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Husband and wife developer duo Joshua and Courtney Booth are building Atlanta’s first shipping container subdivision on the Westside. Five homes are planned to create an intimate – and sustainable – community called Stacks at Wilson.
The Booths knew they had a hit on their hands when 70 perspective buyers showed up at a weekend open house and they received four over-ask offers the first day. The home sold for $349,000, which was $21,000 over the asking price. Joshua said it was proof that homebuyers were ready to challenge the norm and consider something outside the box – by moving into, well, boxes.
These aren’t your average boxes, though. The two 40-foot conjoined shipping containers have a funky fusion of mid-century modern meets trailer park chic on the exterior, while the interior finishes rival anything to be found in upscale homes or condos in Midtown or Buckhead.
“We had been wanting to build a tiny home community, so we started researching and looking at how we could utilize unconventional materials,” Joshua said. “That led us to shipping containers.”
Finding affordable, available land to realize their dream led the couple to the Dixie Hills neighborhood on the Westside, not far from historic Westview Cemetery. The Booths are working with Team Trilogy of reality firm Compass to market the homes at Stacks at Wilson.
What makes the home green? The steel construction of the containers makes the home extremely durable, while a special double insulation makes them cheaper to heat and cool. The home uses all LED lighting and is fully electric.
Since metal attracts heat, one might expect the electric bill would be astronomical in summer, but Courtney said it was just the opposite.
“Because of the double insulation in the wall system, the utility bills are only about $125 to $150 a month,” she said. “The house stayed cool even in the Georgia heat. We didn’t turn on the air conditioning until August last year.”
The builders are also talking to vendors about using solar energy and rain water retention methods to make the next four homes even more sustainable. Permitting is already underway for the next home at the development, which will utilize eight shipping containers.
The Booth’s development company, Concrete Roots Group (CRG), is also supporting and working with charitable organizations that focus on youth development, job creation, community restoration, and sustainability.
Courtney said the CRG Foundation’s Active Youth Academy is working with K-12 students by introducing them to philanthropy and entrepreneurship to help expand their future goals. Another program helps the homeless and those returning from incarceration to learn a building trade and become self-sufficient again.
For more information, visit concreterootsgroup.com.
Collin Kelley has been the editor of Atlanta Intown for two decades and has been a journalist and freelance writer for 35 years. He’s also an award-winning poet and novelist.More by Collin Kelley
