Multipurpose Shipping Container Building/Installation - Exhibition, Gallery, Cafeteria, Edinburgh, UK

Drawings/Floor plans

About David Mach

About Dixon Jones

About Assembly Studios

Design: David Mach, Dixon Jones
Renders: Assembly Studios
Containers: 36
Area: 3500 sq ft
Year: 2019

British artist David Mach has designed his first shipping container building called "Mach 1", consisting entirely of 30 shipping containers. The piece will be key to the new planned development of Edinburgh Park. Designed in collaboration with architect Dixon Jones, the shipping container building does not follow the modular, linear approach that this type of structure normally lends itself to. Instead, its sculptural form is intended to draw attention to the new neighborhood, especially those traveling by train.




A multipurpose shipping container building planned to house the marketing part of the development, Mach 1 will include a large exhibition space, gallery and cafeteria, to provide the flexibility to host events at various scales. To fulfill its marketing function, the shipping container building is slated to display a full site model, detailed building parts, illustrations, and informational displays on the southern phase of construction of Edinburgh Park itself.

Edinburgh Park is slated to be a 17-acre urban neighborhood west of the city - the largest development currently underway in the region. Designed by Dixon Jones, the project follows previous successful collaboration with Parabola at the award-winning Kings Place venture at Kings Cross.

The park is currently in the planning phase, with the "Mach 1" shipping container building itself submitted for approval. The first phase of the work will include high-quality offices, a new public square, sports and leisure facilities, a health center, shops, bars and restaurants.

The development also includes a strong public art component, supporting two residences for emerging writers and photographers, as well as offering outreach opportunities with local schools. Mach 1 is an emblematic shipping container building that represents the artistic focus of development, comments the founder and president of Parabola, Peter Millican:

"Its unique installation blends perfectly with Parabola's ambition to create a bold and exciting neighborhood that combines exemplary design and innovation to offer a new place in the city rich in art and culture, with world-class public spaces, scenery and facilities . "

Known for his large-scale collages, sculptures, and dynamic installations, often using everyday elements, David Mach describes himself as an "accidental architect" when it comes to the "Mach 1" project:

"There is quite a dramatic way in the shipping container building, it is not a regular piece of architecture. It will be something that will really show. It is a building that makes a statement about itself."

McConkey Shipping Container Home, San Diego, California

Video

About OBR Architecture

Project: McConkey Residence
Designer: OBR Architecture
Builder: Mike McConkey, owner
Area: 800 square feet
Containers: 3
Location: Lakeside, San Diego County, California, USA
Photographer: Kevin Walsh

For many people, a huge mega-mansion represents the beautiful ideal dream home, but for Shawn and Mike McConkey, a shipping container home was their ideal. The shipping container McConkey Residence in San Diego, California, designed by OBR Architecture, is one of the first San Diego’s shipping container homes. 800 square feet of living space was formed by three shipping containers. Floor-to-ceiling huge windows make the open-air space feel even larger. Another thoughtful element is a retractable garage standard door next to the kitchen (and this design can be perfect for those times when the kitchen stove gets a bit too smoky). The roof and windows design incorporate flame-retardant level materials in the event of nearest wildfires.




Building a shipping container home was a dream come true for owners of this shipping container home - Mike and Shawn McConkey. Mike, a construction superintendent and architectural engineer was able to do a good portion of this custom home, along with an architect and general contractor. Having built a farm building stand out of a shipping container earlier in his professional career, Mike knew some of the possible challenges with this type of prefab modular structure.

Mike found that what appears to be standard indestructible shipping containers, lose much of their constructional rigidity when the shipping container sides are modified or changed, such as cutting openings in the metal for doors and windows. Mike learned how to deal with design issues by devising necessary structural reinforcements for containers relating to these windows/doors modifications and other changes in the structure, while maintaining the desired appearence of the shipping containers. Another related challenge was getting necessary construction approvals because of the first shipping container home in the county and the county building department had never seen this type of container construction before this project, ultimately taking about half a year. Joining usual residential conventional construction materials to the shipping containers was also more difficult; attaching conventional construction materials to steel rather than wood. Christopher Bittner, the architect on the shipping container home project,  recommends “Anyone wanting to pursue this type of construction should thoroughly interview builders to be sure they are up to the task.” When the shipping container home was complete, Mike and Shawn had an environmentally friendly and beautiful house that is very cozy and comfortable.

Shipping Container Hotel California Road at Inkwell Wines, Australia

Contact info




Containers: 20
Location: McLaren Vale wine region of South Australia

Description by Agoda

Shipping Container Hotel California Road at Inkwell Wines, Australia, is a brand new set of modern three private luxury suites in the McLaren Vale wine region of South Australia. The hotel suite floor is located on a separate private level of a beautiful two-story shipping container building made from 20 recycled shipping containers on a winery estate and a working vineyard. Set in the vineyard area on a separate private floor, each hotel suite features a cozy and large deck, beautiful soaking tub in a bathroom with floor-to-ceiling large windows overlooking the surrounding vines. Beddroom includes a luxurious king-size floating bed. There are rain showers and dual vanities. Guests can find a mini bar stocked with snacks and the best Inkwell wine and enjoy the wine on a cozy leather couch. Among other features there are 50-inch smart HDTV with WiFi, Dolce Gusto coffee, and a sound bar with bluetooth all lit with amazing light fixtures. Shipping container hotel rooms also have ample USB power/charging points, a small table and a desk with chairs. Guests also can enjoy an outdoor common courtyard and a large deck for shipping container hotel visitors for watching vineyard sunsets.

