Rob DePiazza’s brightly painted Prince Road Container House in St. Augustine, Florida, has become a magnet for tourists from around the world, both for its unusual construction from shipping containers and for the personal story behind it.
DePiazza lost his home of 30 years when Hurricane Irma struck in 2017 and a large oak tree crashed onto the house while he and his daughter were inside. Two days after the storm, he decided to start building with shipping containers; what began as a temporary fix evolved into a completed 1,600-square-foot residence and short-term rental finished in February 2020.
The Prince Road Container House, known locally as PRCH, sleeps up to six guests with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and lists 67 amenities on its rental profile. Those amenities include a private sauna that fits four people, a balcony with woodland views, bicycles for guests, and an in-home gym, according to the listing. The interior mixes reclaimed industrial surfaces with vintage and eclectic decor — jukeboxes, 1950s-era streetlights and colorful art — while one feature wall is covered in plant pots and a metal balcony overlooks the living area.
DePiazza has described his aim as transforming industrial boxes into a "vibrant, creative, and inviting space." He deliberately retained much of the containers’ original paint and surface marks, saying the scuffs and seams reveal construction techniques that are usually concealed. A large exterior mural uses figurative imagery to reference the destruction of his former home, with a blowing figure intended to evoke Hurricane Irma.
The house’s distinctive design and backstory have drawn considerable attention. It was ranked ninth on a recent list of the top 10 Airbnbs in the United States and was cited as Florida’s top-rated rental by News 4 Jax. The property also drew online attention when YouTuber Ryan Trahan featured it during his 50 States in 50 Days project and called it among the nicest interiors he had encountered.
Guest reviews on the rental platform emphasize the home’s uniqueness and comfort. Commenters praised the decor and the overall experience, with several saying the stay set a high bar for short-term rentals. The property maintains an active social media presence and has been covered in multiple outlets highlighting its blend of modern container architecture and retro, convivial interiors.
DePiazza’s project exemplifies a growing interest in adaptive reuse of shipping containers for residential and hospitality purposes, showing how an improvised reconstruction after extreme weather can become a sustained design statement and a draw for cultural and leisure tourism. Since its completion, PRCH has continued to operate as a rental and a showcase for DePiazza’s approach to revealing materials and celebrating unconventional construction methods.