​​In addition, a house motif was integrated into the eastern wall design and painted onto the boards prior to installation. This ornamentation was planned to reference the notion of home by displaying a conventional template of the traditional archetype of how a home is perceived to appear. This situates the piece directly into my research topic by prompting the viewer to reflect on their own perceptions of home by reimagining the idea of home, the Great Australian Dream and their place within it. 

​The house pattern also had the function of tying this larger work to my series of smaller artworks which address the concept of the vanishing and reimagining of the Great Australian Dream. In my smaller works, which were exhibited in April 2019, I used the house shape to represent the concept of what is understood as a home and to reference the theory of duplication. By constantly replicating the motif, it not only orients the pieces within the housing and shelter framework, but it also references pre-fabrication and production aspects of the larger ideals of the project as a whole. 

Another significant construction process on the container was to cut through the high tensile steel walls to facilitate the installation of the doors. I was donated a cordless, battery operated angle grinder (along with a cordless drill) by AEG Powertools for use in the project and I considered this to be the ideal opportunity to use it. I admit to being moderately apprehensive about executing this task. I had consulted many people prior to commencement of this assignment and was met with varied opinions, all of which quantified that it would prove to be a difficult undertaking. I can now attest to you that it is not. I did not find it problematic, complicated or unmanageable. Contradictorily, in my personal experience, it was relatively straightforward. My hands were a little tired afterwards from having such a controlled and tight grip on the disc grinder and I was covered in fine metal shavings and dust, but it was categorically achievable. 

​Furthermore I was advised that I would need to make certain that I had a lot of cutting discs on hand to complete the cutting process. I purchased a tin containing twelve cutting discs with the anticipation that that would suffice. Surprisingly to me, the process of cutting the hole in the wall of the Container of Dreams used a grand total of three discs. I had been led to believe that I would need much more than just the three discs that I used. The discs had to be exchanged and rested as they overheated. One disc was damaged by the movement of the wall as the cutting was being performed and had to be changed, but the remaining two discs still have life left in them and can be used for other applications.

The container walls surrounding the subsequent void left behind then needed to be reinforced with steel. For this assignment I employed the use of my friend and neighbour, John Raymond, an expert welder. John welded a custom made steel frame, which he had prepared earlier, into position along the perimeter of the cavity that had been cut into the wall. He welded a further length of steel above the doorway for additional structural integrity. This steel framework then acted as an instrument for fixing the timber door frame.

​John and I made the door frame together using dressed pine timber which was then secured into position in the void. The doors were then prepared by attaching two sets of hinges to the spine of each door at equal measurements. Once hinges were attached the doors were hung into place. Supplementary timber edging was then applied around the doors as an additional weather seal.

The doors installed in the Container of Dreams are two adjoining timber and glass entrance doors purchased from Bunnings. I elected to hang the doors at opposite sides of the doorway so that they open in the middle, in the French-door style, in order to create a large opening space. The choice to utilise two glazed doors and hang them in this manner was a considered one, as this substantial void, created when the doors are opened, will assist in producing an impression of larger space in what is essentially quite a small area. Additionally, the glazing on the doors was deliberately chosen to enable natural light to enter the dwelling whether the doors are open or closed. Shipping containers in their unaltered state are extremely dark inside so it is a necessity to modify the container in some way to rectify this. The common solution is to install windows to allow in light and air. By combining the doors and windows into a single resolution, the installation of glazed French doors, made practical and economic sense. This also satisfies many local council regulations of requiring two access locations in a dwelling and negates the need to install windows. 

The location of the constructed doorway was also a measured one and was positioned as close as possible to the interior dividing wall to permit light to distribute in to the bathroom area of the dwelling together with the remainder of the living space. This positioning also took into account the interior layout which had to allow for the placement of furniture, both fixed and flexible, plus the ease of human movement within the space.

I hope you enjoyed part five in my series. Next week, in part 6, I will finish the discussion on the exterior of the conversion process. Stay tuned...
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The western and end exterior walls of the container have been dressed in plastic drainage cell, generously donated to the project by Ausdrain. Drainage cell is a black plastic product manufactured for use as a horizontal drainage application for roof gardens, planter boxes, green roofs, paving and sporting fields. This application of drainage cell as an exterior finishing for buildings is a completely new and innovative way of utilising this product. 