Description by owners

McLaren Vale's newest luxury shipping container hotel is a perfect adult escape. Shipping container hotel California Road is an “adults only” property. Hotel is set in the beautiful vineyards on a private floor. Each suite has 50 square metre of area and boasts a huge external deck, cozy soaking tub with possibility to enjoy sunset through floor to ceiling huge windows overlooking the nearest vines, beautiful luxurious king bed with floating effect, comfortable dual vanities and pleasant rain showers, well-situated mini-bar stocked with nice Inkwell wine and suitable snacks, cozy leather couch, tasty Dolce Gusto coffee, huge 50"HDTV with wi-fi and modern bluetooth enabled sound bar. Amazing light fixtures allow enjoy all this in a nice pleasant atmosphere. One of the shipping container hotel suites can be converted into a wheelchair friendly accessible suite with a completely equipped accessible bathroom.

The Deluxe Vineyard View suites are appointed with all of the modern travel comforts. The standalone soaking tub fronts a floor to ceiling window over lookng the vineyards; perfect for soothing the soul while appreciating a glass of Inkwell Wines.

Each 50 sq. meter suite boasts large private decks with ultra-comfortable chairs to view the vineyard sunsets and includes a floating king bed, leather couch, small table and chairs, desk, twin showers and vanities, wardrobes with fridge, snacks, safe, shoe racks, iron and hair dryer as well as a selection of ten wines produced by Inkwell. All rooms have six USB charging docks, 50" flat screen TV, amazing sound system, choice of five pillow types and split system (AC and heat) climate control.




One of the suites can be configured as a wheel chair accessible room by opening a separate purpose built luxury ensuite accessibility bathroom. This suite is slightly larger than the others.

Spectris Innovation Center Shipping Container Office

Drawing

About Studium

Project: Spectris Innovation Center
Architects: Studium
Area: 659 m²
Location: Moreira, Portugal
Photographs: Ivo Tavares Studio,
Suppliers: Knauf, Roca, Sika, Archicad, CIN, CINCA Arquitetos, Cinca, DELABIE, Efapel, Forbo Flooring Systems, GUIALMI, Investwood, JNF, LUMITEK, MICROCRETE, Pedrali, Technal, Tromilux
Architect In Charge: Sérgio Miguel Magalhães
Project Team: Hugo Martins, Miguel Barbosa
Clients: Detailsmind, HBM Fibersensing and HBK Porto
Consultants: Silêncio
Collaborators: Catarina Rodrigues and Tiago Nogueira

The design of the facilities of the Spectris Oporto Innovation Center was presented as a self-inflicted exercise. The lack of referential context, caused by the decision to expand one of the bodies of the existing building to a completely inert attached storage space, was the starting point to study its occupation and the exterior building, as well as for design and dynamics functional between the multiple contact spaces of both sites.

The privileged location next to the Porto airport, the metro and the roads helped in the decision to occupy the neighboring building. The set of about 650 square meters is characterized by its configuration in a warehouse of regular rectangular volume, with its longitudinal axis oriented northeast-southwest and with a central nave. The division is vertical and takes place on 2 floors in the area of ​​the old offices (to the north) and an access to a patio with about 500 square meters (to the south).

The entrance is the first functional unit that defines the symbiosis between the past and the innovation requested to the present. This is the premise on which the creative concept for the project is supported, through an ambitious program for the creation and distribution of around 60 jobs in open spaces, in a fusion between meeting areas, teamwork areas, individual spaces, the expected decompression and free time. The central open space thus articulates the community in spaces to meet and be with spaces for teamwork in a convergence of uses, functions and unequivocal scales for both residents and visitors.

The meeting spaces accompany this scale in proportion and especially in the occupation of the existing space: starting from the auditorium as a generating element of different spaces (in and of themselves, their own and even in excess) that are combined with the shipping containers of confinement and structuring (access control agents and upper floor boundary) and as a structural element for the growth of the team on the upper floor supported by these preliminary support points. The scale also follows the standard definition of the spectrum of use with micro touch points where we can, individually or in groups, expand the primary performance space.




Peak performance involves rest, recovery, and sometimes escape. The placement of the canopy in the street space proposes exactly that moment of meditation and contemplation, whether by the presence of the collective or the individual, the outer space is appropriate and in which we can breathe freely. The connection to the gym and games room justifies the sustainable attitude of comfort and well-being in modern shipping container office spaces, in addition to the individual conditions of each individual workstation.

As the unifying element of the entire space, the original system + system that itself defines areas, functions and moods.

