The Shoe Box: 100% Deconstructable, Sub $800, Repurpose-Built Shoe Store From Shipping Container

Hi. My name is Ethan, and I'm currently enrolled in 9th Grade. For my project, I wanted to home in on the elements that allow shipping containers to be such great frames for building and take those aspects to the extreme. Three aspects were already provided to me in the project guidelines; using existing materials, being able to be deconstructed, and those deconstructed elements being able to be repurposed. A fourth, no less important, was affordability. Because I wanted to make deconstruction and repurposing key elements, I chose to make my building an entrepreneurial pop-up, with the thought that it would be changed or repurposed more often than any of the other choices, such as housing. In terms of why I chose a shoe store, that was just a personal preference.

1. Autodesk Fusion 360
2. 3D Printer and Filament
3. Slicing Software
4. Gorilla Super Glue Gel
5. Basswood
6. Sharpies
7. Printer
8. Scissors
9. 2" Thick (Nominal) Wood
10. 1" (Nominal) Steel Pipe
11. Sandpaper (optional)

In order to achieve the goals I set in the introduction, I wanted the cheapest possible materials such that they were able to be easily dismantled and repurposed in the most amount of ways. In order to achieve the first part, affordability, and the last, reusability, I wanted to use the most widely available building materials, with the thought that those would be the cheapest due to supply, and reusable due to demand.

The first material that came to mind for me was wood, which is hugely popular, and comes in many sizes. However, wood did not help solve the deconstruction issue, so for that, I turned to piping. Able to be assembled without any permanent additions such as nails or wood, piping is also often already used when bought, making it a great material for up-cycling.

With a way to connect the wood to the piping without nails or anything permanent, if that solution was cost-effective, it would allow for a completely modular and deconstructable system with all elements being able to be removed and repurposed without any lost reusability. To make the shipping container itself fully reusable as well, I needed to find a way to mount the whole system within the container without altering it in any way, allowing it to be used as a shipping container once again, something which most buildings using these structures fail to do.

If I were to do both of these, it would not only allow me to complete the goals from the introductory step for my shoe store, but since the building would be made with a completely modular system, one could design any amount of buildings, from stores to housing to classrooms using it while achieving all of the goals.

In the iterations of my design for the connector, which go in chronological order from bottom right to top right to left, I refined the effectiveness of the connector and optimized the design for affordability.

1. My original design, which looks similar to many industrial designed shelves using the same materials, slides onto the metal piping from the top and secures using a screw in a similar fashion to a clamp. There are two problems with this design, however. Firstly, there is nothing securing the connector to the wood, and it can freely rotate or slide off the top. Secondly, the direction it goes in, coming off the top of the pipe, would be hard to implement for threaded pipes and not ideal for any other direction, where it would be used to make walls, as you would need a tee coming off a downwards pipe for every plank in a wall.
2. In the second version of my design I changed the direction of the connection with the pipe, however, there is still nothing securing it to the pipe, which allows it to rotate freely around the pipe. In addition, the design would have to be altered to allow for the wood to rest flat, as there is a bump where the pipe intersects.
3. For my third and final design, I created a one piece system that easily slides on the pipe, and when the wood is inserted, the connector bends to allow for the flat bottom of the wood. This bending uses the pressure of the wood to secure the connector to the pipe, while the wood is secured by the connector trying to revert to its original shape. For the material, I chose plastic such as ABS to allow the material to bend. This as a material (when compared with metal, for example), along with only having one piece and therefore one mould instead of two, keeps manufacturing prices low.

Before I get into the details, I'd like to mention that during this step I did not realize that nominal and actual sizing was different. Due to this, I used 1" as the outer dimension of the pipe instead of 1.315", the outer diameter for a 1" nominal pipe, and I used 1" for the wood thickness instead of 3/4", the actual thickness for 1" nominal wood blocks. In the step "The Connector: Resizing", I fix this issue, and I change the wood thickness that I use from 1" to 2" nominal. In order to avoid that step, it would be possible to do the math to adjust for these errors ahead of time instead of after, keeping in mind the actual sizes.

*All steps correspond to a picture in order, minus the main picture of the completed item.

1. Create a circle with a diameter of 1.01" to allow for a tight fit with some clearance, and another with a diameter of 1.21" to set the wall thickness at .1", thin enough for the material to bend. Add two lines to create a 90 degree section.
2. Use the trim tool to cut to the remainder of the circles, leaving only the 90 degree section.
3. Create a circle with a .606" diameter, with its circumference intersecting the inner top part of the 90 degree section. Create another circle from the same center whose circumference intersects the outer top part of the 90 degree section. Add a line going from the center of those circles to the top of the 90 degree section. Create a line 105 degrees from the opposite end of that line, with the line ending when it intersects the circumference of the outer circle. (The reason for this angle is that [180-105][1.212pi] = [180-90][1.01pi], meaning that that section is equal in length to the 90 degree section.)
4. Use the trim tool to remove the extra parts of the circle, leaving only that 75 degree section.
5. Mirror the entire drawing along the right hand edge.
6. On the right side add a 1.5" long rectangle, and on the left side add a 1" long rectangle.

