Three Squared News
Q2 2018
Three Squared is honored to be one of two finalists for the EMA's 2018 Environmental Achievement Awards!
The Environmental Management Association called us "Pioneers in durable non-traditional construction" due to our use of steel cargo shipping containers to build durable mixed-use spaces, condos, and apartment complexes in a fraction of the time of traditional lumber-based construction. As we've mentioned before, not only do cargo containers already meet building codes, their reuse significantly cuts down on waste, saves trees by eliminating the majority of lumber use, and automatically provide a thermal barrier that helps keep ongoing energy costs down. We are excited to be honored this Thursday, April 19th. Event details can be found here.
Three Year Anniversary of Our Model Center
Three years ago this past weekend, our Model Center was erected in 6 hours and 15 minutes. Detroiters drove past an empty site on their way to work in the morning... and on their way home in the evening there was a building there (as shown below), ready for trade workers to start the next day.
Fascinating Facts:
Did you know that it takes on average 22 mature pines trees to frame a house? Meanwhile, TSI framed a 17,250 sg apartment complex in 5 days without using a hammer, nails or lumber.
Container facts...
-
A standard 40 foot shipping container weighs 8,820 pounds.
-
To melt down a container would take around 8000 kWh of energy, nearly the same amount of energy as a U.S household uses each year.
-
The average amount of energy used to convert a shipping container into a home takes around 400 kwh, so around a 95% reduction when compared to melting down the steel.
As you can see, building with shipping containers can be a huge step forward to building sustainably. To learn more about the benefits of sustainability, check out some more articles below.
How efficient is our insulation of choice?
Superior energy performance depends largely on creating a better building envelope. New research highlights the effectiveness of closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (ccSPF) in substantially and consistently improving the energy performance of homes. Find out more about evaluating the cost and energy efficiency of closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation. Read more here.
Investing in Social Responsibility
Can we place a value on social responsibility? YES! Do socially responsible companies show higher profitability and stock performance than their counterparts? YES! Check out this article in Forbes to see why sustainability is a good business practice. Read more here.
Team Spotlight
Three Squared has onboarded Claire Ollila as our new Sustainability Manager. Find out how she's been leading our sustainability efforts so far in 2018.