Truth Box: What is behind The Box Office

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

The Box Office was built in 2009 during the recession, at the time when there was a greater demand for small office space to accommodate down-sizing and start-ups in business. The property is located in Providence, Road Island on a former lumberyard. The structure is one of the most energy efficient commercial buildings in the region and is recognized worldwide for its innovation; it consists of 12 smaller offices and made out of 37 recycled shipping containers. The building is all electric and uses air to air heat pumps for heating and cooling and the energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system used to circulate the air in each office. The ERV exchanges inside and outside air and preconditions the outside air to assist with heating and cooling. Both technologies are used to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. 

The developer of Truth Box, Inc. hoped the building would be cheaper to construct than a conventional office building; but it turned out to be equivalent to a typical construction cost. A portion of the building was constructed off site and the project was completed in 2010. During a recent interview with Peter Case, principle of Truth Box, Inc., we learned that there would be development of a sequel Box Office adjacent to the original.

Mr. Case expressed his confidence in the future for sustainable land development because a door has opened on the market for creative and out of the box projects such as the Box Office. Projects like these are the future of sustainable planning and architecture with careful planning around the earth’s resources.

Following is our interview with Peter Case:

Q. How did you decide on the land you would use for this project?

A. We focus mostly on urban infill projects such as old lumber yards, mill buildings, empty industrial lots, and used properties. This allows us to build with more design freedom. The Box Office site was mostly vacant and just needed clearing before construction started.

Q. Where did the idea come from?

A. We wanted to build something that fit in an industrial neighborhood. We thought the recession was an opportunity for an unusual real estate venture in small office spaces. We wanted to start building with shipping containers because we thought it would require less money and use less space. The Box Office is located next to a highway, which also suggested an opportunity to build something unconventional.

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

Q. What specific aspects of the building make it green? Are there any other natural or recycled materials incorporated within the building?

A. The building is run only on air to air heat pumps and electric energy. The heating and cooling is provided by an air-2-air device that looks like a typical air conditioner. There is no furnace or boiler involved with the heating. The building has walls made of steal and all the joints are welded together, which helps with keeping the building well sealed from the exterior. The windows are designed to be large enough to bring enough daylight in so the lights can be kept off for most of the day. Yet are a small enough and dispersed in a strategic way to decrease energy loss. There is a 10 kWh solar array on the roof that covers about 10 percent of the energy load. The interior finishes include bamboo, cork, and recycled carpet tiles. The paint used throughout the building is no VOC paint. The indoor air quality is excellent.

Q. What new technology is involved in the series of buildings?

A. When the windows are closed, air is being exchanged in and out and circulated throughout the building with ERV at the rate of about four air changes a day. The air filters have to be changed twice a year.

Q. What kind of cost savings have you seen or hope to achieve for this project?

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

A. Renters are paying about a third of the typical rate of the energy costs then if they were renting from a conventional office building.

Q. How long did the Box Office property take to build and what went into the project?

A. The project took between 9 and 10 months to build. The shipping containers took four days to erect; 20 percent of the construction was off-site, mostly modifying the shipping containers and installing the windows and doors

Q. Is there anything you would change?

A. I would like to do the next project with more work done off-site if possible. During this project there was more time put. Overall I am very pleased with the work.