**All modeling/sketching for the whole project is done using Autodesk Fusion360. (not the planning drawings)

*All steps correspond to a picture in order, minus the main picture of the completed item.

1. Extrude the bottom semicircle along with one side .5" (to make a hook shape).
2. For the side with a 1.5" extension, create a 1" long line on the edge closer to the loop and a 1.2" line on on the edge further away. For the 1" extension, subtract .5" from each of those dimensions (1" and .7"). Then, connect the lines with a diagonal and extrude that section .5", as seen in the picture. Once that is done push the other section. (the circle part) upwards (shortening it) by .005".
3. Repeat steps 1-2 with the opposite side, extruding the opposite way. make sure what you have is identical to the picture.
4. Create a sketch face on the top of the item, and on the opposite side from the extension, add a 45 degree section to the bottom semi-circle (with an inner diameter of 1.01"). Extrude that section .495" downwards, and repeat the whole process for the reverse side. Make sure what you have is consistent with the corresponding picture and the final piece. Create a sketch face on the top and add a .15" by .1" rectangle to be a corner. Then, coming off of that, create a .15" by 1.01" rectangle to be the edge. Next, create another .15" by .1 rectangle as another corner piece, and finally, create a 2" by .1" section to be the top.
5. Extrude that whole sketch downwards by 1 inch.
6. On the top, add a design to impersonate a screw. One way to do this is to: Center a .8" diameter circle around .1" from the edge and raise it .2". Make a .1" wide rectangle in the center of the circle and extrude that downwards around 3/4 of the way. Any other design would work, so feel free to get creative.

*Every image corresponds to a step, even the main, largest one.

1. Scale the entire project to 1.321782x in order to make the hole diameter 1.335", leaving .01" of clearance on each side when a 1" nominal pipe (outer diameter of 1.315") is inserted.
2. Cut the body containing the top section along the inner top plane as seen in the image.
3. Hide the top piece and extrude the section highlighted in the image by .198", leaving a 1.52" tall section which a 2" thick nominal (1.5" thick) wood plank slides into with .01" clearance on either side.
4. Show the top piece.
5. Align the inner face of the top piece to the outer face which was just extruded. Then, group the two bodies.

In the brainstorming step I mentioned that I needed a way to mount this modular system of metal bars and wood planks to the shipping container in such a way that it would be easily removable and do no permanent damage to the shipping container or the bars themselves. While researching shipping containers and their designs, I came across an article from discovercontainers.com, a screenshot of which I put here, which mentioned lashing rings. Lashing rings, as stated in the screenshot and shown in the image, are .5" in diameter and put every few feet apart, but, as it mentions later on, are not standardized. Able to hold "a few thousand pounds each," they would securely hold my system in place, given that I designed a hook to attach the bars to them. The hook that I designed, made to be manufactured from metal or strong plastic, fits this need for two reasons. Firstly, it works in both directions (sideways and downwards) given that an elbow is connected to keep the pipes from falling downwards, and allows for a frame to be created on the ceiling, on the wall, or on both. Secondly, using a narrow design with curvature in the center, the piece can use less material while retaining strength.

*Every image corresponds to a step, even the main, largest one.

1. Create a rectangle measuring 1.335" by .75". Create another rectangle directly on top of that measuring 1.335" by 2.5".
2. Make a line going straight outwards from the top right corner of the upper rectangle that is .45" long. Use the end of that line as the center for a circle with a .9" diameter and another circle whose circumference intersects with the top left corner of the upper rectangle.
3. From the center of those two circles create a line going 45 degrees down and to the right, as seen in the image, which continues until it intersects the outer circle. Use that line as one side to create a 1.335" by .65" rectangle.
4. Use the trim tool to trim away all excess lines, making sure the sketch matches the one in the image.
5. Starting at the top of the .75" high rectangle, create a .1" border on the inside of the design to the right, as pictured.

*All steps correspond to a picture in order, minus the main picture of the completed item.

1. Extrude the entire design 1.335" upwards
2. Fillet all the edges but the ones on the two square faces .6675" (1.335"/2).
3. Create an outwards shell on the two circular faces of .15".
4. Hide that body, go back into the sketch, and extrude the entire design except the .1" inner border. make sure to extrude it more than 1.335" upwards, and at least .5" downwards (for safety), to ensure that it covers the entire height of the tube previously created.
5. Use the offset face tool to extend the outside of the body wider, ~1" for safety, to ensure it covers all of the outside of the body previously created. Do not offset the inside.
6. Show the tube, and subtract the body you just created from it, leaving you with what you see in the image. Create a sketch face on the not angled arm of the hook, and add a line along the left-hand side going upwards and downwards .15" from the center. Create rectangles using the two point method from the ends of that line, covering all of the visible area of the body, as pictured.
7. Extrude those rectangles at least 3" back and subtract them from the hook.
8. Create a sketch face at the end of the hook. Find the point on the inner edge of the end of the hook that is .185" away from the main shaft. At a right angle, draw a line to the outer edge. Use sketching to cover the area on the end that was just sectioned off, as seen in the picture.
9. Extrude that area downwards .4" to cut off the piece at the end.
10. Hide the hook body, go to the original sketch, and extrude the .75" high rectangle 1.335".
11. Fillet the four corner edges (the ones not on the square faces) of the box .6675" to create a cylinder.
12. On the two circular faces create an outwards shell of .24". (This is just slightly thicker than the shell that an elbow joint adds to a 1" pipe, meaning that the hook can go on top of the elbow, like in the sketches.)
13. Show the hook body and move it so that the bottom of it is aligned with the bottom of the hollow cylinder and just intersecting the edge (see picture).
14. Group the two bodies.
15. Fillet the edges where the two bodies met by .1874".

