5 container home ideas inspired by Oregon

Container Homes are shipping containers that contain humans—not kidding. This is exactly what they are. They are simple shipping boxes that are turned into shelters to accommodate humans. You imagine it right! It is indeed a steel structure similar to a ship structure, transformed into a space suitable for living. The idea is to turn shipping containers into homes that are not only beautiful but also sustainable.

The reason for such an undertaking is to deal with the affordable housing challenges faced by the citizens of the present generation. It is also a mode of recycling reasonably. While sustainability is the prime motive behind the concept of turning shipping containers into homes, comfort and elegance are not entirely ignored. The excellence lies in drawing a balance between all these. Not all states in the United States quickly say 'yes' to the use of container houses. However, many do permit the use of shipping container homes without much hassle. This includes Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, California, Alaska, Louisiana, and Oregon.

The International Code Council (ICC) guides the acceptable codes of the states that allow container houses. Container houses come in various shapes and sizes. It can be a huge rectangular box to accommodate multiple families. They can also be square-shaped cabins made for official purposes. They can also be a two-story house made for a nuclear family. Not just that. In recent times innovation has led to the use of many other materials to alter and adorn the metallic walls of the houses.

 

640 Square Feet Single Story Shipping Container Home with Cantilevered Roof and Covered Deck, California

Construction

3D Rendering/Model

Floor Plan

About Logical Homes

Project	Aegean 640
Design	Logical Homes
Architect	Peter DeMaria
Containers	2
Area	640 square feet
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
Assemble Time	5 days
Year	2008

Designed and manufactured by Logical Homes for a multi-national manufacturer of flat screen televisions, this exhibit for the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show was based on an adaptation of the Aegean 640 model shipping container home design. The kitchen of the standard Aegean 640 was removed to provide a larger living room for the display of television products. Landscaping and outdoor furniture elements were created by Logical Homes to complement the shipping container house design. This small footprint shipping container home was fabricated in Los Angeles and then transported to the Las Vegas Convention Center where it was assembled in five days ready for the Consumer Electronics Show which attracts 150,000 visitors.

Redondo Beach House - 2007 Design Excellence / Innovation AIA - Award Winner Shipping Container Home, California

Construction

Rendering

Location

About DeMaria Design

Project	Redondo Beach House
Design	DeMaria Design
Architect	Peter DeMaria
Containers	8
Area	3000 square feet
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3.5
Location	North Redondo, Redondo Beach, California
Year	2006
Awards	AIA 2007 Excellence in Design - Innovation Award
Cost	$125 a square foot

Description by architects

Like the work produced by the Master Builders of centuries past, this project is a direct result of the Architect’s re-insertion into the building design process and the method by which the project is constructed. This project is a Recycled Steel Shipping Container based building that also employs a combination of conventional stick frame construction and prefabricated assemblies. These materials result in an end product that is affordable and nearly indestructable. The modified shipping containers are mold proof, fire proof, termite proof, structurally superior to wood framing and along with various other “components” come together to create a system/kit of parts that is predicated on cost savings, construction timesavings, and energy/environmentally conscious priorities. Seventy percent of the building is efficiently created/assembled in a controlled shop environment where quality construction and fabrication are the highest priority. This project has been published and exhibited internationally and has given birth to a prefab shipping container based residential product line called Logical Homes.

 

Description by peerspace

The shipping containers are clearly visible from both the outside and the inside. The corrugated steel container walls have not been covered up with drywall.

In addition to the unique shipping container construction, two of the walls in the large two-story living room and kitchen combination are airplane hangar doors that open up flush to the roof. When these doors open, the living room feels as big as the entire back yard.

The backyard also has a 30-foot lap pool and spa.

The shipping container home is 3,000+ square feet with a subterranean 3 car garage, 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bath, office, studio, gym, and living room kitchen combo on a 9,000 square foot lot. Interior design is very modern with stainless steel appliances, Hans Grohe faucets, concrete counters, concrete floors and original container floors.