I first thought about using drainage cells in this manner after watching an episode of Grand Designs Australia. In this episode the builders were installing a grow wall in a house that was being constructed. The grow wall product being used in the build in this episode was specifically designed and manufactured for this purpose and was large, cumbersome and moderately expensive. I thought that it had an interesting aesthetic quality on its own, before growing medium, or potting mix, and plants were placed into it, and I began to contemplate how I might incorporate a comparable aesthetic into my project. This prompted me to look into alternatives, both lighter, in terms of weight capacity for the structure, and cheaper, to improve affordable aspects of my project. While conducting an online search I discovered drainage cell and conceived the idea to employ the product as exterior wall cladding. I then approached Ausdrain to support the project. The implications for the alternative application of this product are significant and could generate opportunities for potential future market expansion for the company. Ausdrain happily agreed to supply sufficient product to cover the exterior of the container and were impressed with the outcome of the repurposing of their product. Gerard Jorna, the CEO of Ausdrain, commented on our Container of Dreams Instagram page with a “Wow!” and thanked me for showcasing their product in a new way.

​The drainage cell is fabricated into 500mm by 500mm interlocking panels which made the installation process very simple. These panels were straightforward to mount and fastened into place using galvanised screws secured through the pre-set fixing holes in the cell panels. Simple cutting with a hand saw trimmed the excess at the wall ends. 

I have done various testing and experimentation into additional uses of the plastic drainage cell. As indicated I had always intended to use the product in an alternative manner to the one for which it is designed. My trials were related to supplementary treatment on the exterior surface of the container, in this instance their effective application as a grow wall or green wall.

I trialled two different approaches for this experiment. One was to use the drainage cells in a horizontal configuration and the other was to assemble the cells in a vertical arrangement. Both investigations were conducted in unison to establish the best format to apply to the construction of the container itself. My rationale for conducting the two research methods was to determine whether it was preferable to establish the plants in the cells first and then attach to the container or whether it was easier to fix the empty cells on to the exterior and then plant out.

I wanted to use edible species of plants for my initial trials to add an element of self-sufficiency to the project to enhance its sustainable aspects. Consequently, I elected to use common garden mint and strawberries for these preliminary experiments. These were chosen for their growing qualities and their root systems. Mint has an extensive spreading root system and I considered this would assist in keeping the growing medium in place in the cells. Strawberries are shallow rooted and have a trailing root system. They are easily grown in vertical arrangements.

The first trial was to lay the drainage cell horizontally, or flat, to allow the growing medium and plants to establish before lifting cells into their vertical position. Part one of this process, the horizontal arrangement, was considered successful. Two single cells were used in this experiment and were not connected to one another. The growing medium chosen was a high quality potting mix and the plant selected was common garden mint. 

The second method of experimentation was to fix the drainage cell into a vertical position prior to the application of any additional substances. This was considered to be the preferred technique due to the processes required in the construction phase of the container home.
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Cells were fixed to a temporary vertical wall, in this instance, a wooden pallet, using galvanised screws and then filled with potting mix. The addition of straw was required to aid the potting mix to remain in place and assist with moisture retention and release of nutrients. Coconut husk, known as coir, was also considered as an alternative growing medium. Builder’s film was used to protect the surface of the wooden wall from any damage arising from moisture. Strawberries were selected for the trial of this method and the planting of strawberry seedlings for this testing is pictured in the Image below.

Both experiment types were very consuming of both time and resources. They both necessitated daily watering, although the vertical trial required much more water than its horizontal counterpart. This was believed to be due, in part, to the size of the drainage cell used. The cells used are only 30mm deep which exposed their limitations for their capacity to retain moisture. The vertical configuration meant that moisture drained away faster due to the forces of gravity than it did in the horizontal rendering.

In the summer of 2016 and 2017 a heatwave hit. It was categorised as the hottest Australian Summer on record at the time (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology 2017). The place where I reside in Northern New South Wales experienced several consecutive days where the temperature regularly reached 48 and forty-nine 49 degrees Celsius over the months of December 2016 and January/February 2017. These dangerous conditions even saw temperatures reaching 50 Celsius on a couple of occasions. This extreme weather event had critical consequences for the Container of Dreams project, and this green wall experiment was one of the first casualties.
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The trials failed. The plants died in the extreme heat. I was unable to maintain sufficient water to preserve them and they literally fried in the high temperatures. Nevertheless, I concluded that while the experiment itself failed due to lack of moisture, the concept could still have been successful with some minor alterations.

Had the drainage cell been that of 50mm in depth, instead of the 30mm type which were used in my research, the plants would have had an improved prospect of survival. However this would have resulted in much greater weight being placed on the supporting structure of the container and would need to be considered in the construction phase. The use of steel for exterior framing would offset this problem.

After the breakdown of these investigations I concluded that I would not integrate the green wall component into my construction. I made this evaluation after reflecting on the findings of the experiments. It was a major undertaking to retrofit the container to enable it to support such weights as would be required by a grow wall. This would add considerable expense to an already restricted budget and one that was not practicable under the conditions of the project. However, that is not to say that it cannot be done, just not under the parameters of this particular project. I concluded that I had initially investigated the drainage cell as a wall dressing because of its aesthetic attributes and I was more than satisfied with the outcome of that exploration.