*No images correspond to specific steps in an order

1. Export the connector model from Fusion360 as a .STL file
2. Open the file in a slicer for 3D printing
3. Generate supports and slice your model. (I used the default fast setting for my slicer, Flashprint, which has a .3mm layer height with 10% hexagonal infill.)
4. Print your model.
5. Remove supports and sand (if needed).
6. Test the model.

*Image order does not correspond directly to step order, however, some images correspond to steps and are stated as such.

**These instructions are a basic outline on how to model any type of store or other building using this system, however, I have included my specific choices in parenthesis and in the images to allow those to be copied.

1. Make the box by creating a bottom area 2.5x as long as it is wide and adding walls 1.2x as tall as it is wide. (For mine I used a 3" by 7.5" base [.03125x scale] for the height, because I was not including a roof and the dimensions are the outer dimensions, I added walls at the sides that were 3" high, and a back wall 3.25" high, which when added to the .25" for the thickness of the top and bottom piece combined, gave a scaled 9.45'. the reason I chose not to include this extra height on the side walls was to allow for the "hooks" to rest on the top of the walls instead of having to create scaled lashing rings, which would be .01562" in diameter, to hang the "metal pipes" from.)
2. Make the frames of the interior "metal" pieces. These can be seen in the second image (including the GIF). (For my pieces I made; A back area for a counter and a closet, both of which would be 3' wide, leaving a 2' walkway on the left. A bench frame. The outline for hanging shelving.)
3. Color and add the "wood" pieces to the interior pieces, making sure to place them in spots where connectors could fit. This step can be seen in the third image. (I added a wood cashiers desk, siding for the closet, seats for the benches, and shelves to the hanging frame.)
4. Color and add pieces to indicate where the connectors and hooks would go. These do not have to be to scale, they are merely a visual indicator, as seen in the fourth image. (I added green for connectors and red for hooks)
5. Add the merchandise to the store, as seen in the fifth and sixth images. (I colored and added shoes to the shelves and added a pile of shoeboxes to the closet.)
6. Design and add a logo. (I created one of two shoes upside-down creating the base for a cargo ship.)
7. Add everything together.

After creating my model I measured the amount of each material I was using, scaled it, and recorded it. I then recorded the amount of each type of pipe fixture and each of my custom-designed parts. I used this store's prices for the steel pipes and fittings, found a lumber supplier that sold 2" by 8" (what the sticks that I used would have been) for an average of only ~$1.44 per foot, and used Google's estimate for Low-Volume Production Injection Molding at $3 apiece. The total price is only an estimate and would differ if the building were to be built in real life, ideally being cheaper as the materials would be repurposed, but it gives a sense of just how affordable this building would be, allowing virtually any retail business, no matter how small, to have a chance to appeal to customers with a physical store and get off their feet.

Over the design process that I went through designing and prototyping my store, I opened the door into a method to create so much more than just a shoe store, for a very affordable price. The ability to be completely dismantled would allow for an entrepreneurial pop-up with very few funds to set up a temporary store and grow their business until they could upgrade to a permanent and larger location, and for that cycle to repeat, with each business cheaply and easily redesigning the space to fit their own needs. If this process has ended, each component from the container itself to the wooden planks would be able to be re-used as if they had never been part of the store in the first place. My prototypes brought me two valuable pieces of information, one of that being an estimation of the cost, which I would not have gotten had I not known, form the prototype, how much of each material I would need, and the second being the plausibility of my idea, as my connector worked well to support and grip the wood. Going back to my original four goals, I can safely say that all of them have been achieved.

1. Reusing existing materials: Besides being able to purchase use pipes and potentially used wood, the system that I've designed, in which the same pieces can be used in the same structure for any amount of stores or other uses means that every store in the same container after mine, or even mine, had another been built in the same place first, would be re-using existing materials.
2. Being able to be deconstructed: Using the connector and hook that I designed, the most complex of which I've been able to test, I can safely say that the wood would be secure but easily deconstructed, and the pipes easily unhooked and screwed apart.
3. Being able to be repurposed: As previously explained, this system and store is reusable in many ways, both within the world of shipping container retail and outside.
4. Affordability: At a less than $800 conversion from a shipping container to a store, this process costs less than the newest iPhone, making it easy for any aspiring entrepreneur to complete.