Shipping container-based architecture has produced plenty of innovative structures already, but isn't generally associated with beer ... until now. The recently-opened Austin, Texas-based Container Bar brings sustainable architecture and alcoholic beverages together under one roof, and provides a fine example of recycled architectural design, too.
Designed by North Arrow Studio and Hendley Knowles Design Studio, the Container Bar features seven shipping containers in all. The containers are stacked atop each other two stories in height and arranged to form a central courtyard space with a bar in the middle, and an upper deck area with patio and outdoor seating. In all, the bar's indoor and outdoor areas measure a combined 196 sq m (2,115 sq ft) of floorspace.
Five of the seven containers serve as lounging spaces, and North Arrow Studio decorated the interiors with bright colors and materials, making use of mosaic tiles, MDF, recycled wood, paper collage, and wallpaper. The firm also cut several windows into the containers.
The Container Bar opened for business earlier this year but the build took over three years from start to finish, thanks in part to the Austin authorities' unfamiliarity with shipping container-based structures, and the resulting headache in gaining the necessary permits.
Should the need arise, the Container Bar can be disassembled and moved with ease – or far easier than a typical bricks and mortar bar, anyway.
Sources: North Arrow Studio, Dunlap
As far as doing a decent thing and getting the containers off the street...they are made of steel and can be readily recycled. I will even go so far as to say that the system for recycling steel is more established and has far fewer unknown variables than the relatively new idea of converting these containers to habitalbe space.
I have seen some really nice designs / houses made from shipping containers, IMO.
Authoritarianism - Laws, codes and standards (from the national level down to the local municipality level) in place and enforced to protect everybody involved.
Choice - There are approximately 200,000 home builders/remodelers in the United States. Without the laws, codes and standards provided and enforced by the authoritarian system there would be 200,000 builders/remodelers performing their work in any manner that they choose. Granted some would self regulate but too many would take advantage of the situation.
If you would argue that the builder/remodelers would form their own organization (such as the NAHB) in the absence of an authoritarian government, would this not be the same thing on a smaller scale? Is the NAHB not an authoritarian entity?
As far as no accountability for the government...that is a false statement/argument. Accountability is with the citizens, regarless of which level of government one is speaking of. If the citizens are so apathetic (which they are) that they choose not to react, with nothing more than a strongly worded complaint or name calling, to what their government does whose fault is it really? How apathetic must a citizenry be that, while complaining about their elected officials, they continually vote them back into office, to the point that there are representatives that have 20+ years of tenure?
An exclusively authoritarian (totalitarian) government can not exist for any appreciable length of time just the same as an exclusively free choice society can not exist for any appreciable length of time. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, an equitable balance between the two will never happen. This in itself seems to be an apathetic statement but it is not and all one has to do to prove it is to look back through history. For all that we (humans) are arrogant enough to proclaim about ourselves we can't even build a society that can stand the test of time.
As to your belief (and I don't begrudge you that belief) that the United States has become or is becoming a socialist state, I put this challenge to you. Live your life entirely free of any product, service or support that has any type of government (local, state or national) financial backing. Live as an outlier to society and see what your quility of life is. Until you can do this you are just as apathetic, in your belief of the "USSA", as those who continually vote the same people back into office at each election.
For your benefit the following website looks to be a pretty comprehensive list of all the federally subsidized programs that you won't be able to take advantage of in your non-support of the "USSA" and more than likely touches on an unseen aspect of your life.
http://funding-programs.idilogic.aidpage.com/