Shipping Container Houses in Santa Ana, Costa Rica

Drawing

About Re Arquitectura and DAO architecture and design

Project: Contenedores Franceschi
Architects: DAO, Re Arquitectura
Area: 210 m²
Year: 2017
Location: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Photographs: Adam Baker, Carolina Bello + Pablo Franceschi., Pablo Franceschi
Suppliers: METALCO, Pinturas Sur, Thermosolutions
Structural Engineer: CDS Ingeniería, Ing. Andrés Reyes, Ing. Eduardo González
Electrical Engineer: Ing. Max Ruiz Arrieta
Collaborating Architect: Arch. Andrea Sopronyi
Steel Structures: Chang y Ugarte Precision Workshop




As is natural, families grow, segregate but stay together, blood is a very strong bond. Contenedores Franceschi is a project born from the heart of a family that loves nature and is concerned about the environment. Following this natural cycle of growing, they see the need to increase the space in which they live so that everyone has their independence. and privacy but still stay together.

This is why they decide to build three apartments, one for each of the children in the property where they built their house about 20 years ago, a land adjacent to the Uruca River canyon, in Santa Ana, west of San José, Costa Rica.

The premise was to create 3 independent units, with low impact to the environment, which would respect the privacy of the existing house, adapting to the available budget.

Based on these parameters, we created three apartments built from 40-foot "high cube" cargo containers, which had already completed their useful life of transportation, and were strategically located to achieve cross ventilation and natural light in all rooms. The first level comprises the social area is projected towards the rear patio by means of a deck, the second level orients the internal space towards the south taking advantage of the spectacular view of the hills and the river canyon, seeking the most favorable position with regarding the physical-environmental conditions of the site to ensure the comfort of the inhabitants and make the most of the space on the site, maintaining a compact intervention footprint.

Good resource management was key in this project, taking full advantage of all locally available materials, respecting their nature and modulation, in order to generate the least amount of waste possible. On the other hand, materials with low environmental impact, plantation woods, solar heaters and passive air conditioning strategies were used to avoid the use of air conditioning.

Being units with reduced space, the design is conceptualized and personalized with details such as mobile furniture in social areas and double-function walls in service areas and rooms. In this way flexible and versatile spaces are achieved, adaptable to the different stages and events of life.

The waste generated by materials such as wood and metal were used in the manufacture of furniture, lamps and doors, the small parts of the container were reused in objects such as handrails, door handles, litter bins, planters and draperies, which gives it a strong character to the project.

Shipping Container Pavilion House, China

Floor plans and sections

About People's Architecture

Project: Container Stack Pavilion
Architects: People's Architecture
Area: 307 m²
Year: 2015
Location: Taiyuan, China




Shipping containers stacked to maximize views of the terrace and shaded common areas on the ground in the Container Stack Pavilion. A 7.5-meter cantilevered box is the entry point to the upper-level roof of the building, while the pavilion itself appears to extend out into surrounding streets, showing off its interior activities. The ends of each container are covered with full-height windows, allowing views throughout the entire building. Inside there is a double-height central atrium where the two levels of containers overlap. The Container Stack Pavilion is a temporary structure that can be disassembled and moved to other places.

Shipping Container R&D Technopark, Turkey

Drawings, floor plans, diagrams

About ATÖLYE

Architects: ATÖLYE
Containers: 35
Year: 2015
Location: Bornova, Turkey
Photographs: Yercekim Architectural Photography
Design Team: Engin Ayaz, Nesile Yalçın, Nujen Acar, Elif Karaköse, Buşra Tunç, Berna Erenoğlu
Project Manager: Nesile Yalçın
Interns: Begüm Ural, Batuhan Türker
Visualization: Murathan Sırakya, Gökhan Gürbüz
Architectural Design: ATÖLYE
Summary: Office building with central system and facade (architecture + architectural landscape + engineering) designed with 35 transport containers.
Team: ATÖLYE (strategic consulting, sustainability consulting, landscape design, project management, construction control), Antre Design (construction documents), STEB (construction control), Venta (mechanical), Sinapsen (electrical), Methal (static analysis), Parça Proje (lighting consulting), Yerçekim Photography (architectural photography)
Client: İDEEGE Teknopark A.Ş.
Program: Offices, laboratory space, gallery, cafeteria, restaurant, exhibition room, outdoor terrace and garden
Area: 1000 m² built area, 800 m² landscaping




Recognizing that the 21st century promises new productive relationships between education, research and industry, iDEA Technopark A. Ş. contacted Atolye Labs about a facility to provide interdisciplinary collaboration and anchor an emerging technology park in downtown Izmir, a bustling cosmopolis in western Turkey. The resulting project reuses 35 second-hand shipping containers to form the centerpiece of a vibrant new research community on campus, as well as to generate a magnet for creative talent at Ege University in the city of Izmir and the Aegean region in general.

The 1,000 m² Technopark will house independent R&D facilities belonging to large Turkish and international companies focused on biotechnology, energy, materials and software research. This program joins strategically placed "catalysts" to increase interaction and collaboration potential among all members of this community.

