Homeowners Ron Sturgeon and Linda Allen are known for thinking outside the box in every aspect of their lives. “If it’s different, let’s try it,” Allen says. “That’s our attitude about most things in life.” Sturgeon and Allen are avid world travelers, and their home and business projects are often inspired by art, architecture and design from across the globe. In 2018, Sturgeon built the Box Office Warehouse Suites (BOWS), an office, warehouse and retail park in Fort Worth, Texas, made from 154 shipping containers. Sturgeon is a commercial landlord with millions of square feet of shopping centers, hair salons and other space under his purview. “The impetus for BOWS was my love of small mom-and-pop businesses,” Sturgeon explains. “These days, everyone is using less space. BOWS was intended for the artsy crowd; we have a number of tattoo shops and little boutiques in it.”
Inspired by the BOWS property’s unique look and high performance, Sturgeon and Allen decided
to build a custom home in the Linwood neighborhood of Fort Worth that would be eye-catching and energy-efficient. The 5,500-square-foot, 3-story home was constructed using six 45-foot shipping containers welded to a steel superstructure. Sturgeon and Allen also have a guesthouse at the back of the property, made from two 45-foot shipping containers.
The primary residence, which includes a nine-car drive-through garage on the first floor, a third-floor swimming pool, and a rooftop running track and entertaining space, is industrial and sleek. Large expanses of insulated glass break up the metal façade, allowing natural light to enter the home, which features large, open rooms and a 20-foot-high ceiling in the main living area. The kitchen includes a range of built-in high-end appliances that Allen describes as “fabulous.”
Because of the home’s open rooms, sizable glass windows, high ceilings, and location, keeping spaces cool during the hot Texas summers and warm during the cold winter months was critical. Sturgeon, who has used more than 400 duct-free systems on several other projects, including BOWS, reached out to AC Supply to design a system for the house.
“Ron likes to explore the unconventional and, with this house, he built it in a way that others haven’t thought to explore. It’s one of the best parts of working with him,” explains James Fulton, sales director for AC Supply Co.
AC Supply designed a system, consisting of 16 wall units that actually look like art with smart inverter outdoor units. A vertical air-handling unit, hidden behind the pantry and featuring its own access door, with exposed ductwork was used to condition the open-plan second floor. AC Supply, working with Garrett Davis, Sturgeon’s trusted construction superintendent and owner of Davis Commercial Services, contacted JD Webb, president of Webb Air Heating & Cooling, to manage the HVAC installation.
In addition to wanting a comfortable, energy-efficient home, Sturgeon and Allen had a specific aesthetic in mind for the interior and exterior of their home. Allen, who designed the interior, wanted an “industrial look with a funky side to it”, which would allow the couple to showcase the unique art they have collected over their years of world travel.
“My No. 1 goal was to make sure the house was comfortable and then configure the HVAC in the most aesthetically pleasing way—and to do all that in a way that was the most accessible for us to service after the installation,” Webb says.
To ensure the HVAC systems worked with the overall design intent, the team had to address piping visibility. “One of the largest challenges with all the ceilings was figuring out how the HVAC system would run throughout the house and how we would get it to each floor,” Davis recalls.
Additionally, Sturgeon and Allen did not want any penetrations on the roof to avoid water damage should a leak occur. “Roof penetrations as a landlord are the bane of my existence,” Sturgeon notes. Therefore, the team needed to develop a solution for running the mini-split duct-free systems’ piping without penetrating the roof or interfering with plumbing and lighting.
PHOTOS: LG unless otherwise noted