Make It Modular - Affordable Apartment Housing and Entrepreneurial Shop

Hello! My name is Althea Tabuena and I am an upcoming senior from California. I go to the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in North Park.

Recently, with the COVID-19 pandemic and global environmental crises, people have been looking for ways to be more sustainable and in tune with nature, whether that is by reducing one's carbon footprint or going on more walks in nature. With more people staying at home, plants have been a way to bring the outside in. Owning plants has many benefits, such as eliminating air pollutants or brightening up a home. Many people also attribute caring for plants as a habit for wellness, allowing people to be more grounded with their surroundings and be surrounded by nature, which has been proven to improve people's moods. Growing one's own indoor garden became a rising trend during the COVID-19 pandemic with an increase in demand for new plants. However, ordering and delivering plants and gardening supplies as well as traveling to far away plant nurseries adds to the issues that plague our environment. In response to these issues, I decided to design a space for a plant shop as well as sustainable and affordable housing.

Commuting to work has become another issue that contributes to rising carbon emissions. With the combination of pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavor and an affordable and sustainable alternative to housing, this layout and building foundation could help any entrepreneur who wishes to open their own establishment and be closer to their place of work. For this project specifically, I chose to make the lower floor, made out of the cargo shipping container, as an indoor and outdoor plant shop. Above this shop would be a small apartment to affectively use the space given and provide housing for the owner of the store. Including the living space above the store would be convenient and sustainable as it eliminates emissions from commuting to work.

With the living space directly above the store, this could also effectively utilize the area and tackle the issue of limited space for housing. Using the shipping container as a home could also eliminate many costs to constructing a house.

Supplies for Model:

• Three boards of chipboard
• Scraps from shoeboxes (cardboard, tissue paper for flowers)
• Acrylic paint (yellow, blue, red, white, black)
• Scissors
• XActo Knives
• Hot Glue Gun
• Nail file (to sharpen edges)
• Ruler

Supplies for Construction:

• Three shipping containers as the foundation of the building
• Four pillars for support
• Carpet (to minimize loud noises from the second floor)
• Two tables and three shelves to hold inventory in the store
• Recycled wood for the doors, windowsills, stairs, and flooring for the first floor
• Pipes to construct the railings
• Glass for the shower and windows
• Solar panels to install on the roof of the home
• Appliances (oven, refrigerator, toilet, sink)
• Furniture (cabinet, daybed)
• inventories for the store (plants, tools)

The first step would be to build the foundations of the building from the shipping containers. The bottom floor is made up of one shipping container with two large doors. The second floor is made of two shipping containers combined to made an L shape for the living space. The first step would be to weld the two shipping containers for the second floor together. Even when welded together, this piece can be converted for other uses in different projects. The next step would be to place and attach the top floor on the first floor to combine all three. While attaching all three shipping containers, the four pillars would be put in place underneath the second floor to support the half of the shipping container above the outdoor section of the store. There is also a balcony above the store from the living space that would be added and supported with metal pipes diagonally attached to the first floor. After the shipping containers are combined, the stairs would be added using used pieces of wood. There are seven steps in the stairs and a large plank at the top for the entrance of the second floor.

The second step would be to install the doors and windows of the house. The doors and windows would also utilize used pieces of wood for the doors and windowsills. The first floor has two wide entrances for the back and front. The doors for these are glass that can lift when the store is open and go back down when closing. The second floor contains three doors, for the entrance, bathroom, and balcony. There are also three windows, one in the bathroom, one in the kitchen above the sink, and one beside the bed.

The next step would be to add the solar panels and utilities. For the indoor appliances, there are two sinks, one toilet, a shower, an oven, a refrigerator, and a TV. The solar panels would also be installed to utilize renewable energy to power the house and coincide with the goal for sustainability.

The inside of the store is furnished with tables and shelves to hold the plants and other inventories. There would also of course be a counter for the register at the front of the store.

The interior of the home includes basic furniture such as a dresser, a small desk, and a bed. The bed would be a daybed that could also be used as a couch for when watching TV. The daybed could contain drawers underneath for extra storage.

The inventories for the store are a variety of plants, including pothos and indoor potted plants, flowers, and small trees. Plant and garden supplies would also be sold there, such as soil, gardening tools, like shovels and rakes, and pots.

The owner of the store and house would move in with all of their belongings and prepare for the grand opening of the store! People from the community would be invited to attend the grand opening of the new plant store and nursery!