The project is unique not only in terms of its accelerated research pace and design and construction process (around 9 months condensed plan), but also because the project, site and program summary was developed and adjusted by the same design team. Furthermore the key design principles specified for the site, the ecology and security of its future helped to create a role model for other similar institutions in Turkey and beyond.

Here are the details of these design principles.

Site specific design:

The project began with the discovery of a rough site with the rubble of a demolished building within the large university campus. Through the recycling of locally purchased containers at 12 km away in the port of Izmir, the design team was able to promote an unused site with wasted construction materials.

Analyzing the site, solar orientation, existing traffic routes on campus, wind angles, tree-shaded sectors, and the contours of the previous building collaborated to develop a meaningful and economically viable programmatic division, volumetric arrangement, and ultimately, a fluid circulation of users. Schemes of possible interactions between programs helped communicate the importance of catalysts based on art, design, and technology. Meanwhile, a "lighthouse" made up of a vertical container, an interior patio, narrow cross-circulation corridors and wide seating areas allow spaces for perspective and refuge, as well as spontaneous and recreational encounters.

Eco-friendly design:

In addition to an exceptional amount of material recycling and reuse, the project features a wide range of green strategies. By placing container modules with optimal north-south exposure and narrow cross sections, the design maximizes the ability to utilize passive solar strategies supported by natural ventilation.

Existing trees, efficiently designed sunscreens, south-facing windows with solar coating, thick insulation, effective air conditioning, natural materials such as cork, and LED lighting systems all helped minimize the building's environmental impact.

Future proof design:

Consideration is given to the fact that the adaptability and resistance of the center and shell of a building is its greatest asset in the long term. The project features various technical details such as beams and columns, visible electrical trays, abundant plugs, high capacity ventilation, locally controllable heating-cooling systems, and supporting structure to help build possible future separations. All of these systems help to easily modify spatial uses over time.




In terms of the program, through the placement of interaction catalysts across the site, the design of alternative schemes and modular furniture, it is possible to foresee sections of the container facades as a viable canvas for muralists and considerations to facilitate dismantling and relocation, The project becomes the manifestation of a building as a prototype: one that involves galvanizing a talented community in Izmir.

Small Shipping Container Office and Gallery, Taito, Japan

Drawings

About Tomokazu Hayakawa Architects

Project: CC4441
Architects: Tomokazu Hayakawa Architects
Containers: 2x40 ft
Location: Taito, Japan
Structural Engineer: Ejiri Structural Engineers
Construction: C3 design
Year: 2014
Photos: Kuniaki Sasage




Description by architects

This site is located in Torigoe which is between Asakusa and Akihabara. Here is the center of the old city; there are many small factories for leather, paper craft, and ornament products. The client wanted a small office for himself and a small gallery for his wife.

We imagine that second hand containers can be put in this area, thinking that a used container could be installed among these small factories.

The direction of the doors was carefully planned and we and stacked two 40 ft containers. The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) shipping containers that circulate widely in the world cannot be used as the main structure; Because the Japanese Construction Standards Law requires JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) materials for the structure.

Therefore, like for other non-art spaces and temporary shelter for disasters, the architects chose the container house with a steel exterior frame to support the containers. This solution conforms to JIS within the Japanese Building Standards Law .

In this project, to save the appearance of the shipping container, a wooden frame has been built inside, and the surface of the shipping container was treated as facade, and wood as an inside structure.

Industrial Style Shipping Container House/Garage/Gallery

Industrial style, works of art and collections on display fill the environments with personality

Drawings

About SuperLimao Studio

Design: SuperLimao Studio, Gabriela Coelho
Area: 1800 m²
Year: 2017
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Photos: Maíra Acayaba
Lighting: LDArti
Landscaping: Teco Landscaping
MEP: Guimaro e Associados
Hydraulic Engineering: Proasp
Structural Engineering: Stec Engenharia
Metal Structure Construction: Skylight
Coordination: Fabio Carone
Construction company: Sigla Construtora




The project consists of a large gallery to accommodate the items of a collector of cars and arts, where the space itself is configured as an object of its collection. The industrial style shipping container house includes a garage for cars, exhibition galleries for the most diverse collections, family office, atelier / workshop, gym and kennel. Developed by SuperLimão in partnership with architect Gabriela Coelho, it has as its starting point an industrial architecture, designed in modules of maritime containers and metallic structures.

An important feature that differentiates the project from what we are used to see in shipping containers is that it is fully adapted to Brazilian climate, using passive techniques as much as possible to maximize energy efficiency, and taking advantage of the reuse of materials, such as shipping containers themselves . All environments have windows at three different heights, which allow not only cross ventilation, but also optimize convection on days without wind. The external walls received ceramic paint, which together with the green roof, create a great thermal inertia that keeps the indoor environment pleasant even without the use of conditioning equipment. All areas have natural lighting, either through windows or skylights.

