Refrigerated Shipping Container Home, San Francisco, California







Construction
About Leger Wanaselja Architecture




DesignLeger Wanaselja Architecture
ProjectBoucher Grygier Shipping Container House
Containers3x40' refrigerated shipping containers
Bedrooms3
Area1350 sqft
LocationSan Francisco, California, USA
Year2007
ConstructionScott Bailey
PhotographsLeger Wanaselja Architecture


This refrigerated shipping container home in San Francisco, California, incorporates three pre-insulated containers into the structure of this three bedroom, 1350 square foot house. Made to withstand tremendous loads and, with built-in refrigerated units, to keep low constant temperature, these refrigerated shipping containers make excellent architecture building blocks and they easily meet the existing building codes.

Description by architects

Re-purposing used refrigerated shipping containers is extremely resource efficient.  The containers act as a weatherproof exterior siding, insulation, and structural frame.  Minimal insulation needs to be added at the roof and floor.  Framing is only needed where bay windows and interior partition walls are added.  Waterproofing is only needed where windows and doors are added.   Aside from the containers, which make up most of the building, green materials include:

▪ blown in cellulose insulation at the roof
▪ 50% flyash concrete foundation
▪ “green seal” low-voc paint on the interior
▪ water-based urethane finish on the wood
▪ 100% wool carpet and bamboo flooring




The house was also designed to minimize energy use through passive solar design.  Deep eaves minimize summer solar gain, while allowing winter solar heating.  Well placed windows supply excellent daylighting and summer ventilation.  Additional energy and water saving features such as stacked plumbing, roof rainwater collection, high efficacy lighting, and Solatubes further reduce ecological impacts.

Shipping Container House Built into Hill, Wellington, New Zealand







Construction
Location

DesignRoss Stevens
Containers3
Bedrooms3
Bathrooms2
LocationWellington, New Zealand
PhotographsPetra Alsbach-Stevens


This prefab modular shipping container home built into hill, is an excellent example of industrial design in residential housing. Re-use of sea containers make the price of this 3 container 4 story home very attractive. The shipping containers are quite durable, allow designers to widely combine the arrangement of premises and provide great opportunities for architects of modular houses.

All three levels are homely, cozy and offer the modern comforts of a contemporary house with many more quirky features conventional houses don't have. Two large outdoor decks face towards a beautiful leafy Greywacke rock face as well as your own private waterfall - a great place to entertain friends and have dinners and drinks.

Superb indoor/outdoor flow into a kitchen ensures a relaxed living space with dining table. The top floor media/cinema room is great for kids to enjoy a movie or play video games. The pool room offers great billiard table and sofa seating.

Three unique bedrooms can sleep up to 6 people with extra bedding available for 2 more guests. There are 2 bathrooms, 8 seater spa pool with jet bubbles and outdoor shower for the brave.

2000 sq ft Modular Shipping Container Home, East Hampton, New York







Construction
Floor plans
About SG Blocks

ProjectBeach Box
DesignAndrew Anderson and SG Blocks
Containers6
Bedrooms4
Bathrooms3
Area2000 square feet
Exterior deck area1300 square feet
LocationAmagansett Dunes, East Hampton, New York, USA
Year2011




This modular container home is located about 600 feet from the ocean and is consist of six modules made of shipping containers. In the four containers on the ground level there are four bedrooms, in the two containers on top there are dining room, living room and open kitchen. The home's features are white oak floors, cypress decking and siding, white thermoplastic roof, spray foam insulation, energy-efficient windows and Energy Star appliances.

Description from 27east.com - Jan 22, 2018

At the time it was built, it was novel. Seven years later, it’s still an East End oddity—even though it doesn’t appear all that peculiar at first glance.

Located on the Napeague Stretch in Amagansett along Montauk Highway, the Beach Box is a beach house like any other, except this summer retreat is constructed from six used shipping containers.

The nearly 2,000-square-foot residence built in 2011 sits on 0.17 acre and has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half-bath. There is also a custom chef’s kitchen and white oak floors. Outside are 1,300 square feet of decking and a heated pool, plus a new roof deck. The siding is cypress and the decking is cedar—all certified sustainable materials.

Douglas Elliman real estate broker Andrew Anderson developed Beach Box, with ambitions that it would be the first of six to be built on the South Fork in a two-year period. However, the first Beach Box is still the only one.

Mr. Anderson explained on Friday that after Beach Box he moved on to a much higher end construction model that shipping containers were not suited for. Now the East Hampton-based firm that he’s a part of, MAP Development, builds spec houses in the $4 million to $7 million range.

“There are some constraints with container construction that would have become cost prohibitive for me to accomplish what I need to, to sell at that price point,” 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.”

To construct Beach Box, MAP Development partnered with SG Blocks of Brooklyn Heights, which makes everything from retail locations and Starbucks cafés to military barracks out of retired steel shipping containers that otherwise would have been melted down.

A standard shipping container has an 8-foot ceiling height, which is lower than what is desired in high-end residential construction, Mr. Anderson noted. While the boxes can be cut and stacked to achieve greater ceiling heights, that would undermine the benefits of building with shipping containers.

