This container Village is being assembled at Tin Wis by McKenzie Beach. I will check with TFN on Monday to see who the intended tenants are. Amazing how fast a housing project can happen !
What a deplorable situation. The Tin Wis is now the third resort in Tofino to supply inadequate, make shift housing for their employees, although this is a new low, staff housed in containers!
The lack of housing for people working in Tofino is at a crisis point, there are very few long term rental units available. The problem is that every room, apartment or house, suitable for renters, had become short term nightly rentals for tourists. The District of Tofino should have realized when they zoned single family homes, to allow short term rentals this would be the result. What a bloody disgrace.
The drawings look quite cool. The final product will be quite respectable.
What is deplorable is the local band will have been taken to the cleaners by some architects wet dreams. Using containers is a "hip new approach" that seems simple and appealing. The elegance is mainly in streamlining the decision process for the ignorant. In this location, Tofino, it will actually cost more to adapt and refit than conventional construction. Is there the local expertise to figure it all out and do the work or will they have to rely on more outside experts to execute this "unique" product. More expense.
There will be lots of head scratching going on. You have to get the cutting torch out to do anything. First thing jettison the large swing lock doors, the most expensive part of the container, then cut holes everywhere, like add windows and doors, provide plumbing and electrical chase'. It goes on and on. Expensive spray foam insulation to prevent condensation issue...big problem in this climate. Steel sweats like crazy. You have to provide framing to hang the siding from, more framing to provide interior finish, bolt on timber to attach a separate roof....nearly everything will be duplicate.
By the way, is there a lesson here for Tofino Council? I sure hope Tofino has some people with local construction/development experience on their housing committee. Bureaucrats, politicians and inexperienced dreamers can get themselves into a nasty and expensive jackpot real quick. Many consultants are little more than sales and idea people. We've seen that play out before. Not the same kind of expertise as someone who has actually done the done. Spending tax payer money is easy. Easy come easy go.
Ralph, please inform me as to where tourists are paying "big money" to stay in containers.
Regarding 11:08's comment, it does not cost more to refit containers than conventional construction. You sound like the staff housing manager at the Tin Wis!
Pacific sands comes to mind, but those are not steel containers that have been repurposed. They are conventionally framed boxes, prefabed and stacked on top of each other. Big difference
8:40 Every sentence that you wrote is chalk full of wisdom. How refreshing to uncover in this day and age. I've begun to feel quite lonely on this planet in recent years. Your way of thinking provides hope.
You are spot on about the container village. 5.44 tends to disagree with you, however, that doesn't surprise me. I am able to sense that he knows sweet nothing about how to build things properly. Excess moisture and mold are going to play huge roles in the viability of these structures, once this shanty town is completed. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!" These steel structures are not compatible with such a humid environment. Period.
I spent over thirty years in construction in Tofino. I was always amazed how many people never had enough time and money to build something right the first time, but who had plenty of time and money to go back a second time and patch things up, trying to make it right, all too often an impossible and costly endeavor. Seems like Tin Wis was sold a bills of goods here, a pipe dream. Did anyone think of contacting a few of the local, longstanding general contractors here with proven track records who have operated successfully for decades? Could they have created funky wood-framed row housing that looked like containers for a fraction of the cost? I think so.
Good luck cutting and drilling in all that steel boys...and yes, all that retrofitting that will have to be done. I don't want to even guess at the cost per square foot when all is said and done. Someone has been watching too many home renovation shows on TV.
wood frame housing can be done much cheaper than the steel container repurpose with local moisture problems addressed at thr beginning of the build. I agree with the the naysayers as far as costs go but welcome the extra housing being created.
Shipping containers sit in humid ports all over the world and exposed to some of the harshest elements on the planet. HVAC units are installed in most modern homes today!! Guarantee a shipping container will last longer then most of the homes in vinyl village. The Tin Wis is addressing the needs of today.......20 years from now the land might be fully developed with homes or hotels.
