April 7, 2009 -- With the housing market down and foreclosures way up, building a new home might not be the first thing on people's mind, but a Salt Lake City-based company has a new kind of home in mind. Gorilla Designs is working to turn idle shipping containers into affordable, high quality homes to last a lifetime. The company was founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said Roi Maufus of Gorilla Designs. "After Katrina, we realized that normal houses and traditional materials can't stand up to global warming and the new storms that will come with it," said Maufus. "We wanted to make something that could stand the test of time." Gorilla also wanted to be environmentally-friendly. Related Content:
"This is definitely a case of one man's trash being another man's treasure," said Maifus. There are thousands of shipping containers no longer being used but still in excellent shape lying around ports and railroads yards all over the country that could be turned into quality housing. Shipping containers can withstand a lot of force. The average shipping container is rated to carry 67,000 pounds, and can withstand eight other fully-loaded shipping containers resting on top of it. That's about 376 tons per square inch. "We certainly don't have to worry about snow load issues," said Maufus. The floors of many shipping containers are made out of exotic hardwoods that when sanded and polished produced a rich, beautiful color that could typically cost thousands of dollars and weigh on your conscious, since the wood is often from tropical rain forests. The thought of living in a big rectangular box may not seem all that appealing, but a shipping container home typically isn't just one long room. Designs call for the walls to be cut out and then several containers are welded together for larger rooms. Get More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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Get the Wide Angle on Nanotech and CancerNanotechnology offers potential for detecting and treating cancer without altering healthy cells. That means targeted death for cancerous tumors without the negative side effects of conventional therapies. We'll take a look at some of these methods and also explore the risks and promises of this new scientific field.
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