The implantation, based on the project, accommodates connections and fields of vision on different levels, since intermediate gardens connect the 3 main floors: street level, ground floor and garden slab. The ground floor layout consists of ten interlaced containers forming a central axis. The roofs were reinforced to receive gardens in such a way that, looked at in plan, the project mimics the surroundings and looks like a large square. However, in reality, the containers, as well as adjacent slabs, were arranged at different levels, and windows allow the view between these areas, which is when the floor becomes a roof and vice versa creating a spatial experience worthy of Escher's engravings.

The main connection of the shipping containers creates a large central circulation axis that was treated as a gallery. In the internal walls, a metal grid was developed, which can receive wooden panels or expanded plate, creating great flexibility in the way of exhibiting the collections. The Corten steel sheet walls, as well as the original floor of the containers have been restored and left in plain sight. The workshop was covered with OSB sheets that allow the fixing of tools and machinery.

The office is formed by four containers and between them there is a free area directly connected to the garage, where it is possible through a car lift to expose one of the models bringing the collection for the day. The garage is a large gap, supported by only two pillars which optimizes the exposure of the cars. In the center, a rotator assists in day-to-day maneuvers, allowing easy access to the cars, facilitating use and maintenance.

The concrete curtains were left on display, as well as the reinforced metal structure and infrastructure of the facilities. The entrance is closed by a sliding gate with perforated screen and the bottom is open and has a slope completely covered with plants, which allows good natural lighting and ventilation, even when it is semi-buried. The external floor is completely permeable, and was made with monolithic drainage material that does not use expansion joints. The industrial style shipping container house has rainwater reuse as well as a large capacity cistern. The water tank, which is a tank container placed in an upright position.




The landscaping was created with different biomes in mind, so that in the lower levels we have a more dense and tropical vegetation and in the coverage that has a high incidence of sun, the vegetation is more arid and helps the microclimate.

The luminotechnical project prioritized expographic alternatives, in order to enhance the exposed pieces and at the same time create great flexibility.

2x20 ft Shipping Container House with Roof Deck, Brazil

Drawings

About Mégui Dal Bó Arquiteta

About Saymon Dall Alba Arquiteto

Architects: Mégui Dal Bó Arquiteta, Saymon Dall Alba Arquiteto
Area: 34 m²
Containers: 2x20 ft
Location: Cambará do Sul, Brazil
Photographs: Guilherme Jordani
Suppliers: Adobe, AutoDesk, CasaSerra, Giacomet, Lizt Decor, Persol, Trimble
Lead Architect: Saymon Dall Alba
Responsible Architects: Architect Urb. Mégui Pezzi Dal Bó
Project Team: Arch. Urb. Saymon Rech Dall Alba, Arch. Urb. Mégui Pezzi Dal Bó, Arch. Urb. Bárbara Fernandes Dall Alba, Arch. Urb. David Thomas Simpson, Arch. Urb. Angélica Ravizzoni Veronese, Amanda Marcolin (academic architecture)

The architectural project of the 2x20 ft  shipping container house with roof deck is based on the conception of an industrialized modular construction, with two monolithic volumes, each of the two shipping containers with 20 feet joined in parallel, with a total of 34m² of area in each set. Starting from the concept of Tiny House, within the culture that combines detachment, sustainability, less generation of waste and curb exacerbated consumerism, the containers follow the idea of ​​mini homes, where guest has all the comforts and technology in a small space.




In the conception of this project, considering the use of ecological materials, saving natural resources, reducing construction time and preserving the natural profile of the land, it was decided to use shipping containers as the main element of the project. Additionally, reducing construction resources like water, sand, gravel, cement, brick, and iron means saving natural resources, leaving the construction site clean, and not generating waste. Considerable savings were made in the cost of the foundations and their impact on the terrain profile, since the lightweight metal frame allowed the use of small, insulated shoes without the need for reinforcement.

Compact kitchen with refrigerator, stovetop, electric oven, coffee maker, and other appliances alongside natural wood dining table with locksmith legs, is integrated into living room. Thinking about the cold of the city, the wood-burning fireplace creates an atmosphere of warmth. In addition, air conditioning and a gas heater increase the comfort.

The premises of the shipping container house with roof deck were the conception of a refuge where guests could enjoy the best view of the nearby landscape, so that large openings in strategic places create frames in the landscape. The large glazed space opens onto the porch, a breakthrough in the structure created with the doors of the original container and a precast concrete deck. These windows received horizontal blinds, which work as brises by regulating the entry of natural light. Artificial lighting was developed through metal cable trays with LED spotlights and lamps, creating stage effects and highlighting rustic brick wallpaper and natural wood carvings on the walls.

As the roof of the containers was evident, a layer of expanded polyurethane was applied on top, to waterproof and guarantee thermal and acoustic comfort. It also received a 10 cm concrete layer and finally synthetic grass, thus creating a terrace that can be accessed by a sailor's ladder. The main access is indented and is made through the door of the original container. The project was developed for Airbnb, and with aware of the constant changes in places of interest and tourism, the shipping container house with roof deck can be quickly moved to another place.