Guess what? all you naysayers.. the cost of making these habitable is irrelevant. there are no penurious DCC's, no prohibitive lift fees on rezoning, not expensive engineering, no building permits, no red tape, no hookups fees, public hearings, consultants, or any of the other expensive procedures required by the district which seemed to be designed to stop any development. so the naysayers can say what they want but the tremendous savings on the process is well spent finishing the containers appropriately.
8:38 is exactly right on. The idea that you can move a project along, and avoid contact with Tofino council and staff...... well, that makes sense. Perfect sense. Common sense. I'd do it that way too. No need to contend with Thicke's "visions", or Blanchette's being "overwhelmed", or Rodger's "planning", or any of the other foolishness based at the corner of 3rd and Campbell. It would be great to see a similar project started up between the gas stations, or on the land by Cox Bay. Maybe that would point out to our beloved municipal government that they'd better soon either s**t or get off the pot. Progress happens, like it or not, and people need places to live. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the mayor is off joining the NDP's think-tank on climate change, on her way up the political ladder........ Who's looking after Tofino?
as the mayor think tanks about climate change lets not forget the districts discharge of raw sewage into clayoquot sound is one of the things causing global warming. the ostrich approach. yay!
yes the sewage itself is cool except for the large amounts of nitrogen, chemicals, pathogens and drugs. nitrogen heats up over time causing problems for marine species
Here is a question for all you experts. Tofino has rejected a series of larger development proposals. The most recent would have provided housing on the so-called Hubner lands. One of the commonalities in these rejections is councils reported lack of water to sustain such developments. The "Container Village" being developed on First nations land, requires no rezoning or permitting of any kind by Tofino, but it does use water. How does that all work. They have a lot of land in Tofino to go through
Also, the District is rattling its chains with prospects of it's own housing project. And it is ambitious if memory serves me. It requires water as well. How does that work?.
Who decides who is the first among equals?.Or are some simply more equal than others. And how is that decision made. How are the interests of the taxpayers being represented? Can anyone remember a council debate or motion about this? Is it just me in the dark? or are we all in the dark?
you are in the same dark as most everyone else. The woodsmere development was wanting approximately 440 residential/rental units. there is simply not enough water to be able to promise anybody that amount. the Cox bay proposal wanted 310 units for strictly rental units. I'm not on the Council and have nothing to do with water allocations but I do know that there's not a lot of water to be supporting recent applications. whatever scant surplus there may be is most likely been allocated some years ago based on the zoning and probability of it being developed for residential housing and or attainable housing. water for reserve lands is out of the District's hands to control considering that all of the districts water comes from the tribal Park lands on meares island. go figger
So, 5:33 believes, the right to water has been allocated years ago to the benefit of some, based on past zoning and "probability", and as well there is nothing can be done in regard to the requirements of "reserve lands" because we owe them. I don't recall any public discussion of these issues. This is quite problematic if true...Anyone remember Jack Nicholson in China Town. Something smells here.
This is obviously one of those illuminati schemes to eliminate most of the people in tofino except for those cognoscenti in on the program. some of these discussions took place years ago with public hearings open meetings and no secrecy. folks who were busy hunting or fishing or saving the world or living somewhere else or watching movies missed all these things even though they were advertised and published. often the citizens cry foul when they weren't paying attention years ago when the district, for example, adopted the OCP.
Talked to people at the construction site. They estimated conventional construction of the units would cost $150 per sq.ft. Using the containers will cost around $280 per sq.ft. But not to worry its all gov,t money anyway. No worries unless your a tax payer.
I never realized the OCP said so much about the allocation of water to certain pieces of property, and who was to get what. I await illumination by the cognoscenti.
Staff housing
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat a deplorable situation. The Tin Wis is now the third resort in Tofino to supply inadequate, make shift housing for their employees, although this is a new low, staff housed in containers!
The lack of housing for people working in Tofino is at a crisis point, there are very few long term rental units available. The problem is that every room, apartment or house, suitable for renters, had become short term nightly rentals for tourists. The District of Tofino should have realized when they zoned single family homes, to allow short term rentals this would be the result. What a bloody disgrace.
Tourists pay big money to stay in containers at some resorts.
ReplyDeleteThis is better staff housing than Poole’s .
