Affordable Housing for Ski Resort Employees

Affordable housing for ski resort employees is becoming increasingly difficult to find. In Colorado, towns like Vail, Aspen, and Beaver Creek are amongst the most expensive real estate in the country; and with the real estate market at an all-time high, finding a home for less than a million on the mountain is impossible. Only the top few percent of people can afford the premium price tags on mountain homes. However, thousands of people are needed to staff the restaurants, businesses, and the mountain lifts but are unable to live where they work. Most have to commute from outside of the town where they are able to find a more affordable place.

My name is Kaden Brooks; I am 16 and a junior at Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, Colorado. My answer to the growing need for affordable housing is combining both dormitory and apartment-style housing to create a functional and modern take on subsidized housing. I recommend using vacant land that is not suited for residential stick build but could accommodate shipping containers. Building with shipping containers negates the issue of the elements due to the robust construction of the containers. Typically, these containers endure the harshest conditions traveling across the ocean exposed to the elements at sea.

My build would incorporate 3 shipping containers, the two bottom ones would be where the bedrooms are, and the upper container would act as a common area. Each wing would consist of two separate living quarters that would have simple bedroom furniture. A bed, couch, dresser, and desk would all be included. The third container would be above and this would include a bathroom, kitchen, and social area; this would be a shared area by the residents. Overall each pod could sleep four or more people depending on the bedroom configuration. They would be modular so more units could be added if needed depending on the demand.

Physical Model

The Materials I used to build the physical model included:

• Cork Roll
• Basswood
• Chipboard
• Plywood
• Cardboard
• Tooth Picks
• Hot Glue
• Glue
• knife
• Scissors
• Nail
• Staple gun
• Printer & Paper
• X-Acto Blades
• Box cutter
• Ruler

Basic Supplies Needed to Build the Housing

These are the basic supplies needed to build the structure of the building:

• 3 Shipping containers
• Plywood
• Plumbing
• Foundation
• Electrical
• Drywall
• Framing for the house
• Roofing
• Flooring

Before designing or building the structure, a piece of land needs to be selected. I chose a piece of land outside of Beaver Creek that would allow the employees to have a short commute time to the mountain. The land also has beautiful views of the mountains with over 3 acres of land. Although the land may seem expensive most of the houses around the location sold for well over a million and multiple units could be placed on the land lowering the living cost drastically.

There are many ways to find the topography of the land. For a rough idea, I used a website that allowed me to type in the address and it created a map of the land and surrounding area. I then printed out the map over multiple pieces of paper in order to fit the size that I needed for the model.

Using the roll of cork, I cut the large sheet into individual smaller squares in order to build up the layers. I lined up the paper along the edge of the cork and used it as a guide to where I needed to cut. Each layer of cork represents a change in elevation. After cutting each layer I filled the rest of the back with cardboard in order to save materials because cardboard is more cost-effective than continuing the entire length with cork.

For the main body of the model, I used a combination of two different types of basswood, chipboard, and toothpicks. I based the model loosely on what I wanted the digital version to look like while still appealing visually to the eye. I used hot glue to connect the larger pieces of wood and Elmer's glue for the small details. I included doorways, windows, stairs, and rooftop decks.

I first started by positioning the shipping containers in the direction that I wanted. I followed my physical model exactly for this. I kept a gap in between the two bottom containers because I thought it could act as a temporary storage place for the residents to place things like shoes and skis.

I did not want the exterior or interior of the building to only be corrugated metal so I included different accent walls throughout the build in order to break up the industrial look of the metal. I would use spray foam insulation to achieve an efficient R-value for extreme temperature fluctuations. I wanted the corrugated metal to be the primary material used on the exterior.

I included two different varieties of bedrooms the residents could choose from. One of the bedrooms is individual with a single bed, couch, mini-fridge, and nightstand. The second bedroom option is a bunkbed-style room that could accommodate two people. This room would include a mini-fridge, but a desk instead of the couch. The different layouts would be interchangeable if someone would rather have a desk instead of a couch or vice-versa.

The common area of the unit would include a bathroom, kitchen, and living area. This would be shared amongst the residents and could be used as a social area for gatherings as well. The physical model contained solar panels on the roof, this could be an add-on option based on the budget.

My modern approach to subsidized housing provides an economical living option for seasonal and full-time workers in resort areas. By using shipping containers as the building envelope, the project repurposes the containers that are otherwise destined for the landfill, creating modular, scalable, and sustainable community housing. This housing solution can solve the current affordable housing crisis that faces many areas around the world. My digital and physical model illustrates how building with shipping containers can empower designers and architects to use innovative and functional design while also providing an economical solution to the shortage of employee housing in resort areas.