Though shipping containers have been used as inexpensive living units in underdeveloped or impoverished areas, especially around dockyards, for quite some time, architects have been finding new and imaginative ways to re-purpose these old containers in recent years. The modular nature of these prefabricated construction materials allows architectural artists a huge degree of freedom and versatility in their construction, and the materials and labor costs involved in the construction of such buildings is extremely inexpensive, when compared to more traditional building techniques; which makes them ideal for inexpensive student housing, apartments, office complexes, and temporary structures. Though many architects are coming up with imaginative new concepts for artistically designed homes that can be deployed and repackaged in very little time, for mobile living or emergency relief housing, others are applying their efforts towards designing more permanent structures, due to the unique industrial, post-modern feel that can be achieved with these construction materials. Indeed, with insulation and minor renovations, shipping containers be re-purposed into comfortable, spacious, inexpensive, and unique homes to suit any budget and environment; with all the creature comforts of any other home.
I find this manner of construction very appealing, because of its modular nature, inexpensive construction, artistically liberating designs, and ecologically friendly concept. The fact that these buildings are so cheap to produce (shipping containers can be ordered for very little cost, as low as $3000 per used container (though, depending on their availability, they could be picked up for even less), with the standard dimensions of a container being 20ft long 8ft wide, and 8ft tall. Forty foot long containers, though twice as long, are only about 15% more expensive. You can see how, with only a few containers, a bit of imagination, and the space to put them, you could create very unique buildings for homes, offices, work places, studios, garages, or just about any other purpose you could imagine. Some innovative architects, with only minor modifications to the containers, even use them as decorative or functional pools!
I guess my descriptions can only do the concept so much justice, however, so please enjoy some of the more architecturally appealing container homes I've found online:
This one is definitely my favorite, because of the architect's use of shipping containers as decorative water features, as well as the general "courtyard" feel of the construction. I totally dig it!
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/container-city-pool-lg.jpg[/IMG]
I love the bright coloring and post-modern feel of this building. It's a very unique building, and would be a pleasure to live in. Plus, it's much more spacious inside than you might think!
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/one-container-house-lg.jpg[/IMG]
This is a cool example of a permanent structure build almost entirely from shipping containers. The huge windows and recycled construction parts make it very environmentally friendly, and the interior is hugely spacious, and airy!
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/gal_housesub.jpg[/IMG]
This one is designed as an "off-the-grid" portable home for a small family. The entire building folds back up into a standard-sized shipping container that can be moved at will.
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/atc-grounds-lg.jpg[/IMG]
This is another example of a cool portable home. All of the construction materials used in this one are recycled; even the floor is made from recycled rubber from car tires. As with the previous building, this one can be repackaged and shipped in less than ninety seconds.
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/eco-pod-lg.jpg[/IMG]
Here are some various interiors of portable container homes. The feel of the interior is limited only by the architect's imagination:
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/port-a-bach-int-lg.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/site-specific-int-lg.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k553/BigDumbAmerican/weekend-house-int-lg.jpg[/IMG]
I just thought I'd share this with you, because I find it very interesting! I love the entire concept of these homes! The applications are also fascinating! Though they can be used to make some seriously bitchin' homes and apartments, they have so many other uses! Imagine prefabricated container cities built as comfortable, temporary, modular living for emergency relief purposes! Adequate housing for hundreds of people could be built in a matter of days; it's as simple as trucking new units as needed. Living units, recreational units, hygiene units, cafeterias, etc, etc. There are tons of possibilites!
My aunt has one, its fucking awesome.
Cool stuff. I wonder how much they cost?
EDIT: I mean, I know how much they cost flat out, I meant like maintenance? Seems like you could live pretty comfortably for far less if you could get heat + electricity into these things for cheap enough. My only concern would be insulation? How well do these things retain heat?
This sort of thing fits my frugal hermit lifestyle perfectly.
[QUOTE=StormHammer;32908710]Cool stuff. I wonder how much they cost?
EDIT: I mean, I know how much they cost flat out, I meant like maintenance? Seems like you could live pretty comfortably for far less if you could get heat + electricity into these things for cheap enough. My only concern would be insulation? How well do these things retain heat?[/QUOTE]
They can be insulated by simply packing foam insulation behind wall panels; the use of large windows can also be used to freely warm the interior on sunny days. Alternatively, "refrigerated" containers come pre-built as insulated units, though I'd imagine they are slightly bulkier and a bit more expensive.
And how do you heat them in the winter? Metal doesn't really keep warmth in.
Oh hey I seem to have gotten ninja'd
I've been interested in this ever since I heard about the concept in Brink. It's really cool.
I've always thought a shipping container home would be cool after seeing it in Tron:Legacy.
Wow, these look super low budget, but AWESOME for a single person or two people.
I wonder where you could get these. These seem great for just 1 or 2 people.
[QUOTE=Bytecry;32909310]I wonder where you could get these. These seem great for just 1 or 2 people.[/QUOTE]
Shipping containers are pretty hugely available, especially if you live near the coast. It's generally cheaper for oceanic shipping companies to leave excess containers behind and buy new ones from China, rather than waste cargo space carrying empty ones back, so many ports have a large number of unused shipping containers that they'll resell for a pretty small amount of money. However, shipping containers can be found pretty much everywhere, as they're used pretty extensively by freight trains and such, too.