Another plus is the accessibility. The back yard backs up to an extra-wide alley (2 lanes with sidewalks that deadends in a turnabout) that is perfectly suited to trucks of all sizes. Large parking lots and warehouses are available for use only a block away. The shipping container home is located in Redondo Beach, within 5 blocks of the 405 freeway.

3000 sq ft Shipping Container House, Phoenix, Arizona

Location

About Jorge Salcedo

About Braid Contracting

Designer and Builder	Jorge Salcedo, Braid Contracting
Project	Gold Container Home
Containers	4
Area	3,000 square foot
Cost	$610,000 (2018)
Year	2014
Location	Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Description by realtor, 2018

A home constructed of shipping containers is unlike anything the Phoenix housing market has seen. The structure, consisting of four shipping containers, is a fascinating riff on the region’s shipping container craze, which includes The Churchill, a small-business incubator downtown built from containers.

The homeowner, who’s also an engineer, built this three-bedroom, four-bath passion project at the urging of his two children and lived in it briefly. It’s now listed with Shara Terry of Berkshire Hathaway for $610,000.

“He wants to take this concept and see where it can go, perhaps build more,” says Terry.

For those leery about waking up in what might feel like a steel cage, listen up: “When you’re inside the home, it’s seamless, especially upstairs,” Terry says. “It’s a hybrid. You’ve got two shipping containers on the east and two on the west, with traditional framing in the center.”

Taking a year to build, the 3,000-square-foot property has a dazzling interior that bears little resemblance to the cold metal of a container. Catering to eco-minded buyers, the four-car garage features a car charger and is wired for a workshop. Aluminum radiant barrier material aims to combat Arizona’s harsh sun from heating up the home’s interior.

South Mountain, where the home is located, is a booming area of Phoenix and named for the nearby mountain.

“Every window you look out of captures [a view],” says Terry. “If you’re washing the dishes, for example, you can see the East Valley.”

And the neighborhood is on the rise, and appealing to a savvy investor looking for a different type of dwelling.

“South Mountain has rewoken up,” says Terry. “It was quite the craze back in the day, until everything kind of halted when the market crashed.”

In 2020, the Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway)—a 22-mile extension of the 202 freeway—will be complete, connecting with Interstate 10 and the West Valley. And the new Valley Metro Baseline light-rail line is a mile north.

Because this area is close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Terry thinks a new owner might use it as a “crash pad” for airline pilots and flight attendants. It could also be used for a corporation’s social events, given its eye-catching design. Whatever the use, we’re sure it’s a place that will always remain cool in the desert.

1300 sqft 3 Bedroom Shipping Container Home, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Video

Floor Plans

Location

About Paragon Designs

Architect and Builder	Paragon Designs
Containers	1x25ft, 4x40ft
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
Area	1300 sq ft
Year	2021
Cost	$280,000
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota

Description by Zillow

Own a jaw dropping, one of a kind piece of art in the Jordan neighborhood. This is the first shipping container house in Minneapolis and Paragon Designs was the mastermind behind the artful design and its construction. The shipping container house sitting high on a corner lot will stop anyone in their tracks and have them begging to see inside. Within those metal walls, you'll see a shipping container home filled with light and unique features that highlight earthly elements: rock - tile and counters, wood - custom staircase and kitchen counters and metal - exposed walls of the shipping container. The builder had thoughtfully designed the doors of the shipping containers to be support of the entrances and upper level decks for an outdoor enjoyment. Beyond the true beauty of this home, it's owner will appreciate the fact that it is zero energy ready. This show stopper is available to the right buyer that qualifies for the Minneapolis Homes Program.

