George Mason University
IN-2: Innovation 2

The Container Space is located adjacent to George Mason University’s (Mason) School of Art. The School of Art converted an old shipping container into "a prototype for a zero-carbon mobile exhibition gallery and community space." The shipping container is a recycled object itself. The container stood deteriorating in a field for two decades before it was re-purposed, utilizing found and recycled materials from the garbage and the local community. The container was acquired by Tom Ashcraft, Associate Professor of Sculpture, who was interested in the innovative uses of containers and their modularity. Recycling & sustainability are key conceptual features of the Container Space. Because most shipping containers were made in North Korea or China where there historically have been few regulations on what kinds of chemicals can be used inside containers, the students first ripped out all of the original wood and rusty bolts inside. For the container’s interior walls, the students chose a paint containing zero volatile organic compounds. Then the students repurposed used shipping pallets to replace the deteriorated floor. All of the pallets were retrieved from the trash or donated by local businesses overflowing with pallet stock. The students then installed custom skylights made from several pieces of recycled frosted glass, which were placed at angles corresponding to the degrees of the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. Finally, the Container Space is off-the-grid and powered by a 130 watt solar panel, a deep cycle battery, and lit by two strings of LEDs. The shipping container formally opened in December 2009 and has hosted numerous art exhibits. For more information, click on http://www.containerspace.org/home/about