I hope you are enjoying my weekly series of the building processes undertaken during my research. Next week I will present the treatment methods and process used for the exterior of the Eastern Wall. Stay tuned...

Congratulations to COD's founder, Clare who just received news that she has been awarded the degree of PhD from Southern Cross University. Her PhD research project involved examining the implications of micro-housing for solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Australia.

A major component of Clare's research project was to convert a shipping container into a liveable dwelling and to document the process. This process is now being published in a weekly blog on our website. Check it out, this week is part four.

The PhD project also titled "Container of Dreams" was the inspiration for starting our Not-for-Profit organisation. "While undertaking my PhD project, my research exposed the overwhelming urgency to address the social problem of affordable housing".

The major outcome provided a template for a pathway to home ownership. "By starting this organisation my intention is to be able to provide practical solutions in order to address some of the inequities of wealth which are created through home ownership for currently marginalised sections of society." 

​Congratulations Dr. Clare, we look forward to great things from you in the role of CEO of Container of Dreams!

As the container is made of high strength corten steel I knew that it would prove difficult to attach stud framing to both the inside and outside of the container. The stud framing is necessary to enable me to attach the external and internal coverings. I had never worked with corten steel before so I explored a few possibilities of how to proceed. The first two options included the welding of steel studs to the exterior or welding steel brackets to attach timber studs to enable the application of the outside cladding. The third option, to drill through the steel and attach stud timbers with the use of bolts and nuts, was the one that I decided was the simplest and therefore the one I would evaluate first.
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I began tentatively to drill the first hole on the container. This was experimental research as I was unsure whether I would be able to drill through the steel without difficulty. If it was unproblematic then this was the simplest and most achievable way for me to accomplish the conversion of the container. If the drilling was going to prove difficult then it would require the alternative option of welding plates and brackets. This would develop into a much more challenging procedure as it would require relying on third parties to facilitate the welding process.

I had many concerns about the use of the Inex wall board for the cladding of the building. As I had previously attempted to use this product for lining the roof, and failed in my attempts, I was apprehensive about its effective operation in this situation. For a second time, I determined that another pair of hands was necessary so, again, I engaged my partner Cass, to assist me to move the wallboard sheets into their required position. We both handled the sheets of wall board easily enough and without incident this time. Although heavy and awkward due to their size, we managed to manoeuvre them in to place and fix to the structure without too much difficulty. Each sheet was placed vertically next to the previous one and secured into place with masonry self-drilling screws. 

​I then had some choices to make in regard to how I managed the final covering of the exterior walls of the container. Due to the donated products I had on hand I decided to go with two different looks, one on each side of the container, to showcase the varying appearances that can be achieved by using alternative materials in unconventional applications. In addition, as this was also a visual art project, I wanted the surface treatment of the container exterior to deliver a convincing aesthetic.

In Part 4, next week, I will discuss the cladding choice applied to the Western and End walls, and some of my experimentation with this.

​Rooftop Deck
To construct the rooftop deck, I first calculated the amount of timber required to assemble the framework. I decided to fabricate the frame directly onto the roof of the container using standard pre-cut 2400 millimetre treated pine sleepers as joists, which I purchased from Bunnings. The use of standardised timber was elected for convenience as the width of the container is also standardised at 2400 millimetres and the timber could be placed directly on the roof with no alterations needed. The sleepers were placed on the roof on their ends spaced at forty-five (45) centimetres apart as required by the installation instructions supplied by the manufacturer of the decking material. The pictured image shows the timbers being placed onto the roof of the container. Using the cordless drill which had been donated to the project by AEG Powertools, the joists were then secured to each other using framing timber which was screwed along the outside edge of the deck area and then also attached to the stud framing timbers using screws.

​Once all the timbers were secured into place, I then installed the insulation. The insulation was donated to the project by CSR Bradford and was described by them as medium density glass wool insulation boards, which consist of large sections of fibreglass wool insulating material. As the roof joists were spaced at forty-five centimetre distances, the insulation material had to be cut to size. Each gap had to be measured individually and each piece of insulation cut to fit and then put in place.
After the insulating material was installed, I then placed a layer of builder’s film - a black polythene sheet - over the whole area, leaving a reasonable amount of overhang on each side. The overhang was to allow the moisture barrier to be continued on the outer walls and to permit moisture run-off.