I did a little bit of pricing research on shipping containers, just for fun, and found that containers in my county (which is in the middle of the United States, about as far from the coast as possible) run about $3500 for used 40ft containers. Strangely, forty foot containers are only about 15% more expensive than 20ft containers, so you're getting a lot more for your money. However, 20ft containers are probably much less expensive to ship. The danger with used containers, however, is that older ones might be rusted out or have poor weather-protection, whereas new containers are typically coated with weather- and rust-resistant materials, are much sturdier, and have a way longer lifespan. New ones can be ordered online (there are even websites specifically tailored to shipping containers that are intended to be modified for homes and offices), but most of the sites I found only offered quotes for price and shipping if you contacted them directly, which I'm not willing to do because I'm not seriously considering purchasing a shipping container any time in the near future.
Bottom line, they're pretty readily available, and for not much money.
What about the lot where you install them and getting them there
[QUOTE=Batmoutarde;32909832]What about the lot where you install them and getting them there[/QUOTE]
Yup, land and construction costs are where the real money comes into play. However, construction costs are still considerably lighter than those for a traditional home.
The problem with this kind of construction is that city-ordinances might not permit them, depending on where the proposed construction is taking place; so anybody considering a container home would have to do enough research to ensure that they're meeting all the building codes. That's common sense, though.
Living near the coast in that.
Sounds awesome.
I've said this to myself a lot, and I'll say this here:
Give me a small box with a small kitchen, a bathroom, somewhere to sleep and somewhere to put my computer in, and I'm done.
I saw a nice design where a guy was living in a really small house that was basically a trailer that you could easily move with a car and he had the bed upstairs in the "attic", that looked like something I would totally live in, I don't need much space.
[QUOTE=Bytecry;32909897]Living near the coast in that.
Sounds awesome.[/QUOTE]
Definitely would rule, but coastal real-estate is generally pretty damn expensive. If you're dying for a good view, I'd recommend land on a lake or river, though I guess in a country as small as the UK, that turf would [I]also[/I] be pretty darn expensive. That's one of the nice things about living the in the US; real estate is pretty cheap, because the county's friggen massive. We once had a four-acre plot on a lake that we were [I]planning[/I] on building a house on, but our situation changed and we had to sell it. If I recall, that plot (which was really quite beautiful) ran for about $30k. It's even better in the Southwest; land is dirt-cheap in the deserts out there, and the scenery is friggen beautiful. A lot of pilots end up retiring in the Southwest, because land big enough for a private runway and hangar is very affordable. If you look at aviation maps of Arizona and New Mexico, you'll see hundreds of little private air strips. If I were going to build my place, it'd probably be down that way.
i always thought container homes were wicked after i kept making them in gmod
I'm planning to move to Canada or the US after I finish University. Maybe I could find a nice space out there.
Yeah but, I heard somewhere that if you misplace one electical wire then the whole house goes live.
Is that true op? I'm counting on you to dispel this
They look nice, but it seems like they'd get pretty cold in the winter.
[QUOTE=Zethiwag;32910065]Yeah but, I heard somewhere that if you misplace one electical wire then the whole house goes live.
Is that true op? I'm counting on you to dispel this[/QUOTE]
That really doesn't sound realistic. Aren't all electrical systems pretty much insulated in some way? If not, couldn't they be insulated pretty easily? I really don't know much about electrical systems, but I can't imagine that your house would turn into an electrified death trap under any realistic circumstances.
[editline]22nd October 2011[/editline]
Found a sweet history channel special on "Container City," in London:
[video=youtube;65C9OLvmjpI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65C9OLvmjpI[/video]
How much do these cost, and where can you buy them?
Like a furnished container, with everything, etc.
[QUOTE=BestBuyInBRICK;32910697]How much do these cost, and where can you buy them?
Like a furnished container, with everything, etc.[/QUOTE]
Dunno, exactly, but I found a list of various companies which produce prefab container homes, as well as some of their projects, and their headquarters. You could probably dig up more information on that from here:
[url]http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/containerbayhome.htm[/url]
[editline],[/editline]
Somebody found some prefabricated container homes for sale on Page 2, but the price tag on that one is ridiculous. Anybody who is seriously interested in looking into this sort of housing should remember that the costs associated with these homes are quite minimal. Just make sure you do your research and find a fairly priced unit, if you're going for prefab. Alternatively, you might send a letter to an architectural college professor and ask him if any of his students might be willing to do a little bit of commission side-work. Students would probably be grateful for the opportunity to flex their creative muscles and earn a bit of dosh, and you'd save on the costs of hiring a professional. Just be sure to get [I]some[/I] kind of architect or engineer to look over plans before committing to construction, because, while these things may be very versatile, they're still subject to all the stress and strains of any other building, and the last thing you want is for a several ton shipping container to crash down on your head.
They are pretty cool, but as others mentioned insulation would be my primary concern. Thin metal is a shitty insulator, so you have to build the walls inward and pack them with sprayfoam, reducing your interior living space.
Sounds like a cheap yet decent home; might consider renting a home in Container City after uni.
I wouldn't mind living in one. If it's cheaper than buying a home, I think it'd be awesome to live in a part of the city with just Container homes.
Theres a ted talk about using reclaimed materials in building
[url]http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_phillips_creative_houses_from_reclaimed_stuff.html[/url]
Space is a concern why not simply design the interiors with a minimalist feel? Things like the bed or the sofa could simply fold back into the walls.
This is a neat concept, I'd like to see where this goes as the earth gets more and more crowded.
i want to live in a shipping container.
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