September 1 marked the opening of downtown Phoenix’s newest restaurant and retail marketplace—and its latest commercial construction project to utilize decommissioned shipping containers as its primarily building form. The Churchill is a 14,000-sf urban infill development that caters to small Arizona-based businesses.
The development is the latest in a neighborhood to be constructed entirely from shipping containers, and the third shipping container project delivered by Phoenix-based design-build firm Local Studio.
The Churchill, located at 901 N. 1st Street, is comprised of 19 containers. Each maintains its original doors and wood floors, and parts of the containers were used to build the upstairs deck. The center courtyard is covered and cooled with evaporative coolers and large fans. Handcrafted tables and seats maintain the theme and were constructed with refurbished wood shipping pallets.
Photo courtesy Local Studio
“We saw The Churchill as an opportunity for placemaking in our own neighborhood,” said Local Studio Founder Brian Stark. “It’s an unexpected place that will bring people together to meet, eat, shop, and share experiences—and we wanted the structure itself to reflect that sense of community.”
The centerpiece of the development is 30-foot-tall steel container sculpture created by Phoenix artist Pete Deise. The container is propped up vertically on the southwest corner of the complex and features a paper-cutout aesthetic to expose the interior of the box.
Stark says container-based construction is not just about aesthetics. He says the steel corrugated boxes are more durable than common building materials, and structures made with containers can be erected in half the time.
“Using shipping containers is more than a trend—it’s been popular in Europe for decades,” said Stark. “These projects are built quickly, sustainably, and bring an authenticity to a neighborhood. Other cities are looking to Phoenix as a model for how to adapt their building codes to attract container projects.”
Photo courtesy Local Studio
Photo courtesy Local Studio
Related Stories
| Dec 18, 2019
Reconsidering construction robotics
After decades when experts predicted that robots would become more prevalent on construction sites, it would appear that the industry has finally reached that point where necessity, aspiration, and investment are colliding.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 16, 2019
Top Building Systems Products for 2019
FabricAir’s ceiling-hung fabric duct and Ellumi Lighting’s bacteria-killing lights are among the 13 new building systems products to make Building Design+Construction's 2019 101 Top Products report.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 12, 2019
Top Building Envelope Products for 2019
Sto's beetle-inspired exterior coating and Dörken Systems' UV-resistant vapor-permeable barrier are among the 28 new building envelope products to make Building Design+Construction's 2019 101 Top Products report.
Building Tech | Nov 8, 2019
Pittsburgh is developing a one-stop-shop campus for additive manufacturing and 3D printing
Neighborhood 91 is the latest tech venture for the city’s airport authority.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 12, 2019
Meet the masters of offsite construction
Prescient combines 5D software, clever engineering, and advanced robotics to create prefabricated assemblies for apartment buildings and student housing.
Codes and Standards | Sep 9, 2019
Free app calculates maximum allowable heights and areas for buildings
A free app that calculates the maximum allowable heights and areas for buildings of various occupancy classifications and types of construction has been released.
AEC Innovators | Aug 15, 2019
Oracle’s replica of a construction jobsite creates an immersive environment for AEC professionals
The Oracle Construction and Engineering Innovation Lab allows visitors to walk through five different stages of construction work, to test new AEC technologies and training techniques.
Building Tech | Jul 24, 2019
Building façade innovation: Water won’t dissolve this sugar cube
10 Jay Street’s unitized “sugar crystal” façade was engineered to withstand the water and wind from New York’s East River.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 23, 2019
Is prefab in your future?
The most important benefit of offsite construction, when done right, is reliability.
Building Tech | Jun 26, 2019
Modular construction can deliver projects 50% faster
Modular construction can deliver projects 20% to 50% faster than traditional methods and drastically reshape how buildings are delivered, according to a new report from McKinsey & Co.
