St. Augustine artist builds shipping container home after Hurricane Irma

A local artist who lost his home in Hurricane Irma is making sure he’s protected against future hurricanes.

Rob DePiazza said when Irma came through St. Augustine, he and his family thought they would weather the storm in the two-story home he lived in for 31 years.

“We actually stayed in the house for Irma because I felt comfortable with the tree not coming down, and then, at like five in the morning, it fell,” he said.

Now, he’s building a new home on the property -- made of shipping containers.

“It’s become like an instant tourist attraction because there’s constantly cars, cyclists and pedestrians coming by,” he said.

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The structure of the home is made up of nine steel containers -- a unique building material that has caused some problems.

“My biggest problem was insurance. I didn’t have enough coverage because the thing that you don’t anticipate is when you have storms like to hurricanes back to back,” DePiazza said.

Right now, he is facing a similar problem -- obtaining insurance for his new home.

But he says the challenges haven't taken away the thrill of the new project.

“It’s like terrifying and exhilarating simultaneously,” DePiazza said.

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Depiazza now has the most non-traditional home on the block that paints a picture of why it’s there.

He’s encouraging everyone who experienced great loss in the hurricanes not to give up, and to always plan for the worst.

“Make sure your insurance is up-to-date and enough to cover rebuilding in this kind of climate,” he said.

Cox Media Group