A Sparkbox on display in downtown Phoenix. Photo: Courtesy of Steel + Spark
By Jessica Boehm | Axios
A Phoenix company that transforms used shipping containers into solar-powered homes and offices has been named one of the most innovative housing solutions in the country.
State of play: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development invited Steel + Spark to display its ADA-accessible “Sparkbox” on the National Mall in Washington next month as part of its Innovative Housing Showcase.
- Phoenix-based Cavco Homes, which designs manufactured homes from renewable materials, will also be displayed.
Zoom in: Sparkboxes range from 160 to 363 square feet of livable space and don’t need to connect to electricity, so they can be installed and usable in a single day, says Steel + Spark co-owner Kathleen Santin
- They’re powered 100% by the sun during the day and lithium batteries at night.
Why it matters: Steel + Spark sees them as a quick and environmentally friendly way to address Phoenix’s housing shortage.