I was ecstatic to write the About copy for Relevant Buildings, a Portland based company that designs and builds shipping container homes. They have a strong value system as a brand and that made it fun for me to write about what they do and how they began. As a company, they strive to put forth a new, sustainable way of living and believe that buying a home should not put homeowners into financial ruin.
I interviewed Carl, the founder and owner, and asked him specific questions about his upbringing and how that informs his work, what fuels his passion for simple living and about the epiphany he had after an arsonist burned down his first housing project. I chose to write the copy in shorter sentences that were to the point, but reflected a tone of passion. The result is an About page that clearly expresses Relevant Buildings’ determination and drive to change the way people buy homes.
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Copy:
Who We Are
Relevant Buildings is a pursuit of minimalist living through alternative housing options.
What We Do
We transform shipping containers into homes that are beautiful, affordable and, most of all, sustainable.
We design residential units that include modern amenities with net zero energy options. They range from 192-900 square feet.
Our multifamily dwellings are our way of promoting an alternative and fairly priced option for homeowners, while building community along the way.
What We Stand For
We believe in making a positive impact in people’s lives and for the earth.
We believe that homeownership should not be a financial burden.
We believe in living simply and supporting your success in life.
Our mission is to give relevant options for those seeking a new way of living that doesn’t require you to rely on the chaotic housing market to own a home or face our rapidly changing climate with an unsustainably built house.
We aim for action in the form of designing homes using available resources, while promoting a new culture of home buying. Relevant Buildings gives you a new way of living.
Carl’s Epiphany
It happened after an arsonist burned down their pole barn.
Carl, along with his sons, were working on a new affordable housing project and pole barns was their alternative solution. But after seeing $45,000 and a month of hard work disintegrate into ash, it dawned on Carl that this would not have happened if the building were made of metal. The idea of shipping containers as homes immediately entered his mind.
Although shipping containers are not a new concept, Carl sees the enormous potential for this untapped resource to provide more affordable housing options; something we believe that our society needs. Every year, thousands of shipping containers are never returned overseas and are just sitting in U.S. ports and shipping yards. They are the perfect solution for affordable and sustainable living.
Carl, a developer, excavation contractor and entrepreneur, has been restoring old buildings for decades. His whole career, he’s been on a mission to find a smarter way to build houses. Primarily, to get back to his roots, i.e. the first house he bought 40 years ago that was a modest 970 sq. ft., which he purchased for $20,000. In addition, he grew up with 5 siblings and 2 parents in a 900 sq. ft. home. “That’s all we needed,” Carl says about his childhood home.
Largely, inspired by a student dorm built of shipping containers at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Coffman began creating his own designs for smaller, single-family houses and eventually went on to design multi-family units. Relevant Buildings was born.
Through Relevant Buildings, Carl strives to promote a simpler lifestyle and a new culture of home buying, one that ultimately gives people a better chance at succeeding in their lives.