by Jesse Holth –
With sustainability at the forefront, small-impact living is becoming ever more popular: it’s better for the environment, more energy efficient, and easier on your social conscience.
Adam Benning, owner of West Coast Container Homes, had been in the construction business for 25 years when everything changed. “Even though it was good work, I had moral issues with what I was doing – filling up landfills and creating so much waste,” he explains. “I reached a point in my career where I wanted to do something more meaningful and sustainable.” So he started thinking about how to build on a smaller scale, and make use of existing materials.
“I had developed my skillset and was facing this moral dilemma, and I was at a stage in my life where I felt like I could follow my passion – it was a collision of all three. Once I made that decision, there was no turning back,” he says.
“We specialize in modular units, especially office pods,” Adam explains. “They’re a set size but you can customize the interior; it sounds pretty simple, but they’re very technical builds and they need to be done right.” In colder climates, you need to be particularly conscious of the method of construction – if you don’t get it right the first time, you can have issues with thermal bridging. “That’s where the metal sweats, as warm air comes into contact with a cold surface; like a can of coke on a hot day,” Adam explains. “I wouldn’t recommend it as a DIY project,” he laughs.
One of the best things about container homes is that they repurpose something that already exists – at West Coast Container Homes, they’re able to go even further. “We find that we can have minimal wastage and maximize each shipping container by cutting a unit into three,” Adam says. They can create three office pods out of a single shipping container!
While many developers focus on high-volume projects with lots of square footage – and high profit margins – the team at West Coast Container Homes only builds with a small footprint in mind. “For me, it’s not about the money: it’s about what feels right,” says Adam.
The process isn’t that different than a traditional development: first you design, then you price out the design, and then you build. Office pods don’t require the same permits as other buildings because they’re movable structures, but it still helps to have someone figure out the red tape. “The municipalities haven’t made it very user friendly,” says Adam. He’s hoping that will change as small-impact living becomes more common.
“We can customize office pods with different windows, extra doors, a variety of lighting options, additional deck structures and more; it’s all done during the design stage.” The sustainability aspect means they’re super efficient, more than a regular building, with minimal maintenance, minimal waste, and repurposing a container that already exists. “They’re not for everyone, but hopefully for those who believe in a minimal carbon footprint, this is a perfect way to do that,” says Adam. “They will last forever … and look cool too!”
When it comes to housing, Adam hopes that container homes can play a role in providing a multi-layered solution. “Lots of municipalities on the Island are really behind in terms of progressive and sustainable methods of building, especially to deal with the housing crisis.” Other than office space, providing garden suites is something West Coast Container Homes wants to see more of in the future. “The inside of our units is comparable to a brand new condo, and they’re so energy efficient,” says Adam. “We want to show municipalities what’s possible.”
Some of the structures even have solar panels built onto the roof, so they are completely self-sustaining. “You don’t need much heating in the containers, so just a few solar panels on the roof and you’re energy independent,” Adam explains. “It’s all about that good feeling – you’re reducing waste and reducing your impact, in a sustainable way.”
“Our primary purpose is to provide a moveable room for people who don’t have enough space, one that’s fully heated and insulated – just like a room in your house, but rugged enough to survive outside and able to be transported easily.” Whether you’re looking for additional office space or building a garden suite, you can visit www.westcoastcontainerhomes.ca to find out more.
Photos courtesy West Coast Container Homes.
