Embark on an exciting journey as we explore 15 unique container housing projects that will surely spark your imagination. From modern masterpieces to cozy abodes nestled in the woods, container homes are a testament to human creativity and resilience. We will dive into the world of modular design, where precision, efficiency, and flexibility come together to shape dwellings like no other. These shipping container homes, with their intriguing layouts and innovative design solutions, will challenge the conventional notion of what a home could be.
Stay tuned as we reveal the magic that turns ordinary steel boxes into extraordinary living spaces!
15 Unique Container Housing Projects
The fresh trend of using modular container homes as living spaces is a true designer’s dream in many ways.
Firstly , these are simple and environmentally friendly solutions, the implementation of which leaves almost no construction debris, and secondly , they do not involve high construction costs, but at the same time provide residents with all modern amenities, unique aesthetics and comfort – to the envy of neighbors.
There are other practical aspects of this issue, which should not be forgotten. Firstly , such a house is fire resistant, and does not require high maintenance costs. Secondly , it can be installed anywhere, and during your absence, just securely close.
Another plus – if necessary, the house will be able to travel with you. And if you choose a container house of a block-modular design, you can, if desired, and to the extent possible, increase the number and area of u200bu200bliving premises.
Container houses: background
Container houses are made of steel and designed for use in all weather conditions, are compact when disassembled and are designed for long sea transportation and travel.
Such a house will last you about 30 years without any problems, but many shipping companies use them for a much shorter period before decommissioning. Typically, the stated shelf life for a container house is 10 years or less. For this reason, about 30 million useless container houses are idle.
Such a house in fairly good condition can be purchased for a very affordable amount.
Typical container house designs
A standard container house is usually 2.44m wide, 1.83m high, and 6.1-12.2m long. There is another option (it will be more difficult to find one, but the ceiling height is higher in it) – it is also called a large cubic capacity container or a high container. It is 12.2 m long and 2.85 m high.
In the case of small container houses with a total area of 14 m2, the beauty of the design lies in the fact that it is possible to compose a larger room from several containers.
House 8747 (pictured above) overlooking the James River, located in Springfield, Missouri, USA, includes several shipping containers in its unique design.
Difficulties in the operation of container houses
Before you go looking for the right piece of land to buy, on which you later plan to build your dream container house, you should carefully consider the following points:
1. Do I need a permit to build a house?
It is possible that you will even need not one, but several permissions. In some areas, the use of container houses as living quarters is prohibited, so it is worth contacting your local urban development department for advice first.
2. Weather conditions
Thermal insulation of a container house may not be so easy. In the case of extreme weather conditions, there may be problems with increased levels of moisture condensation inside residential premises, and in windy regions – problems with noise levels.
3. How to deliver the container house to its destination?
The weight of an empty container with a length of 6.1 m can reach 2268 kg. You will definitely need to deliver it to its destination. You need to check if a large truck can easily enter the construction site and unload the container on site, otherwise you will have to use an expensive crane to transport the container.
4. Used containers
Be careful when buying: the interiors of container houses are often treated with pesticides during shipping. Sometimes (even worse) they are used to transport toxic substances and materials, which is in no way compatible with your desire to turn the container into a sustainable and livable home.
So be sure to check by whom and in what capacity your container house was previously used.
5. Services of an architect and/or civil engineer
If you are planning to seriously redesign a container house or add additional window or door openings and openings to the project, it would be a good idea to consult with professionals. The long vertical walls of the containers are load-bearing, so if you plan to include additional window or door openings in such walls in the house plan, they will need to be further strengthened.
And, of course, you will need the services of professionals during the installation of electrical wiring and plumbing – especially in order to obtain the necessary permits and ensure compliance with current building planning requirements.
If all of the above seems too complicated for you to implement, it is worth considering prefabricated container houses. There are a number of companies that manufacture prefabricated container houses at any price point (such as HyBrid Architecture).
The house model “c192 Nomad” from this manufacturer, for example, is a 7.32 m long container with a total living area of 17.84 m2. Despite the fact that the very idea of turning a cargo container into a comfortable residential building looks impressive, do not forget about domestic amenities.
