Bloomfield home will be fabricated with shipping containers for $825K
Six shipping containers stacked and welded together will become a house in Bloomfield.
You read that correctly.
Rebekah Siegel and Eric Smooke of Siegel Smooke Holdings LLC, both Allderdice High School graduates, ran into each other two years ago in Shadyside. They embarked on developing the property.
“This is not for everyone, but we believe it will be for someone who is open-minded and innovative and interested in new architecture and green, urban living,” said Siegel, a real estate agent with Siegel Kovalevskiy Group at Re/Max Select Realty. “This is a place for someone who is adventurous and appreciates creativity.”
The shipping container home is being prefabricated at Container Homes USA in Cleveland. It is expected to arrive in Pittsburgh sometime in early spring. Each brand-new steel container is 8 feet by 40 feet.
The price for the home is in the $825,000 to $850,000 range.
There is nothing else like this in Pittsburgh, says Derrick C.W. Childs, who co-owns Container Homes USA with his wife, Monique.
It will be located at 413 Pearl St. The 1,255-square-foot lot is close to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in nearby Lawrenceville, West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield and UPMC Shadyside Hospital, as well as technology companies and several universities.
What makes a shipping container home different from other prefabricated houses is the material — shipping containers are designed to withstand harsh conditions at sea, making them incredibly durable and resistant to extreme weather, Smooke said. They have closed-cell spray foam insulation, plumbing and electric like a regular home and meet all building codes.
“Because the home is made of steel, it negates termite issues and other wood-eating pests, as well as being far more resistant to rodents than the average stick-built home,” Smooke said.
The home’s asking price could change based on interior finishes such as porcelain tiles, natural stone, kitchen, flooring, lighting or faucets. Installation takes a few days.
“We want this Pittsburgh home to be a masterpiece,” Childs said. “It will be chic.”
Childs has shipping container builds in the Virgin Islands, Ohio and Florida.
The home will have approximately 1,920 square feet of space, a rooftop deck, balcony, four bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms.
“Living here is not just a state of being — it’s an actual experience,” Smooke said. “This home embodies ‘green living’ at its truest, so naturally it appeals to those who value the environment and the earth around them. It contributes to the idea of sustainability at its very core. More and more people are doing this kind of construction across the country. We want to bring it here. It is truly Steel City living.”
For more information, visit 413pearlstreet.com.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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