboards. Glassboards are made from 1/4" thick tempered safety glass so they are very stronger than normal glass and can last a long time. Another great thing about Glassboards is they can be written on in almost any type of marker, even sharpie! Simply using windex will remove any marker from the surface without leaving any scratches (I know because I tried it). Erasing on whiteboards can often be challenging because shadows from writings will remain. When using Glassboards, everything comes off very easily. Glassboards can also come with a magnet on the back or a logo design, making them great for business areas. In addition, Glassboards can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to help correspond with the area in which it is being placed. 

Campus Materials

Fiber based art is easy to find because we have flags located all over campus. The flags help show school spirit while still adding to the design of the room.

Flooring! The grey carpeting is great for the SUB because it is dark enough to hide spills, dirt, or any other messes. And the square patterns coordinate with the ceiling tiles, which helps bring the room together. The mats by the doors are a great way of helping keep dirt out. They are also removable which makes them very easy to replace when they get dirty.

Two different types of panel systems! 

Both very modern looking. The metal ceiling panels keep the room looking clean and sheik without adding too much color or overwhelming patterns. The panel systems behind the sofas help control noise and add privacy to the area.

Two great examples of seating! Both are clean, well upholstered, and in good condition! 

The chair is very casual seating located in the Student Union Building and the sofa is more formal seating found in the Merket Alum Center - both appropriately upholstered for durability and looks!

All About Looks!

All About Looks was a really cute store and a great place to spend my morning! Not only did I see some beautiful fabrics, but I also learned a lot. I learned that the weight of a fabric does not always mean that its strong or durable. The most interesting material I learned about was cork, which is now used for flooring, walls, and even upholstery. Cork has become very popular because it looks very similar to wood flooring but is cheaper. Cork also is a natural material, which many customers prefer. One of my favorite things in the store were the electronic window treatments. I think these are great because they do a good job of blocking out light and are very easy to use. Though they have a more modern look to them, I think they could be used in various design schemes. The women that worked at All About Looks were very informative, kind, and welcoming, I will be sure to return there!

This chair was brought into All About Looks to be upholstered. The customer picked out the fabrics she wanted and decided where on the chair she wanted each piece of fabric to go. Bobby, the upholsterer at All About Looks, has begun placing the fabric on each piece of the chair. He pins the fabric down on the chair first in order to help make sure it all looks correct before it is permanently attached. Bobby is doing an excellent job on this chair. Being an upholsterer is something I could NEVER do. Way to go Bobby!!

Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute

I really enjoyed the field trip to the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute because I was able to see the process of cotton turning into fabric. I learned a lot going on this filed trip, such as the testing and processing that goes into making a fiber or material become a fabric. Before, when I purchased items that contained any kind of cloth I never paid attention to the work that may have gone into creating it. Now, I understand what makes certain fabrics more expensive than others and how to know what is good quality and what is not. To some people that information may not matter, but for an interior designer it is extremely important to recognize and comprehend!

This machine is used to test elongation of a fiber. Each little brown bag is filled with cotton that must be taken apart fiber by fiber. One fiber is pulled apart at a time using a large magnifying glass. The fiber is then placed into a tiny clip in the machine and pulled until its breaks. This helps tests the fibers ability to stretch and help ensure a strong fabric to made.

This machine is used

to check airflow 

in the fabric.

Fibers

The History of Spandex

During World War II, most of the rubber was being used for war equipment, which made the prices of rubber increase. Therefore, scientists began to look for a replacement for rubber. The first scientist to come up with an experimental spandex fiber was a pioneer in polymers, named Bayer. In 1959, scientists at DuPont and the U.S. Rubber Company created the final development of this fiber and called it Lycra.

Lycra is a man-made elastane fiber that any other man-made fibers can be mixed with. Even very small amounts of Lycra added with another fiber can alter the performance of a fabric. Lycra adds comfort, fit, shape, durability, and a wide range of flexibility to a fabric. The complete manufacturing of Lycra began in 1962. Now, the U.S. Rubber Company is the world’s leading producer of spandex fibers. 

Spandex is considered to be a great substitute for rubber because it is stronger, lighter, and more flexible. Spandex also does not react to sweating, lotions, oils, or detergents, which makes it an obvious candidate for clothing fabrication. However, spandex does react to heat, light, and chlorine, which is why stabilizers were added to help protect the fabric.

First, spandex was used in undergarments, such as ladies corsets. Over the years, spandex has become very acceptable in fashion for both men and women. The comfort, flexibility, and tightness of the fabric are some of the reasons why it has become so desirable. Spandex is also very important for sportswear such as swimsuits, ski pants, yoga clothes, ballet tights and more. Another great quality of this fabric is that no matter how many times it is stretched, it will recover to almost exactly its original length and shape. Spandex can be stretched more than 500% without tearing. Thus, spandex is not only a comfortable material but also a well fitting one for nearly any body shape or size.  Nowadays, whether we realize it or not, spandex is worn on a daily basis.