The next step was to then cover the whole expanse of the roof top with large sheets of Inex Wallboard. The Inex Wallboard was generously donated to the project by UBIQ and The Green Building Centre in Byron Bay. It is a low carbon, advanced high strength and fire reinforced cladding material for interior or exterior applications. It is made from a composite cement product which contains approximately sixty percent (60%) of post-industrial recycled materials, known as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) (UBIQ 2018). The sheets supplied to the project were 1200mm x 3000mm. This size made them very awkward to handle. Due to their length and the material they were manufactured from they were inclined to crack easily in the centre if not handled with caution. They were also heavy at fifty-seven kilograms (57kg) per sheet and difficult to manoeuvre into place.

For the challenge of positioning these sheets onto the roof I needed to engage another pair of hands to assist me, so I asked my partner, Cass to help. We tried several differing approaches to try to get the boards on to the roof and I have to say that we struggled with each effort. Regrettably, after numerous attempts to lift these large heavy sheets onto the roof of the container, the plan was abandoned. Had I had access to the use of scaffolding, a scissor lift platform or such like (contemporary construction site practices) this would perhaps not have been such a problem. Unfortunately, this was a small-scale project on a very tight budget so having these extra building tools was not an option for me. A different solution was necessary, and after much consideration, I decided that the builder’s film would suffice as a moisture barrier under the decking boards, as long as the decking boards were then treated with adequate waterproofing.

The decking material used were Inex Decking Boards which were very generously donated to the project by UBIQ and The Green Building Centre, Byron Bay. These are made from the same composite cement product as the wallboard. The decking boards supplied to the project were 2700mm x 140mm and were only nine kilograms (9kg) per length which made them lightweight enough and straightforward to place on to the roof. The boards were screwed into position on to each roof joist using masonry self-drilling screws, eliminating the need to pre-drill the holes. I observed this to be a time-consuming and laborious task and I was left feeling aching and drained from the repeated boring of fasteners. However it was an uncomplicated task and easily achievable for a solitary operative.

Once the boards were fixed into place they were coated with Sikalastic 560, a polyurethane waterproof membrane, also donated to the project by Sika Australia. It is a liquid product which was painted on, requiring three coats. It is non-toxic and resistant to ultra-violet radiation. As an added advantage, the product creates a reflective coating which improves energy efficiency and insulating properties.

I hope you are enjoying reading about the process of my container conversion.
​Next week, in Part 3 of this series, I will discuss the process of applying the exterior cladding to the container. Stay tuned...

This series of posts will provide a step-by-step description of the construction and conversion processes involved in building the Container of Dreams. They outline my studio investigations and experimentation and document both accomplishments and failures experienced throughout the project.
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Part 1:
The main focus of my Phd project was to devise an inexpensive liveable dwelling prototype to showcase micro-housing concepts in a tangible way. My research began by exploring possibilities of adapting discarded shipping containers in the creation of this model. Shipping containers were chosen for this purpose due to their affordability, availability, flexibility and speed of construction. I called the prototype ‘Container of Dreams’, which of course was the inspiration for the name of our NFP organisation.

The container used in the project was generously donated to me by Royal Wolf, a company who specialise in supplying and converting new and used containers to the Australian market. The one supplied to me was a second-hand, twenty foot long container which is over twenty years old and in fair condition.
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I utilised software programs such as InDesign and Planner 5D in conjunction with reflective documentation to investigate design concepts and appropriate layouts for the interior and exterior applications to support the completion of the project. 

After investigating several interior layout options using these computer software programs I established the best design arrangement for the space. This also took into consideration the materials I had to work with which had been donated, such as the folding wall-bed and the full sized bath, both large items which had to be accommodated to fit acceptably in such a small area to make the space work efficiently. The layout shown in the image is only one of the many concepts investigated and I will discuss the resolved layout (which differs from this image) in a later post.

The next step was to establish the most effective resolution for installing insulation. The weather pattern here in the Northern Rivers is sub-tropical to temperate. Sufficient insulation is an essential requirement when converting any container for habitation, but especially so in a climate like ours where we experience very hot summers combined with cold winter temperatures.

I needed to decide whether to apply the insulation to the exterior or the interior of the container. This decision had to consider the interior and exterior covering materials that had been donated by supporting companies, as well as the available space. Due to the fact that I had been provided with materials to use as external cladding and that I had also decided to construct a roof-top deck in order to install a Hills Hoist on there (to enhance the artistic aesthetic and add layers to interpretation) I decided to apply the insulation on the exterior facade of the container.
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This decision was also influenced by the fact that the internal area was already very small. Constructing interior lining walls to accommodate insulation would have further reduced the internal space and made an already small area even smaller. This also would have added more design constraints and made it even more challenging to create a functional space, resulting in the dwelling being less habitable.

Stay tuned next week for the next installment...