2021

Beach Box Shipping Container Home, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia

Location

Video

About O.G.E Group Architects

About PJP Construct

Architecture	O.G.E Group Architects
Project	Beach Box Buddina
Owner and Architect	John Robertson
Builder	PJP Construct
Containers	3
Cost	$170,000
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
Year	2014
Location	Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Photography	Ross Eason

AWARDS	AIA Gabriel Poole Award for Building of the year 2014
	AIA Regional Commendation 2014

AIA Gabriel Poole Award for Building of the year 2014 Jury Citation

The utilization of “once used” shipping containers provides a robust and cost effective opportunity to re-engage with the beach culture and mixed use zoning of Buddina. The grouping provides separate private zones with pop outs for greater internal widths, linking with decks and courtyards and a simple skillion roof over entry referencing modest beach house vernacular. This playful use of containers, engages simple yet appropriate interiors and integration with the landscape. However, its power lies in the way it engages with the street and greater public domain through blurred internal/external and public/private boundaries, street furniture and through its honest and engaging presentation.

Description by O.G.E Group Architects

The ‘Beach Box Buddina’ is a modern day beach shack which uses three shipping containers as the primary structural building modules. The end doors have been removed to make way for full glazing panels, surrounded by crisp white awnings to bring a modern feel and protect from the elements. Deck areas and an internalised roofed link tie the shipping containers together and provide a touch of skillion roof beach shipping container house vernacular.

The primary objective was to deliver a modern shipping container house with a very simple method of construction and very modest budget with an architectural language that could be regarded as being both gritty and refined, and both urban and coastal.

Features such as full height glazing to the ends of the modules, hardwood timber cladding fins, plywood lined roof over the deck and the sleek white alpolic awnings, create a striking architectural composition. The plan arrangement of the 3 modules at splayed angles and separated from each other with linking decks and an internal sitting area, create a dynamic and playful series of spaces.

Distinctive landscaping features including extensive custom cut and painted sleepers, painted edge timber screen fences, and gabian blocks to the front footpath line, compliment the shipping container home and bring refinement to the project as a whole.

The Beach Box is a unique architectural project which has successfully utilised a very raw building module to create a building of surprising substance and refinement, and one which opens up absolutely to celebrate its oceanfront location.

On Saturday 20 October 2018 the Beach Box in Buddina was open to the public as part of Sunshine Coast Open House. Visitors were able to walk through the space and hear about the challenges and rewards of designing and constructing such a unique building by owner and architect John Robertson.




Description by Live Sunshine Coast

Local Architect and Sole Director of O.G.E Group, John Robertson, believes that good architecture must challenge, test and respond to countless variables, which is exactly what he has achieved with his contemporary and eco-friendly ‘Beach Box’ Shipping Container Home in Buddina.

This modern-day shack uses three shipping containers as the primary structural building blocks and has the extremely modest and almost unbelievable budget of $170,000 to construct, which certainly isn’t something you hear these days for a modern beachside home.

John came up with the initial idea after finding the block of land that had future development potential. He needed something that was affordable, cost effective and flexible. He researched kit homes and other alternatives but found that they weren’t within the cost parameters he was seeking. John discovered the containers and the fire was sparked!

The plans were subjected to intense scrutiny by the local council with the case going to the State Parliament. The project was about to be called in (stopped) however logic prevailed and he was able to finish the project. Three months later he won the House of the Year award and received a commendation by the Minister of Innovation for the State finals, where he was up against a $10 million build.

John, his partner and their combined five kids have lived comfortably in the Beach Box Buddina for three years and are now looking to renovate by adding a master bedroom and a kid’s rumpus room. He said his favourite thing about the pods is that he can go to work in the morning and by the afternoon two new rooms would have been added.

Over the past 2-3 years John and his team have been developing a ‘design menu’ for people of all ages to create one of their very own pod homes starting at only $60,000. The major reason behind it is to give people the flexibility to put more money into their land and location rather than the house and in turn gain better capital growth.

As the shipping container house is small or ‘semi-tiny’, it has been designed to be very functional. This limits what you can buy and forces you to forego unnecessary house times i.e. “junk” as John likes to call it, that I am sure we are all very aware of, most likely filling your cupboards or corners!

As your life evolves or demands change, the bliss in these shipping container homes is that you don’t have to entirely move. The option of adding an extra room or two on top or to the side is easy.

