Blog de Puree

I was flipping through Dwell, one of Randye’s favorite architecture and design magazines, and came across a one page article about an Oregon Army National Guard officer serving in Afghanistan. The article was about how Major Arnold Strong epitomized soldierly field expediency by using some simple furniture construction and design concepts to make his eight-by-eight foot home, a shipping container, into a useful and welcoming space.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are living in virtual cities made from these shipping containers. Like apartment complexes, they are stacked up or laid out, fitted with HVAC units, electricity and furnished with a twin bed and a wall locker. These makeshift domiciles are often referred to as Legoland by the troops.

Major Strong decided to put some extra design effort into his small living space. After ensuring that his body armor, helmet, boots and primary weapon were immediately available—after all, he is a soldier—he constructed a lift for his bed to make more storage space underneath. He also constructed a small bookshelf, purchased an adjustable computer desk, and picked up some task lighting to offset the harsh fluorescent lights that come with the room. Over time, he also added some colorful Afghan textiles and several paintings from a local artist. Not bad for a man that is used to living in a 4,000-square-foot ranch house with his family in Oregon.

While conditions for our men and women overseas are still pretty Spartan, it’s nice to see that some of them can overcome the typical shortcomings of living out of a shipping container. You’ve got to love that good old “American know-how.” It’s also nice to read about them in publications where you normally wouldn’t, such as Dwell magazine. Kudos to that mag.

You can read more about Major Strong and his experiences in Afghanistan at his blog, Strong Ideas.