Indeed, in any case, even if you chose such a house, you are unlikely to strive to feel in it, like a load in a box. Below we offer several ideas for successful container house projects that are quite capable of providing comfort and homeliness.
Many, of course, are not very enthusiastic about living in simple and unpretentious premises of a small area – people think that this is too much; but we assure you that what you see in the photo can pleasantly strike your imagination and is worth at least seeing.
Arte Nomad Living Studio (Portugal)
Studio “Arte” is engaged in projects of container houses for country holidays on weekends or during holidays. The interior of the premises is always bright and modern. In order to visually expand the living space, designers usually include a large number of windows and sliding panels in projects.
Cargo Container House, California, USA
Located in a picturesque wilderness area, the $250,000 project by Modulus is nothing more than a house built from 6 stacked shipping containers. But you must admit, in this case it is more like not a classic cargo container, but a fabulous treehouse.
“Modern Shipping Container Cabin”, Colorado, USA
This stunning home designed by Tomecek Studio is more than just a hut. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a separate guest area. It took 7 containers to build this project.
Weekend Surf Shack, New Zealand
Studio “MRTN Architects” made every effort to create this project. Now it is an excellent living space for a comfortable vacation in nature, away from city noise and crowds. Its main feature is a unique roof drainage system.
Viña del Mar Apartments, Chile
James and Mau are well known for their innovative container house designs. The project of this residential building is located on a relief slope of a hill, and it offers views of Viña del Mar and the sea coast.
Each living space has a private sundeck and stylized custom shipping containers that are integral components of the building’s floor plan.
Container Guest House, Texas
This country house, designed by Poteet Architects, is built from a 12.2 m long container. The total area of a comfortable interior is 30 m2. The house has a bathroom, and in the kitchen area there is a comfortable bar counter with a dishwasher.
Casa Incubo, Costa Rica
This house with a total area of 399.5 m2 with a workshop is built from 8 containers. The creation of Maria José Trejos is designed in a special way: the designer, in an effort to provide the interior with air and light as much as possible, included in the project a large number of windows and glass panels for the roof (thanks to these solutions, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of electricity consumed).
Maison Conteneur, Canada
The project from the Studio “Collections Dubreuil” is made special, first of all, by its unusual exterior. The corrugated steel walls characteristic of a shipping container eloquently recall the prehistory of this residential building, but at the same time do not prevent it from being no less comfortable than standard houses.
Wood paneling gives the second level of the house the features and style typical of country houses. Among other things, Maison Conteneur owners can comfortably soak in a deep bathtub set in the middle of the bathroom, while admiring the picturesque scenery through the large-format glass tilt-and-turn door-panel.
Jaora Shipping Container House, Australia
It took 31 containers to build a luxury home designed by Ziegler Build. The total living area of the premises is more than 557.5 m2. The master bathroom is located on the top level of the building, in a separate container.
Home Contained, Missouri
Debbie Glasberg claims to have the ability to see a house even where others see only a container. For the implementation of this project, she needed 5 containers. Home Contained has 241.5 m2 of living space finished with the latest in retro and contemporary interior design.
The project includes a number of sustainable solutions, such as a space heating system using geothermal heat, plant-based insulation materials, solar panels and sustainable roofing.
Art Studio, New York
The minimalist project “Art Studio” was created by architect Maziar Beyrouz at the request of a client who dreamed of an art studio, but was ready to spend no more than $60,000 on its construction. It consists of two 12.2 m long containers costing $2,500 each. Now the total area of the new, bright and spacious two-level studio is 78 m2.
Caterpillar House, Chile
It is hard to believe that Sebastian Irarrazaval managed to build such an impressive and modern house from 12 ordinary containers, and at the same time limit himself to a rather modest budget – after all, both the interior of the house and the view of Santiago from it look like $ 1,000,000!
Containers of Hope, Costa Rica
This container house was built from two containers, with a construction budget of $40,000. Now it has enough space (92.9 m2) for the family of Benjamin Garcia Seix, at whose request this project was created. The architect hopes that in the future such projects of residential buildings will be widely recognized throughout the world.
Have you already decided what your future container house will be like?