The drawings look quite cool. The final product will be quite respectable.
ReplyDeleteWhat is deplorable is the local band will have been taken to the cleaners by some architects wet dreams. Using containers is a "hip new approach" that seems simple and appealing. The elegance is mainly in streamlining the decision process for the ignorant. In this location, Tofino, it will actually cost more to adapt and refit than conventional construction. Is there the local expertise to figure it all out and do the work or will they have to rely on more outside experts to execute this "unique" product. More expense.
There will be lots of head scratching going on. You have to get the cutting torch out to do anything. First thing jettison the large swing lock doors, the most expensive part of the container, then cut holes everywhere, like add windows and doors, provide plumbing and electrical chase'. It goes on and on. Expensive spray foam insulation to prevent condensation issue...big problem in this climate. Steel sweats like crazy. You have to provide framing to hang the siding from, more framing to provide interior finish, bolt on timber to attach a separate roof....nearly everything will be duplicate.
By the way, is there a lesson here for Tofino Council? I sure hope Tofino has some people with local construction/development experience on their housing committee. Bureaucrats, politicians and inexperienced dreamers can get themselves into a nasty and expensive jackpot real quick. Many consultants are little more than sales and idea people. We've seen that play out before. Not the same kind of expertise as someone who has actually done the done. Spending tax payer money is easy. Easy come easy go.
ReplyDeleteRalph, please inform me as to where tourists are paying "big money" to stay in containers.
Regarding 11:08's comment, it does not cost more to refit containers than conventional construction. You sound like the staff housing manager at the Tin Wis!
Take a look around
ReplyDeletePacific sands comes to mind, but those are not steel containers that have been repurposed. They are conventionally framed boxes, prefabed and stacked on top of each other. Big difference
ReplyDeleteThey are prefabricated modular units.Made in China.
ReplyDeleteThank you for correcting me.
ReplyDelete8:40 Every sentence that you wrote is chalk full of wisdom. How refreshing to uncover in this day and age. I've begun to feel quite lonely on this planet in recent years. Your way of thinking provides hope.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on about the container village. 5.44 tends to disagree with you, however, that doesn't surprise me. I am able to sense that he knows sweet nothing about how to build things properly. Excess moisture and mold are going to play huge roles in the viability of these structures, once this shanty town is completed. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!" These steel structures are not compatible with such a humid environment. Period.
I spent over thirty years in construction in Tofino. I was always amazed how many people never had enough time and money to build something right the first time, but who had plenty of time and money to go back a second time and patch things up, trying to make it right, all too often an impossible and costly endeavor. Seems like Tin Wis was sold a bills of goods here, a pipe dream. Did anyone think of contacting a few of the local, longstanding general contractors here with proven track records who have operated successfully for decades? Could they have created funky wood-framed row housing that looked like containers for a fraction of the cost? I think so.
Good luck cutting and drilling in all that steel boys...and yes, all that retrofitting that will have to be done. I don't want to even guess at the cost per square foot when all is said and done. Someone has been watching too many home renovation shows on TV.
wood frame housing can be done much cheaper than the steel container repurpose with local moisture problems addressed at thr beginning of the build. I agree with the the naysayers as far as costs go but welcome the extra housing being created.
ReplyDeleteShipping containers sit in humid ports all over the world and exposed to some of the harshest elements on the planet. HVAC units are installed in most modern homes today!! Guarantee a shipping container will last longer then most of the homes in vinyl village. The Tin Wis is addressing the needs of today.......20 years from now the land might be fully developed with homes or hotels.
ReplyDeleteI live in my car.
ReplyDeleteGuess what? all you naysayers.. the cost of making these habitable is irrelevant. there are no penurious DCC's, no prohibitive lift fees on rezoning, not expensive engineering, no building permits, no red tape, no hookups fees, public hearings, consultants, or any of the other expensive procedures required by the district which seemed to be designed to stop any development.
ReplyDeleteso the naysayers can say what they want but the tremendous savings on the process is well spent finishing the containers appropriately.
Everyone overlooks the fact that these containers will float when they're hit by the tsunami.... a lifeboat you can live in!
