this mobile, off-grid, corten steel workspace is a project manager's rustic dream

all images by andrew latreille

developed by and for the project managers at powers construction, the ‘site shack’ is a prototype for a ‘premade’ mobile workspace — not to be confused with pre-fab. pre-fab products require onsite assembly. power construction’s ‘premade’ concept ships to site fully constructed, ready for focused seclusion for PMs in need of a digital detox. ‘for this office, we wanted to design and build an iteration from scratch, thus removing the structural constraints of the shipping container module,’ the team say. ‘the goal was to create a seamless corten steel form reminiscent of a traditional pitched roof house. the roof pitch was calculated so truck transportation would not require over-height permits. the interior was to be heated with a traditional wood stove. one end was to be fully glazed, the other incorporated a hidden steel door. throughout construction the design details were refined. this allowed fulfillment of the initial desire for a seamless, finely detailed exterior.’

the structure comprises a 2×6 wood frame and 5 x 5 foot steel angles at the ends. the interior stove is made from cold rolled steel and the exterior walls are concealed beneath 1/8’ of corten steel, which is plug welded to z-girts, allowing for a seamless design with no visible fasteners.

project info: 

project team: powers construction

project size: 96 square feet