Comments on: $99K House Series: The Shell System http://swamplot.com/99k-house-series-the-shell-system/2008-12-01/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:50:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: kjb434 http://swamplot.com/99k-house-series-the-shell-system/2008-12-01/#comment-13416 kjb434 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:28:44 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=4276#comment-13416 While I like the concept, the concrete used in the box culvert structure and the homes will be nowhere near the same in strength. If they were, you can kiss that $99k good-bye. The box culvert structure in the picture appears to be a 10'x10' structure. Segment lengths are 8'. At this size, only one segment per 18-wheeler can be transported. The box culvert system alone in the picture above costs more than $200k. It's great at illustrating the ease of construction, but not cost. Do I think the house concept doesn't work? Hell no. It is an awesome concept and could easily meet the $99k price point. It goes back to the strength I mentioned before. The concrete used in the proposed application (fiber reinforced) is commonly used all over Houston right now. All of the strip centers, distribution centers, suburban office buildings, and hotel/motels have been using this concrete for years to hang on exterior walls. It's lightweight high strength concrete. All it'll take is a factory to manufacture it into the shapes for housing and not panels for steel building cladding. While I like the concept, the concrete used in the box culvert structure and the homes will be nowhere near the same in strength. If they were, you can kiss that $99k good-bye.

The box culvert structure in the picture appears to be a 10′x10′ structure. Segment lengths are 8′. At this size, only one segment per 18-wheeler can be transported. The box culvert system alone in the picture above costs more than $200k.

It’s great at illustrating the ease of construction, but not cost.

Do I think the house concept doesn’t work? Hell no. It is an awesome concept and could easily meet the $99k price point. It goes back to the strength I mentioned before. The concrete used in the proposed application (fiber reinforced) is commonly used all over Houston right now. All of the strip centers, distribution centers, suburban office buildings, and hotel/motels have been using this concrete for years to hang on exterior walls. It’s lightweight high strength concrete. All it’ll take is a factory to manufacture it into the shapes for housing and not panels for steel building cladding.

]]>