TRI-KES Teams Up to Retrofit Shipping Containers for South African Clinic
Interior finishes company TRI-KES has donated two shipping containers to be retrofitted into a tuberculosis clinic and laboratory in South Africa. The company—known for its stylish wall coverings, coatings, and fabrics—made the announcement during the Hospitality Design (HD) Expo earlier this summer. TRI-KES has teamed up with the Baylor Research Institute , The Wilson Foundation , and Tshepo Trust for the project, which will repurpose the 40-foot containers into a tuberculosis clinic and laboratory, and will be located in Vaalwater, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
The idea for the project came about when TRI-KES repurposed a shipping container to use as a booth during the recent HD Expo. The company tapped Dallas-based graffiti artist Jerod Alexander Davies (aka DTOX) to create a 3-foot-by-3-foot piece of art called “Compassion Blooms” that depicts the process of repurposing a shipping container and giving back to a community in need. The illustration was then digitally reproduced and illuminated onto the shipping container.
“TRI-KES is always looking for ways to give back to the community,” says Stacey Tarkington, vice president of marketing for TRI-KES. “When we were planning the booth, we felt like we could do so much more than just bring the trend of repurposed shipping containers to the trade show.”
In the United States, shipping containers have become a popular receptacle for hip restaurants, boutiques, and other commercial operations, but in other countries people are finding that they’re also ideal for more basic necessities like clinics, labs, and shelters.
Tarkington confirms that the two containers and equipment have already been shipped to South Africa. Local workers have been hired to help with the construction. The clinic and lab should be open for patients starting next spring.