With the famous quote by Glenn Murcutt in mind “touch the earth lightly”, John is extremely passionate about providing sustainable properties that embrace the outdoor land and don’t lock you into an air-conditioned room. These houses of humility enable people to have their own humble personality in an urban and architectural place.

He is a strong believer that it doesn’t have to be an expensive house to be cool!

John has very big plans for these sustainable pods and hopes to one day make them entirely ‘off the grid’ with integrated solar and battery power.

2,500 sqft Shipping Container House, Houston, Texas

About Will Breaux

Shipping Container Homes FAQ by Will Breaux

Builder and Owner	Will Breaux
Containers	11
Area	2500 sqft
Location	McGowen street, Houston, Texas
Photography	Will Breaux

Description by boredpanda

When it comes to building their dream home, people have a lot of different ideas. Some choose comfortable and small bungalows, others opt for luxurious mansions. However, there a handful of those to decide to ditch the traditional architecture and build something completely different, for instance, a container house. That’s exactly what designer Will Breaux did and now he’s a proud owner of a house built solely out of shipping containers.

His new home is located on McGowen street in Houston. According to the owner, his 11 container house is the most extensive structure of its kind. The shipping containers are piled on top of each other to create a three-story house, complete with a rooftop deck.




Breaux wanted to build his own shipping container house since the early 2000s, however, for a long time he struggled to find someone who would design the kind of house he wanted, so Breaux decided to do it himself.

“I began looking at projects that were being built that I liked. Ultimately, a designer with a home builder family was hired to design a 3 story townhouse to be built on the lot. After going round and round for months, I eventually had to fire that group because they weren’t willing to give me what I wanted. Thus, the journey to design my own house began around 2011,” the man wrote in his blog.

Breaux got the idea of a shipping container house in Texas many years ago before it was even a thing. Why containers? Well, the idea behind it is quite simple. “Shipping containers are strong, fireproof, long-lasting, hurricane resistant, and have common characteristics,” Breaux explains.

However, the man, who is not a professional builder, had no knowledge of what it would take to build his dream shipping container house. But he was determined to do whatever it takes. The first thing he did was to create a 3D sketch of the house. After long hours spent learning everything about constructing a house out of shipping containers, Breaux is now a proud owner of an impressive 2,500 square foot shipping container house. Now the house is almost completely furnished and looks just like Breaux had imagined it.

1000 sqft Shipping Container Home, Seattle, Washington

The exterior retains its shipping container industrial look; exterior doors open to reveal classic French doors

Location

Containers	Six 20ft
Area	1000 sqft
Bedrooms	1
Year	2017
Location	Delridge, Seattle, Washington
Photography	Alex Crook

Description by seattlemag

When Julianna Carlson left her parents’ Delridge home for college in Santa Barbara, she never expected to tire of the eternal California sunshine. But the longtime Pacific Northwesterner couldn’t stay away—she graduated in 2015 and returned. She’s now settled on a plot of land she purchased just down the street from the house she grew up in.

Although the neighborhood is familiar, her home is completely novel. Disappointed by homes available in her price range, Carlson decided to do something different: The political science major, with no architectural experience, sketched out her own home made from used shipping containers.

Carlson purchased six 20-foot shipping containers from DryBox, a Chehalis company that provides shipping containers with custom modifications. The containers were trucked in and stacked in two days during the spring of 2017. Window holes were pre-cut based on Carlson’s specs, but the interior build-out—drywall for exterior-facing walls, plumbing, installing electrical—took almost a year, largely because obtaining proper permits wasn’t an easy process, she says. The city didn’t really know how to handle a container home.

On their exteriors, Carlson intentionally left the shipping containers—four on bottom, two stacked on top—largely untouched. But inside, she went with a cozy nautical theme: The handrail to the master bedroom upstairs is reminiscent of those on a ferry; tiny painted cargo boats are stenciled onto an accent wall downstairs; and a porthole in the master bedroom’s walk-in closet gives the feeling of being in a ship’s hull.

