Lifetime EcoHousing Initiative

As a global manufacturer, Lifetime recognizes the need for reliable, maintenance-free, transportable, and easy-to-erect shelter solutions that can be used as homes, schools, and general facilities within a disaster-stricken or impoverished community. Therefore, Lifetime has engineered a spacious, maintenance-free structure called The EcoHouse, that can be used in a variety of applications. The EcoHouse, manufactured 100% in the USA, uses the same technology applied to Lifetime's Storage sheds.

Sitelinks


Lifetime EcoHousing Initiative


Lifetime EcoHousing Initiative

A sample of the EcoHouse assembled with additional ecological components by EcoReaccion.

Lifetime created the EcoHousing Initiative to fulfill economical and low-maintenance housing needs. By partnering with innovative groups, Lifetime plans to develop and distribute sustainable shelter solutions wherever they are needed. Lifetime’s shelter solutions are called “Eco”-Housing because they are both economical and ecological.

• Economical- Low cost shelter solution. Packaged to maximize shipping ease and minimize effort required to unload boxes. Minimal resources required for assembly. No need for cement trucks, bricks, or other materials. Assembled locally. Once assembled, household has no need to pay for utilities.

• Ecological- Made from 100% recyclable plastic and steel. Uses minimal resources to construct- no cement trucks, brick making factories, etc., resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. Structures can be configured to become fully-sustainable, off-the-grid dwellings with solar panels, bio-digester systems, water tanks, etc.

Worldwide Lack of Affordable, Adequate Housing
Poverty, political unrest, lack of infrastructure, natural disasters,-- all of these scenarios and more leave millions of people worldwide waking up to face another day unable to fulfill basic human needs. With a lack of clean water, medical care, nutrition, clothing and shelter, these communities often rely on humanitarian groups, government aid and disaster relief efforts. Their journey toward economic and personal recovery is a long one, fraught with pain and anxiety. 

Fulfilling the need for shelter in these situations is a large step toward restoring human dignity and supporting family and community life. Whether temporary, transitional, or permanent, shelter is a necessity. Obtaining a shelter means gaining protection, security, privacy. It is a place to store and safeguard personal belongings, a place for family gatherings, and a place for basic household activities such as cooking, sleeping, eating, and caring for the sick or injured. Commonly, tents are utilized after a crisis to provide instant shelter and protection from climate extremes. While adequate for immediate relief, these households often remain in these temporary shelters for several months and sometimes years. In many areas, ongoing challenges of general impoverishment and housing crises leave people constructing houses using whatever materials people can find, resulting in unsafe, unsanitary dwellings.

The Mexico Housing Solution Story
At the beginning of 2009, EcoReaccion, an organization that specializes in community development and eco-friendly (self-sustaining) home construction in Mexico, approached Lifetime Products after seeing a Lifetime 8’ storage shed in Sam’s Club Mexico. As the two companies collaborated, Lifetime’s engineers developed a design for a steel-reinforced, polyethylene structure that could serve as a low-maintenance shelter, and called it the EcoHouse. Since the structure utilizes the same components from Lifetime’s Storage Buildings, the structures can be mass produced, packaged, shipped, and easily assembled.

EcoReaccion began purchasing the EcoHouse from Lifetime Products, picking it up at its distribution center in Monterrey MX, and continues to use the structure as its primary housing solution. Their teams of specialists prepare the site and assemble the structure on location, while adding sustainable plumbing, electric, and waste recycling components. Lifetime’s partnership with EcoReaccion continues to flourish. Plans are underway to pilot a community in the state of Morelos, Mexico. 

The Lifetime EcoHouse
As a global manufacturer, Lifetime recognizes the need for reliable, maintenance-free, transportable, and easy-to-erect shelter solutions that can be used as homes, schools, and general facilities within a disaster-stricken or impoverished community. Therefore, Lifetime has engineered a spacious, maintenance-free structure called The EcoHouse, that can be used in a variety of applications. The EcoHouse, manufactured 100% in the USA, uses the same blow molding and steel technology applied to Lifetime’s outdoor storage sheds, along with customized features that make it feel and act like a home. The single-unit Lifetime EcoHouse comes complete with external walls, internal walls, flooring, windows, a lockable door, and a roof with support beams. This revolutionary housing structure ships on four pallets and can be assembled in about 72 man-hours. It can also be assembled complete with sustainable electrical, plumbing, and waste management to make it a fully-functional and self-sustaining home, or can be configured into an effective school, clinic, dining area, or meeting area.  

Product Features
• Constructed with steel-reinforced, double-wall High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
• Powder-coated steel is weather and rust resistant
• HDPE is low maintenance- never needs painting; is UV protected; won’t crack, chip, or peel; and is flame resistant
• Made from 100% recyclable materials
• Customizable 377 sq ft of living space
• windows lock for privacy and door comes equipped with standard door knob and key
• Includes internal wall panels for room separation
• Screened vents for increased ventilation, great for warmer climates
• Includes five skylights, which allow for natural lighting during the day
• Includes 12 shatter-proof polycarbonate windows that open
• Non-slip, durable, HDPE flooring included
• Entire structure including foundation can be broken down and relocated

Shipping and Assembly
• Easy to transport- ships on four pallets.
• Easy to deliver- pallets are designed to allow for unloading by hand. The house can be unloaded by as few as two people.
• Ready to assemble- includes a full set of step-by-step instructions for assembly
• Instructions include recommended house layout— kitchen area, bathroom, and two bedrooms
• Parts for building a gravel-based foundation are available, for instances where a concrete slab is unavailable/undesirable

Dimensions and Specifications
Nominal Dimensions- 11' x 38.5' (3.35 x 11.73 m)
Footprint- 124.25"d x 454.5"w (3.15 x 11.53 m)
Exterior Width- 453.5"w (11.51 m)
Exterior Roof Width- 462.75"w (11.75 m)
Exterior Depth- 123.5"d (3.13 m)
Exterior Roof Depth- 132.75"d (3.37 m)
Exterior Height 112"h (2.84 m)
Roof Pitch- 6:12 (26.5°)
Door Opening Dimensions 37.7"w x 76.6"h (0.957 x 1.944 m)
Window Opening Dimensions- 21.5"w x 23.625"h (.546 x .600 m)
Interior Width- 450.5"w (11.43 m)
Interior Depth- 120.5"d (3.06 m)
Interior Headroom (truss to floor)- 89" (2.26 m)
Square Feet- 377.0 square feet (35.0 m^2)
Cubic Feet- 2953.6 cubic feet (83.4 m^3)

Contact Us
As Lifetime continues to grow, we are eager to apply our expertise in innovation to invent and introduce ground-breaking shelter solutions, such as the Lifetime EcoHouse.

If you have questions about the Lifetime EcoHousing Initiative or would like to explore a partnership with Lifetime Products, please contact Clint Morris  cmorris@lifetime.com. 

 

PO Box 160010, Freeport Center, Bldg. D-11, Clearfield, UT 84016-0010
(cc) Lifetime Products. Privacy Statement, Terms of Use, & Legal Information.