ReplyDelete8:38 is exactly right on. The idea that you can move a project along, and avoid contact with Tofino council and staff...... well, that makes sense. Perfect sense. Common sense. I'd do it that way too. No need to contend with Thicke's "visions", or Blanchette's being "overwhelmed", or Rodger's "planning", or any of the other foolishness based at the corner of 3rd and Campbell. It would be great to see a similar project started up between the gas stations, or on the land by Cox Bay. Maybe that would point out to our beloved municipal government that they'd better soon either s**t or get off the pot. Progress happens, like it or not, and people need places to live.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, back at the ranch, the mayor is off joining the NDP's think-tank on climate change, on her way up the political ladder........ Who's looking after Tofino?
I want to encourage the intelligent writers of
ReplyDelete8:40
7:10
10:15
8:38
to PLEASE run for council!
This town so needs wise brilliant direction!
We need HELP
Current council is running a s** show!
as the mayor think tanks about climate change lets not forget the districts discharge of raw sewage into clayoquot sound is one of the things causing global warming.
ReplyDeletethe ostrich approach. yay!
The raw sewage is actually quite cool by the time it is discharged into the ocean.
ReplyDeleteyes the sewage itself is cool except for the large amounts of nitrogen, chemicals, pathogens and drugs. nitrogen heats up over time causing problems for marine species
ReplyDeleteHere is a question for all you experts. Tofino has rejected a series of larger development proposals. The most recent would have provided housing on the so-called Hubner lands. One of the commonalities in these rejections is councils reported lack of water to sustain such developments.
ReplyDeleteThe "Container Village" being developed on First nations land, requires no rezoning or permitting of any kind by Tofino, but it does use water. How does that all work. They have a lot of land in Tofino to go through
Also, the District is rattling its chains with prospects of it's own housing project. And it is ambitious if memory serves me. It requires water as well. How does that work?.
Who decides who is the first among equals?.Or are some simply more equal than others. And how is that decision made. How are the interests of the taxpayers being represented? Can anyone remember a council debate or motion about this? Is it just me in the dark? or are we all in the dark?
you are in the same dark as most everyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe woodsmere development was wanting approximately 440 residential/rental units. there is simply not enough water to be able to promise anybody that amount.
the Cox bay proposal wanted 310 units for strictly rental units.
I'm not on the Council and have nothing to do with water allocations but I do know that there's not a lot of water to be supporting recent applications.
whatever scant surplus there may be is most likely been allocated some years ago based on the zoning and probability of it being developed for residential housing and or attainable housing.
water for reserve lands is out of the District's hands to control considering that all of the districts water comes from the tribal Park lands on meares island. go figger
So, 5:33 believes, the right to water has been allocated years ago to the benefit of some, based on past zoning and "probability", and as well there is nothing can be done in regard to the requirements of "reserve lands" because we owe them. I don't recall any public discussion of these issues. This is quite problematic if true...Anyone remember Jack Nicholson in China Town. Something smells here.
ReplyDeleteThe District entered into a water agreement with Tin Wis years ago. I might have a copy somewhere but the District has it on file.
ReplyDelete
Deletehttps://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/Library/First_Nations_Service_Agreements/Service_Agreement_and_Bylaw--Tofino_and_Tlaoquiaht_First_Nation--2009.pdf
This is obviously one of those illuminati schemes to eliminate most of the people in tofino except for those cognoscenti in on the program. some of these discussions took place years ago with public hearings open meetings and no secrecy.
ReplyDeletefolks who were busy hunting or fishing or saving the world or living somewhere else or watching movies missed all these things even though they were advertised and published. often the citizens cry foul when they weren't paying attention years ago when the district, for example, adopted the OCP.
Talked to people at the construction site. They estimated conventional construction of the units would cost $150 per sq.ft. Using the containers will cost around $280 per sq.ft. But not to worry its all gov,t money anyway. No worries unless your a tax payer.
ReplyDeleteI never realized the OCP said so much about the allocation of water to certain pieces of property, and who was to get what. I await illumination by the cognoscenti.
ReplyDelete