DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY 1B [CNTB102]

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITETURE
STUDENT NUMBER: 22138962
STUDENT NAME: MJ GWALA
ASSESMENT #5A: RESEARCH {SHOP HOUSE}
Table of contents

Introduction to a shop house…………

The introduction to a shop house

WHAT IS A SHOP HOUSE & WHO BUILDS THE BEST?

DAN

DESIGNS

1. The steel building industry is evolving. We’re seeing tiny houses (which have had their prices
soar), residential metal homes becoming more popular, and now we’re hearing a new variation:
the Shouse.

A shouse is a neat concept, and it is one that we’re seeing a lot of companies offering, including Lester,
Morton, and EPS.

WHAT IS A SHOUSE?

© EPS Buildings

A shouse is a shop house, or shop + house.

These buildings have a shop with living quarters, and they’re built to accommodate your lifestyle.
Entrepreneurs and businesspeople that run their business out of their home will love this idea.

The designs are flexible, energy-efficient and offer maximum comfort.

But you don’t need to be a businessperson to enjoy a shop house. You can have a shop attached, or you
can have a storage area built in.

When you choose a shome design, you have the option of choosing a combination that best meets your
needs. Mix and match your shouse to include an area that allows you to run a shop or store a boat – it’s
up to you.

The history behind the shop home designs is an interesting one.

You may have heard of these homes originating in the Midwest twenty years ago, but that’s only partly
true. Before the modern shouse came into existence, the concept was used in the Middle Ages.
Europeans used these homes and shops together so that they could offer their services to locals.

A blacksmith, for example, would often have their house and shop connected. The benefit was that the
shopkeeper could quickly get to work, and there was no need to purchase any additional real estate.

In the Middle Ages, it also wasn’t uncommon to see house and barn combinations.

Since we no longer use horses as a primary mode of transportation, we opt to have a shouse, which can
often fit an automobile or two in the shop as needed. These combo homes are great because they allow
for:

o Dedicated workspaces and storage areas

o Open floor plan designs

o Energy efficiency

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUILD A SHOP HOUSE?

A shop house cost varies greatly, depending on the shop house plans you choose. Since there is a lot of
customization involved from the design to the materials, it’s difficult to put a price on anyone dwelling.

Factors that will go into the cost of your shouse are:

o One of the main factors is how big your space is, including the home and shop area.

o Distinct levels of insulation will play a role in the cost of the shouse, too. Higher efficiency will
cost more in the short-term, but you’ll spend less in the long-term to heat and cool the space.

o How many windows will be in the home and what type of windows? Are you going to add or
remove doors? Do you want any specific features in the shouse? All these added features will
cost more money.

Contacting the top shouse manufacturers and requesting a custom quote is the best choice when trying
to estimate costs.

SHOUSE MANUFACTURERS

Shouse manufacturers all offer their own perks. Do you want a shop with living quarters? Do you want a
house with a storage space attached?

There’s a lot that you can request when having your own shouse built.

And your best bet, especially in terms of pricing and what can be built for you, is to work with the
industry’s leading manufacturers. These companies have experience building a shop house and can
provide their own custom quote for your desired plan.

The leading shouse builders are:

EPS BUILDINGS
EPS has completed hundreds of shouses, and the company claims that only an EPS shouse includes:

o Flexible custom designs that never take a cookie cutter approach. An in-house design expert will
help draft a custom design that fits your needs. The company can help from concept to elevation
details.

o Energy efficiency superiority thanks to the structural insulated panels. The panels are designed
to provide a prominent level of energy performance for every project.

o EPS provides a Home Energy Rating test that guarantees that the home is energy efficient. The
test is performed by a third-party and provides insights into how energy efficient your home is
when it’s complete.

o Complete engineered packages that are provided to ensure strength and durability, from the
panels to the windows of the home.

o Pest control is also improved thanks to the solid core SIPS. The solid core design reduces the
cavities where pests can enter and compromise the space.

EPS has been in business since 1981 and is one of the leading shouse builders in the country. Working
with EPS means working with an experience brand that has an in-house staff that can help your shouse
go from idea to conception.

GREINER BUILDINGS
One of the pioneers of the shop house, known as a SHome, Greiner’s buildings are fully insulated and
come with temperature-controlled workspaces. The living quarters are all custom, and they’re
considered the number one solution for modern country living.

Customers benefit from a custom-designed home with the durability of a post-frame building.

The company won a Residential 1st Place Award in 2016 for one of their Shouse buildings.

When you choose Greiner’s buildings, you’re choosing an award-winning company that creates Shouses
that have:

o Open floor plans that allow for large ceilings, no load-bearing walls and up to one hundred’
wide for limitless possibilities.

o Energy efficiency due to thicker wall cavities that allow for more insulation to be placed
between the walls. The company has numerous insulation options including eight’ wide
fiberglass butts or closed foam spray foam.

o Custom build options, with consultations and other firsthand help from the builder. The
company will ask you the goals of the building and land and help you produce a solution that
best meets your shouse needs.

