Even More Creative Shipping Container Houses

Since our previous post on shipping container houses, the craze of prefab structures and cargo homes has accelerated to new levels. From quiet mountain cottages to chic container hotels, it’s easier (and cooler) than ever to call a rusty old shipping container home sweet home. Take a look at a few of the possibilities….

Container City, designed by Nicholas Lacey, overlooks the Trinity Buoy Wharf in London and provides 37 studio apartments for area artists. The project was completed in 2 phases, using 50 shipping containers, and boasts an intriguing, Lego-like design. Since the completion of Container City I and II in 2002, Urban Space Management has developed several other shipping container designs including the 2500 square foot Mansell Community Center below.

SG Blocks, a St. Louis based company, received a great deal of attention with their 1800 square foot Harbinger House at West Coast Green last September. Fashioned from 5 recycled shipping containers, the 2-story home took less than a month to fabricate and not even 5 hours to assemble. The company has also designed a military building in Fort Bragg and assembled this simple 4-container home in about 2 hours at the EcoBuild Convention in DC earlier this month.

Photo by Building Green TV
Photo by Building Green TV

The latest project from SG Blocks is the 1920 square foot Hatchet Cactus House in Desert Hot Springs, CA, in partnership with Guller Padilla Design & Development.

Paul Stankey, along with wife Sara and his brother Paul and wife Krista, constructed their weekend getaway in the Minnesotta woods from 2 small shipping containers ($800 each) and birch wood. Holyoke Cabin was built completely by hand, without electricity, and water was pumped from a creek 1/4 mile away to mix concrete. Paul is co-founder of HIVE Modular, specializing in modern prefab design that is affordable and efficient.

Photo by Rolu Dsgn
Photo by Rolu Dsgn

British Columbia is seeing its share of shipping container houses as well, thanks to Keith Dewey, founder of Zigloo Canada. Zigloo Domestique, completed in late 2006, is Dewey’s personal home constructed of 8 used shipping containers. Bamboo, Douglas fir, and sandstone cover the walls and floors of the 1280 square foot home. Be sure to visit Zigloo.ca for a peek at his latest container home concepts.

Three insulated shipping containers were modified to create the 2 bedroom home designed by Leger Wanaselja Architecture pictured up top. The doors were repurposed as retaining walls, while bamboo flooring and wool carpet enhance the interior. Completed in late 2007, this container house overlooks the tranquil San Fransisco Bay and will withstand strong winds and earthquakes.

Shipping containers are not just for houses. Tempohousing in Amsterdam has created huge student housing facilities, hotels, and commercial buildings from used shipping containers since 2002. Keetwonen, student housing in Amsterdam, was completed in 2006 and is currently the largest container city in the world. Tempohousing is currently working on Hotel Yenagoa, a 4-star hotel in Nigeria. Other projects include a local supermarket, an array of houses, and housing for the Dutch branch of the Salvation Army.

Hotel Yenagoa
Hotel Yenagoa
Keetwonen student housing
Keetwonen student housing
Skaeve Huse, Amsterdam
Skaeve Huse, Amsterdam
Shipping container commercial space
Shipping container commercial space

14 thoughts on “Even More Creative Shipping Container Houses”

  1. My company is a small structural engineering firm, and right now we're working with a home designer on two shipping container houses, one in Louisiana and one in Texas. We're also working on an “off the shelf” design that we can sell to people. We are also working with three potential clients who are in the funding stages of projects they want to build. There are problems with shipping container houses, some of which aren't serious, others are:
    – There isn't any really good references on how to design with these, in particular I've had a hard time getting information on the basic structural design of them. Most of my information is from field measurements of many containers at a large container yard.
    – There really hasn't been a large number of buildings built with these, so there isn't a good body of knowledge on standard details, pricing per square foot and other odds and ends that come only with experience.
    – You have to choose the neighborhood you build a container house in very carefully so you don't get resistance from the neighbors or permitting authorities.
    – Of course there is a glut of houses on the market right now, so can you really build a new house out of shipping containers and hope to sell it for a reasonable price?
    – Finally, one of my potential projects died because the bank wouldn't loan for a building made of these. Right now banks are looking for reasons not to lend money they are so scared.

    We have designed one container house that was built in Atlanta, GA. Here's the link: http://www.runkleconsulting.com/Container%20Hou…. As more are built I'll update my website.

  2. My company is a small structural engineering firm, and right now we're working with a home designer on two shipping container houses, one in Louisiana and one in Texas. We're also working on an “off the shelf” design that we can sell to people. We are also working with three potential clients who are in the funding stages of projects they want to build. There are problems with shipping container houses, some of which aren't serious, others are:
    – There isn't any really good references on how to design with these, in particular I've had a hard time getting information on the basic structural design of them. Most of my information is from field measurements of many containers at a large container yard.
    – There really hasn't been a large number of buildings built with these, so there isn't a good body of knowledge on standard details, pricing per square foot and other odds and ends that come only with experience.
    – You have to choose the neighborhood you build a container house in very carefully so you don't get resistance from the neighbors or permitting authorities.
    – Of course there is a glut of houses on the market right now, so can you really build a new house out of shipping containers and hope to sell it for a reasonable price?
    – Finally, one of my potential projects died because the bank wouldn't loan for a building made of these. Right now banks are looking for reasons not to lend money they are so scared.

    We have designed one container house that was built in Atlanta, GA. Here's the link: http://www.runkleconsulting.com/Container%20Hou…. As more are built I'll update my website.

  3. i like to know how usefull a shipping container may be as a home in the tropics, Suriname is warm and much rain which will cause very vast rusting of these units.

    give advise.

    frank

  4. Since our previous post on shipping container houses, the craze of prefab structures and cargo homes has accelerated to new levels… We retrofit used shipping containers into housing units that are individually shipped and assembled in the US..good job..

  5. Can they make them look…y'know…good? Have there been any attempts and aesthetic beauty?

  6. We are looking for info on getting building permits for building a container home in California .. Any help would be greatly appreciated…..

  7. This is a wonderful website and great for the environment. I need help for a non profit organization in Texas. I have a deadline to meet and could use any advise. Please contact Michael 832-921-6338.

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