Shipping Container Architecture is very common nowadays. It is a type of architecture that uses steel structure as a container for construction purposes. Steel is used as a building material instead of bricks and concrete. Containers are widely used because of their popularity in high durability, strength, and sustainability. Nowadays, a greater contribution is made towards sustainable living style so the use of such structures as a living can make our life easy. It is noticed shipping containers that are used for construction purposes have an advantage as well as disadvantages. Its strength, durability, sustainability, and less labor cost help it to make eco-friendly architecture. Whereas high temperature, frictional damage, and rusting make steel a poor construction material at some sites.
Here to state 15 projects of Shipping Containers used in home buildings
Redondo Beach Container House
In 2007, the first shipping container house was made by architect Peter Demaria. It is a two-story home constructed with the use of mixed building materials such as prefabricated shipping containers and traditional building materials. In Demaria’s container house stick-frame construction combines eight types of steel bars that were used for different purposes, to make a two-story home.
Escape Den
Escape Den is a house made in Dhaka Bangladesh by the architecture firm River and Rain. The idea behind the escape den was to create a peaceful and calm space for living so they used recycled shipping containers to make a three-story home. The four shipping containers are used, the longest one connects to the path of the bedroom whereas the other three connect to decks and terraces. The steel frame skeleton structure is decorated with these four shipping containers.
Seven Havens
Seven Havens in Indonesia is designed by Budi Paradono Architects. This is the perfect example of the use of recycled shipping containers used in a home building. The drawbacks of the shipping containers are taken into consideration while using their material in this house. There was a size limitation of the container of 40 feet in height and 2.2-meter width. So, architects decided to tilt it by 60 degrees to get higher rooms. The internal cladding insulation and bamboo are used to reduce the heat inside. White paint is used outside to reflect the heat
Manifesto House, Chile
The design was made in 2009 out of the use of two shipping containers of size 40 ft and two of 20 ft. The wooden panels are used along with containers. The focus was on recycled and non-polluted materials. On the first floor, small containers are used for enclosed spaces (kitchen, bathroom), these small containers give structural support to the large containers on the upper floors. The gap in first-floor containers is filled with the use of glass to give a bright and open space in the interior.
Grillagh Water, Ireland
It’s located on the bank of the Grillage River. The basic structure is made up of four shipping containers of 45 ft that merge into each other to form two large cantilever forms.
South Coast Container House, Australia
This project by Matt Elkan architect focuses on limited budget theory. Unlike other shipping container houses, it does not focus on showing the use of containers internally and externally. The exterior of the house is painted in dark grey color and the interior walls are painted in white gloss finish.
Joshua Tree Container House, the United States
Joshua tree residence by James Whitaker is a holiday dwelling for the client and his wife. It is on a sloping site situated around the rocky landscape. The containers are arranged in a starburst form to get the maximum view of the desert, sky, and surrounding from the square windows. The exterior and interior are kept bright
Urban Rigger, Denmark
It was a challenge taken to design a housing unit near the water site made with the use of containers. So, nine shipping containers were used which were arranged in a circle to create twelve studio apartments known as an urban rigger. Sustainability is observed when the hydro source heating principle applies, in which seawater is used as a natural resource.
PV14, the United States
The goal was to make a contemporary residence featuring a unique construction element. The house was orientated to take maximum advantage of the environment. Overhangs, insulated solar screens, and shield windows are used to reduce energy costs.
Containers of Hope
It was a very bold choice to make the house out of disregarded shipping containers. The container of hope provides sunrise, sunset, and other specular views. The roof between the two-shipping container is made up of scrap metal pieces, taken to create the window that provides cross ventilation.
Ty Kelly
Two shipping containers are used by Ty Kelly to make a container house. It is an open layout renovated structure that uses handmade finishes and some reclaimed materials.
NYC Shipping Container Home
It is known as a “Green” home made out of 21 shipping containers that are cleverly stacked. According to dirt.com, the four-story home is arranged in rectangle form cut at an odd angle, and assembled at 25 by 100.
Beach Box
Made up of six shipping containers but some drawbacks are noticed. Mr. Anderson said. “If I were to build something in the Beach Boxes price category again, I would certainly revisit the use of containers for a project like that.” As the standard height of the ceiling for a container home is 8 feet but this is lower in ceiling Anderson noticed it.
Sea Container Housing DC
From the exterior, it is noticed that corrugated plastic is used and huge windows on the sides of a shipping container, these container pieces are used as a shutter for large windows. In the interior metal and planks are used. The apartments are made up of recycled materials.
The Wellington Container
Three aluminum shipping containers are vertically stacked to build a Wellington Container. The four-bedroom house is made up of three 40-ft refrigerated shipping containers
References:
House Beautiful. (2022). Incredible Homes Made from Shipping Containers. [online] Available at: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/g30272790/shipping-containers/?slide=5 [Accessed 9 Sep. 2022].
Discover Containers. (2015). Shipping Container History: Boxes to Buildings. [online] Available at: https://www.discovercontainers.com/a-complete-history-of-the-shipping-container/.
McFadden, C. (2021). 21+ Clever Buildings Made From Recycled Shipping Containers. [online] interestingengineering.com. Available at: https://interestingengineering.com/culture/15-awesome-buildings-made-from-recycled-shipping-containers.
