Architect's Tour of Container Office Complex

Come along with me, Larry Lane, A.I.A., while I point out some architectural highlights of an office/retail complex built with around 40 shipping containers in Fort Worth, Texas.
The complex was designed by MEL/ARCH Studio. Here is their website that mentions this project: www.melarch.com/.
Here is the the website for the lease agent: www.connexfw.com/.
Here is a Facebook page about the office/retail complex: / connexfw .
Here is the link to learn more about the TrueGrid Pavers at amzn.to/3WlUd89.
To learn what cool information is found on the shipping container labels, check out this article at liveinacontain....
All construction projects are unique and have their own design issues that must be reviewed by a professional that is knowledgeable of your project needs, the materials and quality of builders available, and the applicable codes that need to be followed. Seek a professional to review your particular needs. This video and the article it refers to is only for information only and not for construction or for project costs or schedule estimates of your particular project.
Thanks to KRL for helping me produce this video.

[@bard44]

This office complex in Texas: what has been done to provide washrooms for all the offices? You showed nothing of that. Is there one central unit for all the offices?

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Refer to minute 7:00 in the video where I point out where the men's and women's restrooms are.

[@bard44]

@@liveinacontainer6602 must have missed that,

[@patrickbass3542]

Interesting design and appears to be well built. The Real questions (still): is it cost effective and how well does it FUNCTION? You have addressed these concerns in some of your previous posts....maybe I will take a day-trip over to "Foat Wuth" and check it out?

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Ah, you must be a Foat Wuth native. Good to read the local way of saying the City's name.

[@Nrustica]

Reminds me of the triple decker strip mall office complex in Denver near 11th and Broadway. This one is more high-tech, although I’d like to know more how they designed their passive air system along with the mini splits The rain screen was a good catch, they were clearly choosing the aesthetic of a clean line over functionality/durability

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Thanks for the comments. I will look up the strip mall complex in Denver.

[@PipeChoir]

This video is very helpful!...thank you!

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Thank you for the compliment. I am glad you found it helpful.

[@patrickbass3542]

4 inches center-to-center---that makes the actually gap "less than 4".

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Yep. That's absolutely right. I just did not want to say it that way because some people would not consider the size of the spindles and think they are ok with 4" clear spaces.

[@philnorman9425]

This is a bold and innovative concept. It is obvious that the first tranche of money was spent on the design and specs. As the project progressed we see the effects of budget constraints beginning to appear. The mechanical services are immune as the local authority will have approved the brand and type of units and this would be difficult to change. So where can money be saved... take the cheapest contractors bid then squeeze that contractor for all you can wring out of him. He has no choice but to deliver what the client paid him for, shoddy and substandard work. In a ghastly rerun of many vicious circles a shoddy project can't attract tenants, without income the building will not be maintained, existing tenants will move out, the project will fall into disrepair and the fallout will be - 'Oh, we tried to use container developments before, no-way are we doing that again.' I did like the layouts and the visual-quirky use of containers such as the bathrooms and maintenance facilities, also the double height reception area is stunning. Good use of breezeways etc. At approx. the 15 minute mark I was impressed by the use of Reefer containers with the white paint removed to expose the satin finished stainless steel skins. You were concerned about the overhangs and how they appear unsupported. Support is usually achieved by inserting steel posts on the internal skins which transfer the loads vertically at each level. Starting on the second level a post is welded directly over the corner block of the lower container, this is then carried through the next level. As one container overhangs the container below another vertical post is added. As a society we really need to promote the reuse of containers, I'm concerned that good intentions without as built quality will not be enough for local authorities and the wider community to accept such developments as viable or visual entities worthy of occupying public space.

[@liveinacontainer6602]

Thank you, Phil, for your insight. The future of buildings of shipping containers are about to go a new path now that the International Building Code has added a special section about building with them. It will be interesting to see how the officials interpret the codes in the future.

[@philnorman9425]

@@liveinacontainer6602 I'm aware of the IBC 2021 permitting for commercial developments using containers. An update for permitting containers for residential use would be a real boon, as local authorities wouldn't need to keep reinventing the wheel each time a unique or challenging design came their way.