| Louisiana is often referred to as the "Sportsman's | | | | construction would have taken much longer, leaving |
| Paradise" because of its abundance of fish and | | | | the subfloor and framing exposed to the weather." |
| wildlife, but for Royce Rispone, "paradise" is a work in | | | | Rispone, joined by his two brothers and their father, |
| progress on Grand Isle. | | | | takes the three hour trek to Grand Isle each |
| As LA's only barrier island, Grand Isle is a place that is | | | | weekend to work on the fishing camp, and they |
| both loved and feared. People such as Rispone and | | | | anticipate enjoying the fruits of their labor before |
| his family flock to the area to enjoy the treasures | | | | next summer. "We are all in this together, so even |
| found in and among the Gulf's sand and surf, while | | | | though we are not fishing yet, we are still spending |
| remaining aware that it is also a hotbed for severe | | | | time with family-which is the whole reason for |
| weather and the accompanying devastation that can | | | | starting this project in the first place," says Rispone. |
| ensue. When they decided to build a family fishing | | | | High quality prefabricated metal buildings and metal |
| camp there, resilience and ease of construction were | | | | building kits are virtually maintenance free and also |
| crucial. For Rispone, that meant constructing a metal | | | | durable enough to offer fire resistance and the ability |
| building. | | | | to withstand extreme weather conditions. They are |
| "We have been coming to the island for years with | | | | also versatile enough to meet any building application |
| friends and family, and it has always been our dream | | | | ranging from a garage to a large hay storage building. |
| to have our own place," says Rispone, who lives in | | | | Some of the buildings also offer flexibility in |
| Baton Rouge. "There were several factors that | | | | accessories, which can include end walls, vents, and |
| steered us toward a steel building. Obviously the | | | | foundation plates as well as additional feet of building |
| strength of the building was a major factor, and it | | | | to expand the structure. |
| was very cost effective as compared to | | | | On top of all of that, Rispone says the building just |
| conventional construction-but the biggest factor was | | | | looks cool. "It is very different from other buildings |
| the ease and time of construction. Since we do not | | | | on the island-we get a lot of looks and stares!" says |
| live in Grand Isle and have regular jobs during the | | | | Rispone. "We are still trying to decide on a name for |
| week, we are only able to work on the weekends. | | | | the camp, and since it will actually be our own little |
| We were able to have the exterior closed in and out | | | | piece of paradise, maybe we will incorporate that into |
| of the weather in only two weekends. Conventional | | | | the name. |