Starbucks Shipping Container Store, Hualien, Taiwan

About Kengo Kuma

Design: Kengo Kuma
Containers: 29
Area: 320 m2
Location: Hualien, Taiwan
Year: 2018




Kengo Kuma was inspired by the uneven foliage of the coffee trees to create the design of the new chain store. The stacked shipping container system creates a high space that provides natural light through the various skylights installed throughout the structure. Inside, the rooms have wooden cladding, contemporary furniture and graphic prints on the walls.

The project is part of Starbucks' commitment to building sustainable stores around the world. The brand recently announced that it will invest in “greener stores” - many of these prefabricated modular structures, built off-site before delivery and installation, opened in the United States.

Shipping container architecture eliminates the use of traditional construction projects that pollute the environment.

Description by architects

We designed a mobile café with recycled containers in Hualien, a spot popular for sightseeing in Taiwan.

We stack up the 40 foot containers to a height of four levels, by staggering in the angle of 90 degrees to create a transparent building like a tall tree. Since they are stacked in a rotating pattern, we were able to produce various types of terraces as well.

I believe that the porous ‘Urban Forest’ that makes good use of the containers can be a new prototype of sustainable architecture and lightweight mobility.

Shipping Container Airbnb House, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Comfy and cozy container spaces with a nice little restaurant/bar onsite.

About Serene Backyard Riverside Garden

Shipping container Airbnb house with hotel facilities. A room with private bathroom, hot & cold shower.

Rooms on the second floor have private balcony. The area is 15 sq.m. (only in-room space). Big glass windows allow guests enjoy the nature around the area and a beautiful Ping river.




Units are really well outfitted considering the limited space. Shipping container Airbnb house includes refrigerator, air conditioning, private bathroom (shower only).

Second floor of the riverfront shipping container units has the most scenic views in the place. You can relax and get a fresh air with a private balcony and nature.

Small and Cozy Shipping Container Houses with Rooftop Deck, Waco, Texas

20 ft Shipping Container House

20 ft Shipping Container House

40 ft Shipping Container House

40 ft + 20 ft Shipping Container House

About CargoHome

Builder: CargoHome
Containers: 1 container, 2 containers
Location: Waco, Texas

You can rent these small and cozy shipping container houses with rooftop deck in Glampinghub.

Phone	+1 720-212-0854
Website	https://glampinghub.com/

Bard Media Lab Shipping Container Classroom, New York

Drawings, floor plans and section

About MB Architecture

Architects: MB Architecture
Area: 960 ft²
Containers: 4
Location: Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, United States
Year: 2017
Photographs: Matthew Carbone
Suppliers: Edge, Lightolier, Marvin, Renlita USA, Vessel
Architect In Charge: Maziar Behrooz
Manufacturers: SnapSpace Solutions
Faculty Representative: Jeff Katz

The Laboratory of the Experimental Humanities Department of Bard College is made up of 4 recycled shipping containers. They were installed in the heart of the campus, near a Frank Gehry concert hall, and were completely finished to work in a couple of weeks. Its double height and width produce a main space of 4.57 meters wide by 5.18 meters high, with an office on the second floor, totaling an area of ​​89.18 square meters.

The project grew out of a $ 100,000 grant and was prefabricated, delivered, and installed in half a day at a cost slightly above $ 200,000. As a prototype, it offers schools and universities an affordable solution to their urgent needs for classroom space.

The budget required us to explore options beyond conventional construction, so we leveraged some of our previous containerized explorations and projects and offered a fully prefab building that needs no more on-site work than the pouring of concrete foundation.

The laboratory will be used by various departments of the faculty; therefore, flexibility was a necessity. By adding a large revolving garage door that opens to a courtyard, the 5.18-meter-high main hall will become a stage for performances, shows, and theater events, ensuring a productive relationship between the building and the campus in general.

Our office has strived to balance project delivery with stronger budgets and more accessible ones. The prefab solutions we offer are among the most affordable building solutions for any urban or near-urban area in the United States. We hope that they can assist individuals, organizations, and businesses that might not otherwise be involved with architecture to solve their construction needs.

Shipping Container Bar, Austin, Texas

About North Arrow Studio

Design: North Arrow Studio, Hendley | Knowles Design Studio
Area: 2115 sq ft
Containers: 7
Year: 2014
Location: Austin, Texas

In the United States, many marine containers that bring goods from other countries are simply not reused - as the cost of sending them back empty does not pay - and end up accumulating in warehouses until they are transformed back into steel. In order to avoid wasting these structures that are already ready, the architects of the North Arrow Studio office and businesswoman Bridget Dunlap, from Austin, Texas, decided to build a bar composed basically of stacked containers.

“Shipping containers are efficient constructions by nature. The steel walls have a structural function, as does the base. Basically, they are large structural frames, designed to support weight and be stacked. There is nothing more natural than turning them into building modules ”, says the architect responsible for the project, Francisco Arredondo. And so the Container Bar was born, opened in March 2014 in Austin, Texas.

The project, simple and direct, was designed to promote enjoyment: “Imagine being in the middle of a warehouse full of containers, and suddenly discovering a hidden bar. It's fun. And that is the feeling we want to convey to people, ” says Arredondo. For this reason, the building has an internal double-height courtyard, surrounded by seven steel modules. Some of them are stacked to form two floors.

