W H AT C A N
WE
design+build FOR
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YOU?
ConsciousBuild presents the SG Blocks Building System, a proprietary structural engineering method that offers the building industry a safer, greener, faster, longer lasting and more economical alternative to conventional construction methods. We redesign, repurpose, and convert heavy-gauge steel cargo shipping containers into Safe Green Building Blocks (“SG Blocks�) for commercial, industrial, and residential construction. Our steel truss framing system offers remarkable strength across a host of asset classes. Design and exterior cladding are limited only by the imagination ConsciousBuild is changing the way the world builds, o n e S G Bl o ck a t a ti m e .
contents who are we?
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the solution
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why choose us?
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project portfolio
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for affordable housing
who are we? Our team first selects shipping containers that are appropriate for design specs. These extremely durable, fire-, hurricane- and earthquake-resistant steel containers are then designed, engineered and manufactured using proprietary processes and models into structural building blocks. A combination of engineering and architecture is the key to making the containers especially appropriate for affordable housing, but also adaptable for a wide variety of uses including offices, barracks, hotels, schools, dormitories, hospitals, clinics, and institutional facilities, and single family residences. The save green blocks can be used to build virtually any style of construction, from traditional to modern and everything in between. Our “blocks” can be delivered with a highly durable surface finish, or ready to be clad with any type of standard or green technology friendly building skin www.consciousbuild.com :: www.sgblocks.com
The blocks are also helping meet the safe and sustainable housing needs in the United States, and globally. Our Building System is designed to satisfy requirements of builders, developers, government officials, urban planners, architects and engineers looking for fast and affordable alternatives. Our product is extremely effective in areas subject to earthquake, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Criteria and testing processes have been developed to evaluate each container. Conversion and assembly is subject to rigorous quality control, making the containers “fully code compliant”. Conformance with International Code Council (ICC) requirements is designed and manufactured into our system as this standard is used by 90% of governmental jurisdictions. 1
What are shipping containers made from? Shipping containers are made of heavy gauge Cor-Ten steel. Corner posts are designed for a 153,000lb vertical load. Each container and its floor structure are built to hold 65000 lbs stacking weights when stacked 9 high. How many containers are in the world? There are approximately 18 million containers in the world. What is the size of a container? While there are numerous size and type applications of intermodal containers, the cornerstone of the SG Blocks Building System is the “dry freight” container. Dry freight containers come in standard heights (8’6”) for 20’ and 40’ units with 40’ units also available in high cubes (9’6”).
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Shipping containers typically have a useful life of 10-15 years in the shipping industry. The cost of reclaiming the raw steel from a used container is economically unfeasible. Through a process we call Value-Cycling™ conversion of a container into an SG Block takes 1/20th the amount of energy required to reprocess a comparable weight of steel. Increasing the lifespan of a container to about 100 years, the SG Blocks system saves significant board feet of lumber and tons of new steel in addition to dramatic savings in energy expenditures, all contributing to LEED certification. SG Blocks has one of, if not the lowest, embodied energy utilizations of any structural building product on the market today, placing it high on the list of sustainable building solutions. 2
t h e s o l uf to ri o n affordable housing More than 30 million U.S. households face one or more of the following problems:
In these unstable and uncertain economic times, the need for affordable housing is only growing. + can help
cost burdens 13 million households pay more than 50% of their income just for housing.
Components of Affordable Housing Low Initial Costs
overcrowding An estimated 6.1 million households live in overcrowded conditions, as defined by number of people living in the house being greater than number of rooms.
Convenient Location Affordable Maintenance
inadequacy
Flexibility + Durability
No hot water, no electricity, no toilet, no bathtub or shower. 1 out of every 7 poor families lives in severely inadequate housing.
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SG Blocks are suitable for any location. “Affordable” means within walking distance of necessities including public transportation. SG Blocks are ideal for single- or multi-family housing, along with low-rise or urban mid-rise structures. Each block is 320 square feet. SG Blocks makes cost of living more affordable. After the cost of rent or mortgage, utility bills are the largest housing related expense. SG Blocks framing offers tigher envelopes and more resistive materials than those used in conventional construction, keeping energy consumption lower. Units are structurally superior to alternative affordable housing systems. SG Blocks are configured to meet many architectural designs, can be clad with any standard or green friendly building skin, and the configuration itself may be expanded or reduced much later in the design process than traditional forms allow. They are highly corrosion resistant and impervious to water and insect damage. The steel is also fire, hurricane, and earthquake-resistant. They can also be dismantled and relocated, making them ideal for temporary or transitional building construction. www.consciousbuild.com :: www.sgblocks.com
The Affordable Housing Business Model
SG Blocks helps lower the cost of building. Once on site, the SG Blocks system can reduce customer’s construction time by up to 40% over other common construction methods. A shorter assembly time means reduced interest carry. Building with SG Blocks is also 10 - 20% less expensive than traditional construction methods, particularly in urban locations and multi-story projects
Typically, land is treated as a capital asset. With low-income housing, however, land should be considered as working capital or inventory. Traditional housing projects take 3 - 4 years to complete, whereas low-income housing projects must be completed at a much faster pace. The key to affordable housing is volume production, with adherence to strict timelines and tightly managed costs. 4
ConsciousBuild and Safe Green Blocks
why choose us?
The Blocks can be dismantled and relocated if needed. This makes our Building System a leading option in temporary or transitional building construction and creates much greater options for urban planners and planning authorities.
www.consciousbuild.com :: www.sgblocks.com
SG blocks are designed to meet or exceed building code structural requirements. Once on site, our process can reduce customer’s construction time by up to 40% over other common construction methods.