“The more you start to manipulate the boxes, the less cost effective it is, and you also start losing the sustainability,” Mr. Anderson said.

Because the boxes are manipulated to accommodate windows, doors, stairs and more before they are delivered to the building site, they can be assembled in just one day, which was the case with Beach Box.

Beach Box asked $1,395,000 when it hit the market in 2012. It was sold in 2013 for $975,000, a considerable discount.

Mr. Anderson attributed the gap between the original asking price and the final sale price to the fact that Beach Box is located right on the heavily trafficked Montauk Highway. “It was harder to overcome than we had anticipated,” he said.

The purchaser was officially listed as Casa Di Bianco Sabio, a limited liability company. The name is Italian, and it translates to “House of White Sand.”

The man behind the LLC was William White, the president and CEO of broadcast promotions agency Firefly Creative Entertainment Group. Mr. White candidly explained Friday that he chose the Italian name to give the property “some cache” and to identify it as something other than a “shipping container house.”

“You would never know, unless someone told you,” Mr. White said of Beach Box’s unconventional building materials. “The only thing that’s exposed, as far as the shipping container, is an accent wall in the downstairs foyer—and it’s just more for architectural design effects—and then also the ceiling of the top floor has the shipping container exposed. Other than that, you would never know.”

When he reveals his beach house is made out of shipping containers, it raises eyebrows.

“My friends in Connecticut, they’re a little poshy, and they keep going, ‘Don’t you live in a dumpster?” Mr. White said.

He tells them, “No, it’s 2,000 square feet, four bedrooms, three baths”

“Isn’t it a tiny house?” they persist, to which he reiterates it is “2,000 square feet, with 3,000 feet of exterior decking.”

“They are just kind of kidding around, but still, people in their minds, they have no idea what a shipping container house is, and they still think it’s probably flimsy, or to them it’s just a step above a tin shed with a garden,” Mr. White said.

The reality is quite different.

“It’s pretty grand and it’s wide open space, especially having it being reversed, with the bedrooms downstairs and the main living upstairs.”

And because of all the windows, the views are spectacular, he added.

Deciding to take further advantage of the views—the Atlantic Ocean less than 1,000 feet to the south and Napeague Harbor an even shorter distance to the north—Mr. White added a rooftop deck to Beach Box this past May.

“It’s spectacular, not only sunrises, but sunsets,” he said.

Now, Mr. White has put Beach Box on sale for more than double the original purchase price. It hit the market in the fall for $2,250,000, though the asking price was reduced to $2,100,000 in November.




He said that as much as he enjoys Beach Box, he had gotten little use of out it of late because now his career requires him to spend more time in Los Angeles—his company produces promos for FX shows such as “American Horror Story” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” and he is developing a feature film.

“If it sells it’s great,” Mr. White said. “If it doesn’t sell, I still get to keep it.”

He said that what attracted him to Beach Box in the first place is that “it is a quintessential beach house,” just a quick walk to the ocean and the Lobster Roll.

“When you go to the Hamptons, you think beach, not country cottage in the middle of a farm,” Mr. White said.

Earthquake-Resistant Modular Shipping Container Home







Floor plans
About ARQtainer

ProjectCasa Liray
DesignARQtainer
Containers3x20 ft and 2x40 ft
Area115 m² (1240 ft²)
Project cost$75,000 USD
Building time3 month
LocationColina, Chile
Year2010





This earthquake-resistant modular shipping container home was made with three 20-foot and two 40-foot shipping containers. The customers wanted an earthquake-proof home at an affordable price, and architects were able to deliver a home design to suit client's needs using the shipping container as the structure. The earthquake-resistant modular shipping container home was built for about $75,000 USD in three months.

Three 20-foot containers have the kitchen and living room, while two 40-foot containers have the bathrooms and bedrooms. Original shipping container flooring was replaced with quality hardwood flooring. The builder insulated the ceiling and walls with spray-applied cellulose to avoid acoustic and thermal bridges, installed energy-efficient windows and then finished the interior.

Description from architects.

The project is created by the need of the client to build a house quickly, earthquake resistant and low cost, programmatically all set in 115 m². Maritime containers are chosen because these inherently present all these characteristics, because they have a strong structure, already defined modular spaces and mainly constructive speed due to the fact that a large part of their execution was developed in a workshop, being transferred with a good percentage of advance to the site, reducing auditory pollution and the impact generated by a construction site.

The work was located on a plot of 6775 m² and at its eastern end to maintain distance from the road and to obtain views towards the Andes mountain range, rising 55 cm above the ground level to give it more height and separate it from the soil. The lower space is used for installations.

Volumetrically it is defined by 5 shipping containers: two 40-foot containers that spatially house the private areas (bedrooms), plus three of 20 feet that contain the public spaces (living, dining room, kitchen) and the service, the articulation of these areas is made up of two spaces defined by attached structures, an access hall and a service patio, giving space and volumetric continuity to the house.