The metallic cover is floating, it is supported only with the pillars that delimit the area of ​​the bar, of 644 m². Two large decks, one on the ground floor and the other on the upper floor, are spaces to circulate and form conversation circles. In addition, the interiors of the containers reveal more surprises: different coatings were used on the walls, thus creating environments with very different feelings. There is a space covered with mosaic tiles, there is another where you can see wooden panels with carved letters.




The other spaces have wooden boards on the walls, and colorful murals painted by artist Michelle Marchessault. So that customers are even more comfortable, and enjoy the delicious drinks offered by the bar, cozy sofas and armchairs are spread throughout all areas. And, next to the windows of the containers, wooden benches allow people to sit there and enjoy the view, in an atmosphere of total relaxation.

Beautiful Shipping Container House Concept by Whitaker Studio, California

Shipping container house impresses with containers stacked at various angles.

Floor plan

Architectural model

About Whitaker Studio

Project: Joshua Tree Residence
Architecture: Whitaker Studio
Area: 200 sqm (2,153 square feet)
Bedrooms: 3
Location: Joshua Tree, California

After years with a similar project in hand and without a client in sight, London architect James Whitaker was able to get off the ground and start building a container house - but not just any, made from the well-known metal boxes, simply supported on top of each other. This one took on an unusual shape, being stacked vertically, horizontally, transversely ... alternately until completing a 180º radius on the ground!

This profusion of containers, which appear to have exploded from the ground, was commissioned by a filmmaker and his wife who owned a 36-hectare rocky area of ​​southern California's Joshua Tree National Park. To conceive it, Whitaker imagined a white exoskeleton, which will have its base supported by concrete columns. Thus, the segmented look of the containers can be seen from the outside, but inside there is a slight integration between the environments.

This feature allowed the interior to be extremely lit, as the containers will have part of their top cut out to include glass doors and windows. In this way, it is possible to observe the vastness of the desert and the sky from virtually all sides.

Whitaker Studio explores the formal possibilities of the container with a house in the desert.

Blooming through the California desert, Whitaker Studio's Joshua Tree Residence is taking containerized buildings to the next level. Set to begin construction in 2018, the residence is distributed in a range of containers, each oriented to maximize views, provide abundant natural light or create privacy depending on its location and use.

Situated on a 90-acre site, owned by a Los Angeles film producer, the residence is a reconfiguration of a previous concept created by Whitaker Studio for an office building in Germany that was never realized - a project remembered by a friend of the customer during a recent field trip.

"Earlier this year, my client in Los Angeles visited some friends and, having little time, everyone took a trip to visit the client's site in Joshua Tree," explains studio founder James Whitaker. "While they were there, between the arid landscape and the rocks, one of the friends said," Do you know what would look great here? ". Before opening her laptop and showing everyone a photo she had seen on the internet."

"The image was of an office that I had designed several years ago, but it was never built. And so, the next time the client was in London, he got in touch and asked us to set up a meeting."

This concept was then transposed to the desert site, at the top of a rocky outcrop where a small ravine had been created by precipitated rainwater. The "exoskeleton" of the transport container would be raised on concrete pylons, allowing the water to continue to pass underneath.




Inside the 200 sqm residence there will be a kitchen, living room, dining room and three bedrooms, each filled with natural light and decorated with pieces by designer / architect Ron Arad, Whitaker's former chief. Behind, two containers extend to meet the natural topography, creating a protected outdoor area with a wooden deck and hot tub.

The exterior and interior surfaces will be painted a bright white to reflect the warm desert sunlight. A nearby garage will be covered with solar panels, providing all the energy needed for the house. To make the house a reality, AKT II engineer Albert Taylor provided structural consultancy during the development of the concept.

Cafe Infinity - Shipping Container Restaurant at University Campus, India

Architects create restaurant with recycled containers in India. Built in the shape of the infinity symbol, coffee shop is a part of university facility.

Drawings

About RJDL

Project: Cafe Infinity
Architecture: RJDL
Area: 2960 ft²
Client: ITS Greater Noida
Year: 2019
Location: Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, India
Photographs: Rahul Jain

In search of more sustainable architectural solutions, the RJDL office decided to reduce the use of concrete as much as possible in the construction of the new area of ​​a dental school in Noida, India. The result was a cafe built basically with recycled containers.

Located in the middle of the university campus, Cafe Infinity maintains the industrial aesthetic of the containers, while the interior is a neutral and welcoming place for students, teachers and visitors. Its format lives up to the name and refers to the infinity symbol, comprising two patios of space. The design also emphasizes the infinite possibilities of construction using containers as the main part of the structure.

With 12 meters in length, the containers were preserved to maintain the industrial appearance of the material. The versatility and robustness of the container make it accessible and effective, regardless of location or type of construction. Even blinds made of container doors have been reused, also helping to ventilate the space.

Inside, simple and economical materials appear in the decoration, with furniture made from steel and wood.