Our blocks are exceptionally durable. They are highly corrosion resistant and impervious to water damage, insect damage, and all forms of mold, mildew, and other water-related damage. This makes them particularly well-suited for projects in storm-prone areas and other harsh climate conditions. Everybody deserves to live, work or play in as safe a structure as available. Our system is 10-20% less expensive than traditional construction methods, particularly in urban locations and multistory projects.
The Blocks have one of, if not the lowest, embodied energy utilization of any structural building product on the market today, making it the environmentally friendly choice in building.
Our Blocks can be used to build virtually any style of construction, from traditional to modern and all in between. The Blocks can be delivered with a highly durable surface finish, or delivered ready to be clad with any type of standard or green technology friendly building skin.
They are highly suitable for schools, clinics, offices, dormitories, single family housing, multifamily rentals/condos, hotels, or barracks. As a client’s needs expand or contract, our system may be expanded or reduced to meet those changing needs much later in the design process than other forms of construction. 5
FAQS
The SG Blocks Building System can be delivered in several forms. We offer “GreenSteel” which is steel framing modified to accommodate the client’s design specs, delivered to the site and stacked on foundations ready for finish out by the local contractor. Alternatively, we provide a full modular build out, delivering the units 90% com-
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plete to the site where we erect, finish and close all the joints for a 100% ready to occupy building in a matter of days/few weeks. What is the cost of using SG Blocks compared to traditional construction? SG Blocks’ hard and soft costs are typically below those of conventional options for both GreenSteel and full modular build out. For urban settings and buildings of multiple stories, cost savings are significant.
What are some advantages to building with SG Blocks? SG Blocks are far more durable than most alternative construction choices. Our product is earthquake, hurricane, fire and tornado resistant. Building with SG Blocks can save up to 40% of the time required to build conventionally. What types of facades and finishes can be used with SG Blocks? SG Blocks can work with any façades used in traditional construc-
tion including limestone, stucco, shingles, brownstone, brick and aluminum siding. We work with standard or custom finishes throughout and fit doors and windows to meet the customer’s design. Do SG Blocks structures get hotter because they are steel? No, that is a misconception. SG Blocks works with a variety of insulation including traditional and emerging insulation technologies that meet or exceed insulation re-
quirements and provide more than adequate heat and cold protection. Do SG Blocks contribute to LEED Certification? Yes, SG Blocks helps by contributing recycling points, new technologies and proximity of within 500 miles from project site. While each project individually achieves a LEED certification rating, our product always contributes to the bottom line.
. . . to a home
from a block. . .
If we choose SG Blocks, how is the product delivered to the project site?
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PROJECT portfolio Housing Opportunities Through Modular Environments (HO:ME)
HASLO HO:ME This design-build project with the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO) offers single room occupancy units (16-20 single family resident units for transtion tenants and low-income tenats) and administrative offices (10,000 square feet administratve office) for the agency. Safe Green Blocks will act as the basic components of both sets of buildings. Also, each building is oriented and designed in a way to be as energy efficient as possible, with evaluation using Ecotech software. This is a unique design process in that Cal Poly students are involved in developing design options, assisting with construction and documenting the total design process of the project.
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Along with the main buildings for the Administrative Offices and SIngle Occupany Units, much work has also been done in way of the interiors of the shipping containers. In the SRO’s, a panelized furniture system has been designed with collaboration from Cal Poly Architecture and Environmental Design Students to maximize space and also versatility within that space.
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PROJECT portfolio Fort Bragg
U,S, Army Corps of Engineers
Fort Bragg, NC
2007
The 249th Engineers Company Operations Building is the first multi-story commercial structure of its kind in the US. To date, no one except SG Blocks has put brick and an exterior insulated finishing system on the outside and a complete finish on the inside in order to utilize containers as an integral building component.
Home Depot
St. Petersberg Neighborhood Housing
St. Petersburg, FL
2006
A Single Family Residence, the construction of which was featured during 5 episodes of the Bob Vila Show. Funded by the Home Depot Foundation for St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services, the 1600 square foot home was built in only 4 months.
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Jaxport
Jaksonville Port Authority
Jacksonville, FL
2008
A New Security Administration Building that utilized SG Blocks as the core architectural element combined with traditional construction methods. The units were completed in 6 weeks, and set in a day. The project size was 5760 square feet.
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ConsciousBuild is committed to excellence in design and client service. We focus on producing projects that inspire people. We work closely with each client to establish project expectations and provide exceptional and relevant solutions to design. The Principals and staff at ConsciousBuild have extensive experience in a wide array of project typologies from high-end custom residential to large scale commercial mixed-use development projects. While we are currently designing and developing several affordable housing projects throughout the country, our vast experience spans 16 years and we are also currently working on a 5 star luxury resort in Costa Rica and several highend single family residences in California and New York alike. /event spaces, meeting areas, pools and accessory uses, bars, restaurants, and spas. ConsciousBuild is well qualified to support you in any eventuality needed for your project, including, but not limited to, managing a team of consultants appropriate for your project. ConsciousBuild brings a high level of commitment and integrity to ensure the project is delivered in as timely a manner as possible. We are highly qualified and able to commit all of the time necessary for the project with a productive and effective staff ready to serve your needs. www.consciousbuild.com :: www.sgblocks.com
www.consciousbuild.com 805.305.3928 ConsciousBuild, LLC P.O. Box 51617 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
www.sgblocks.com Toll Free: 888.274.4892 Email: info@sgblocks.com SG Blocks Headquarters 260 Madison Avenue 9th Floor New York, New York 10016
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www.consciousbuild.com :: www.sgblocks.com