In order to respect the required square meters, the façade is set back in the bedroom area, adjusting it towards the corridor.




Taking advantage of the strong structure offered by the containers, a terrace was installed on the living and dining area to take advantage of the distant views and at the ends of the first level the pre-existing doors were used to structure the balconies.

Regarding the subject of insulation, walls and ceiling were isolated with cellulose wool, which has good thermal and acoustic characteristics of high efficiency. Thermopanels and cross vents also added to control heat in summer.

Shipping Container Art Studio, Long Island, New York






About MB Architecture

DesignMaziar Behrooz
ClientAndrea Shapiro
Area840 sq ft
Containers2x40 ft HC
Year2010
Price$60,000
LocationAmagansett, Long Island, New York





The client needed a small art studio close to her residence. Her requirements were a stringent budget of $60,000 for a simple building that would be both reflective and inviting, located on an area of about 700 sf. Architect's solution was to use two 40ft shipping containers perched over a foundation cellar/wall. By cutting most part of the floor of the containers, architects were able to take an advantage of a high ceiling and to move the art studio to a lower level. The staircase itself can act as a transitional space for viewing art work. The upper floor provides a sitting area and a more intimate work area. The container units were painted dark charcoal to help to maintain continuity with the main original house and to recede in the shadows of a dense wooded site.

Description by architects.

An art studio made of recycled shipping containers on the East End of Long Island, in Amagansett, New York. It includes 900 sf of space and a double height ceiling. Winner of an AIA Peconic Award and featured in numerous publications and design blogs.

The client needed an art studio close to her house (which we renovated in 2008). Her requirements called for a space of about 900 sf , a tight budget and for a simple structure that would be both inviting and reflective.

Our solution was to use two 9’-6” x 40’ x 8’ shipping containers (cost: $2,500 each, delivered) perched over a 9’ foundation wall/cellar. By cutting 75% of the floor of the containers, we were able to move the painting studio to a lower level via a wide staircase and take advantage of a high ceiling. The staircase itself acts as a transitional space for viewing art work.

The upper floor provides a more intimate work area and a sitting area.

The containers were painted dark charcoal to maintain continuity with the original house and to recede in the shadows of a dense wooded site.

The total area of the studio is 840 sf.

Shipping Container House with Green Roof, San Antonio, Texas






Floor plan
About Poteet Architects

DesignPoteet Architects
Year2010
LocationSan Antonio, Texas, USA
PhotographyChris Cooper





This Poteet Architects’s project is a successful implementation of client’s wish to experiment with shipping containers. The shipping container house with green roof serves as a small guest house and is fitted with a custom stainless sink and a WC/shower. Large sliding window opens the interior space to the surrounding natural landscape.

The design emphasis is on the sustainable strategies: recycling of shipping container for a permanent use; the green roof provides shade and natural insulation to reduce heat gain. Grey water is collected from the shower and sink, and is used for green roof irrigation. The WC is a composting toilet. Interior space insulated with high efficient spray foam and lined with natural bamboo plywood suitable for walls and floor.

40,000 USD Shipping Container Home







Drawings/floor plans
Construction
About Benjamin Garcia Saxe




ProjectContainers of Hope
DesignBenjamin Garcia Saxe
BuilderOwner, Self Built
Containers2
Area100 sqm (1076 sqft)
Year2011
ClientPeralta Family
LocationSan Jose, Costa Rica
PhotographyAndres Garcia Lachner


A young couple dreamed of living in their own home 20 minutes outside of the city, where they could enjoy the natural landscape with their horses. They made the bold choice of exploring with architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe the possibility of creating an inexpensive shipping container home that allowed them to live the life they always dreamed of and be dept free. One of the important goals for architect was to provide customers with the spectacular views, the sunset, the sunrise, and overall create a feeling of home and comfort.


Description by architects

This house made of two shipping containers allowed the Peralta family to fulfill their dream of living outside of San Jose, enjoying the natural landscape and being close to their horses.

The Containers of Hope project was an experiment for both client and architect but it paid off and has become an internationally-renowned example of the creative beautiful design using shipping containers.

The containers are staggered and offer dual aspect views, meaning that the owners can enjoy the sun rise and sunset.

A roof between the two sections of the home is made from the scrap pieces of metal taken to make the windows; this not only creates an internal sensation of openness but also provides a cross ventilation which negatesthe need for air conditioning. The adventurous spirit of this project means that the owners are able to live debt-free in a beautiful landscape.

The final cost of the house (40,000USD) is lower than the cost of social housing provided for the poor in Costa Rica.

Perhaps this project begins to expose the importance of design as a tool to provide beauty and comfort with a very low budget in the 21st century, whilst using creativity to not only redefine a scrap material such a disused shipping container, but perhaps to even show that there are viable, low cost, passive alternatives of temperature control to adapt to a very intense tropical climate.




Already this proposal has began to spark a great deal of interest and could become one alternative to solve the issue of disposing of disregarded shipping containers in developing countries, as well as begin to solve the large gap which first time buyers encounter when purchasing a home.