Description by architects

Cafe Infinity located at ITS Dental College, Greater Noida is designed to be used as a recreational space for students, faculty and patients alike. The vision was to design a sustainable structure that goes beyond the conventional and pushes the boundaries of design and build form. Recycled shipping container, being a sustainable product, was a perfect fit due to its modularity as well as economic feasibility as compared to the conventional RCC structure. The cafe is designed to stand out due to its form factor, and also in terms of its positioning, breaking the rigidity of the existing site layout. Focusing on the outer structure and containers’ industrial form factor the interior is kept neutral.

The design idea centers around two courtyards which comprises of two cafe outlets in the front ,two dynamic staircases acting as seating and providing access to the viewing decks, services(toilets) at the central container, seating areas for faculty and visitors and a lounge area for students. The seating is focused around the courtyard and provides an ideal view point of the inner courtyards and the outer landscape, which is often utilized for sporting events as well as other activities of the institute.

The organic landscape layout complements the rigid geometry of the containers and provides fluidity to the site circulation. Large glazing of staircases merges the rigid build form with the landscape. The landscape complements the industrial nature of the architecture, but also promotes activity, and consequently, vibrancy to the entirety of the site.




The building is formed with the use of recycled shipping containers (40 feet) that were crafted with the careful consideration to preserve its raw and industrial form. The structure, services and functionality are designed with a focus on sustainability. Passive cooling and insulation is provided with the use of 50 mm Rockwool insulation, gypsum paneling, fiber cement board for rooftop flooring, tinted windows, mechanical cooling, strategic placement of windows and openings to make the building perfectly adequate in the extreme weather conditions of the site. Louvers made of reused shipping container doors located in the south direction minimize the heat gain as well as give privacy from the public hospital adjacent to it while providing the view of the stadium.

The idea of using infinity was conceived to emphasize on the infinite possibilities of using a shipping container as a structural unit, regardless of the building type and site.The flexibility, modularity and sustainability makes shipping containers a perfect alternate to the conventional building structures (RCC), to reduce the overall Carbon footprint while also being an ecologically and economically viable solution.

Logistics Company's Shipping Containers Modular Office, Hong Kong

It looks like a beach house, but it's an office made with containers. 192 m² office space in Hong Kong has minimalist decor and sustainable solutions.

Drawings

About A Work of Substance

Project: Goodman Westlink Office
Architect: A Work of Substance
Containers: 4
Area: 192.0 m²
Location: Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
Year: 2019
Photos: Dennis Lo

It was a time when offices were all the same and bland. This small company in Hong Kong proves that it is possible to combine design, good ideas and sustainability even in small work environments. Here, four containers gave rise to six flexible spaces, which adapt to different situations. Best of all, the place is surrounded by greenery and has the air of home.

The idea belongs to Maxime Dautresme, creative director of A Work of Substance office, responsible for architecture and interior design. He explains that building with containers is a way to celebrate sustainable architecture. Some of the walls received large glass openings, which take the surrounding landscape into the office and flood it with light. The construction can still be transported to another land if necessary, generating minimal impact on the environment. A project that transforms and inspires the work routine every day.

Description by architects

Containers are multifaceted; a strong symbol of a logistics company and a celebrator of sustainable architecture. Its modular construct naturally allowed us to use 4 containers to create 6 different spaces as a marketing suite for Goodman, with the flexibility to adapt to an evolving site. We maximised the opportunity to have extensive glass openings, which allows potential clients to have an overview of the surrounds. The layering of timber and glass softens the features of an inherently industrial product, establishing harmony amongst nature whilst bringing in light and tropical backdrops into the space. At the end, the build can be collapsed and transported, leaving minimal imprint on the original landscape.

Office in 40 ft Shipping Container Covered with Mirrored Aluminum Panels, Belgium

Architects create container offices in Belgium. One is in the center of Westouter and the other in a rural area surrounded by nature.

Floor plans

About TOOP architectuur

Architects: TOOP architectuur
Containers: 1 x 40 ft
Area: 36 m²
Year: 2019
Location: Westouter, Belgium
Photographs: Tim Van De Velde

The architecture studio TOOP Architectuur needed two new offices in Westouter, Belgium. One in the city center and the other on a rural site close to the mountains of the region.

In the search for an economical work, TOOP professionals chose to invest in shipping containers. The two structures, while maintaining a visual identity for the offices, preserve unique characteristics designed for the place where they were installed.

The first was designed for the city center and has a huge sliding window that reflects and enlarges the garden around it. While the second office in shipping container is covered with mirrored aluminum panels with the intention of disappearing into the landscape.

The two spaces are called 'architectural laboratories' and form the intellectual heart of the office. There, visitors and staff can work together and be inspired by the materials, the surroundings and each other.

The common element that joins the two offices is the interior design that works for both the city environment and the rural area. Covered with low-cost red plywood, which appears as a building material and not as a visual element, architects show visitors the possibility of doing interesting things with accessible materials.

Temporary, Sustainable and Mobile Shipping Container Offices by Arcgency, Copenhagen, Denmark

660 sqm Container Office

1000 sqm Container Office