The company collaborates with you from start to finish. The designers will produce 2D and 3D CAD
designs to allow you to mix and match features before construction even begins.

MORTON BUILDINGS
Morton Buildings prides itself with manufacturing metal and steel buildings to fit in every budget. The
company can manufacture a small barn, or they can help you design the shouse of your dreams.

Morton prides itself on offering customers the ability to control the flow of their homes with an open
floor plan.

The company helps from the planning to the construction phase, with components that are optimally
designed and evaluated for strength and integrity. Morton’s buildings are so strong that they offer a 50-
year snow warranty, too.

Morton has several benefits, including:

o Energy efficient performance packages that allow for highly efficient insulation inside of the
home or shouse.

o Morton’s foundation system, which is designed to make homes safer and more secure once
they’re on the foundation.

o Window and shutter systems for a variety of window options.

o Long warranty options on the roof to help safeguard against any issues with snow or wind
damage.

Morton is one of the industry leaders in the shop house manufacturing process. The company will
collaborate with you through the entire process to build a long-lasting quality home that is able to
withstand wind and snow guaranteed.

HANSEN POLE BUILDINGS

Hansen Pole Buildings designs buildings for residential use that allows you to create a custom floor plan
in a price range that you can afford. The company designs and manufactures barndominimums and post
frame homes, too.

The company prides itself on offering the lowest priced kits on the market.

If a competitor has a lower quote, the company will match it. When working with Hansen, you’ll benefit
from:

o Step-by-step instructions that have a full manual and illustrations to ensure that the final
building is engineered to the company’s specifications

o Unlimited building customizations that include design, style, and color options to make the
home to your exact specifications

o Complete planning guides and access to builders that allow you to have your home built as
quickly as possible

Pricing for each building is custom quoted, but they do have a base price range for kits:

o Medium kits which include storage/barn areas are $9,350 – $20,000

o Large kits which include residential/arena areas are $16,800 – $50,800

Keep in mind that these kits would have to be melded together to create a true shouse. The price is just
for the kit, so you will have to consider all the construction and labor costs that go into the process.
LESTER BUILDINGS

Lester us a premier builder that has been in business since 1947. The company has been building steel
clad buildings for decades, and their wood frame buildings use steel panels in their design.

The company backs all their buildings with a lifetime structural warranty.

Lester is known for:

o Engineering buildings that have no weak links to ensure that each building is structurally sound.

o Customization from the design team to design a shouse that meets the needs and goals of every
customer.

o Accessory options that can be added or removed to provide a building that best meets the
vision and design that the customer wanted.

o Cost-efficient design concepts that provide a building that is never overdesigned and offers the
customer a final product that is insignificant risk and properly priced.

Lester Buildings has manufactured over 150,000 different buildings across the country. The company’s
post-frame construction allows for large shops and small living spaces to allow for work and play in the
same building.

Recommendations

A shouse is the next step in the home building process. When you want to build a home with an open
floor plan that is just a few steps from your shop, the shouse is a top option. You’ll be able to build a
home with high energy efficiency and durability.

Custom quotes and speaking with the manufacturer directly will allow you to build a shouse that will last
for decades and meet the goals you have for your new home.
STUDY AREA AND LOCATION

The site is well known as 18 Botanic Gardens and historically known as a botanic gardens park. The study
area extends between Chris Ntuli Road (King Dinu Zulu Road), Botanic gardens road. It is located on the
Northern side of the N3 freeway before it splits as it enters DUT. The area includes residential properties
as well as commercial to the west and north of the site, the botanic gardens, curries fountain sports
ground and DUT Steve Biko campus alongside. Area in the immediate the immediate vicinity are
Warwick triangle and the market area, the taxi ranks and municipal bus depot and Berea railway station.

HISTORICAL, CULTURE AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE

The area has a complex history of change. The Berea was named by Captain Allen Gardiner who
established a mission station on the ridge 187 years ago. The Botanic Gardens was established in 1848
and Botanic Gardens Road was a main road along the contour from Berea Road which was the closest
tram route into the city center). The site areas of Durban to be divided up into parcels for sale as
residential land back in 1846, targeting various potential landowners, including settlers and Indigenous
and colored family business.

Properties were sized according to value, the lower altitude sites being smaller and the higher altitude
sites larger and more valuable. Areas of small scale developed along Botanic Gardens Road and below,
near Vause and Montgomery roads and in Riley Road. Small wood and cottages populated the areas,
Ref. Kearney. Brick and mortar veranda cottages were also built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
sesemi detached houses and flats started to be along botanic garden

CONTEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCE

Botanic Gardens Road

Medium rise apartment blocks and residences set back from the street.
Botanic Gardens and Steve Biko Road intersection

Mansfield school 47 Steve Biko Road {department of drama at DUT}

The heritage listed and protected in the township planning of the environment.

Looking up Steve Biko Road to botanic gardens road interspersed with multiple story residential blocks.
Dominated by DUT boundary wall and gate entrances.

ARCHITETURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Berwyn court {location: 49 botanic gardens road}