“I really wanted the interior space to feel bigger than it was,” Carlson says of maximizing her 1,000 square feet. “We’re a boat family—my parents used to commercial fish. I firmly believe that boats have it figured out when it comes to putting as much as possible in a small space.” To do that in her home, she relies largely on portable furniture—like a wheeled slab coffee table she made—that can be pushed aside when she and boyfriend Kris Wilson are entertaining. There’s also a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio, which doubles the livable space (as weather allows).

Now 25, Carlson likely won’t live here forever. But she says she’s designed her home in a way that will allow for another container to be added to provide more space later. After all, she figures she only spent 70 percent of what it would have cost her to buy a comparable existing home. “I’ve really fallen in love with shipping containers, more than I ever thought possible,” she says.

Autodesk Shipping Container Conference Room, San Francisco, California

About Lundberg Design

About DPR Construction

Design	Lundberg Design
LD Team	Gavin Knowles, Omer Caparti
Project Team	DPR Construction, Holmes Cully
Year	2015
Location	San Francisco, California
Photography	Blake Marvin

Description by Lundberg Design

The Autodesk Applied Research Lab is an expansion of the Pier 9 Workshop focused on research and innovation in robotics. Unlike the original workshop and office space, which had a specific and extensive equipment list, this space is all about planning for the unknown and the flexible. We designed an open, double height space which allows teams to build, test, and showcase robots ranging from tiny drones to massive industrial arms and beyond. This includes a double height glass rolling door to accommodate large pieces of equipment as well as 5’ wide, 2” thick steel plates cast into the concrete floor to allow the users to bolt or weld supports and attachment points anywhere along the space.




The lab is supported by an open office on the mezzanine and a unique conference room crafted from a shipping container. The users wanted a conference room that could be sealed off from the noise and distraction of the lab but also open up to allow them to bring in a robot to display or allow them to host larger events. The modified shipping container, a reference to the industrial nature of the work and the maritime context of the pier, features a 16’ wide glass bi-fold door that provides the desired connection to the rest of the lab. Inside the shipping container conference room, a custom table was designed in concert with Autodesk and fabricated in-house in the Lundberg Design shop. The water-jet-cut steel and local Bay Laurel slab table sits on industrial casters that allow it to be wheeled out of the shipping container conference room to make room for a large display or to serve as the center for larger gatherings in the lab. A patterned inlay running down the center of the table was built by the robotics team at Autodesk and includes thousands of custom 3D-printed lenses over an array of independently programmable LED diodes that can display images or bits of code and can be controlled from a laptop or tablet.

How to Prevent Stress During Home Renovations

Home remodeling is a stressful time and managing stress levels is critical. Do you have what it takes to keep your family together during a Home Renovation? A shipping container home renovation is nothing like what you see on TV, where a host and team magically transform a house in a snap. It actually takes several weeks or even months, depending on the size of your project. Here are a few ways to prevent stress during home renovations.

Shipping Container Apartments for Rent, Phoenix, Arizona

Floor plan

Videos

About Wesley James

About StarkJames

Project	Containers on Grand
Architect	Wesley James
Containers	16x40ft
Builder	StarkJames
Area	5920 SF (8x740 SF)
Year	2015
Location	Phoenix, Arizona
Photography	Chris Cordell

Description by owners

Each of these meticulously constructed residences are built from 2+ shipping containers, totaling 740 square feet of commercial grade construction - shipping container apartments for rent. The exteriors display the industrial origin of the steel containers, while the interiors feature all of the conveniences of a modern apartment. Containers on Grand is located along Historic Grand Avenue in the heart of the artistic Triangle neighborhood of Downtown Phoenix.

Each of the eight living units features a slightly unique layout with contemporary styling. The units feature oversized steel windows, full 8ft ceilings, glossy original marine grade wood flooring, a full modern kitchen, & in-unit washer/dryer. Additional conveniences such as wall mounted 55" smart TVs, electronic access, built in desk workspaces, and reserved parking make these the ultimate city residences. The exterior grounds include a patio area w/ bbq grill, shade landscaping and bike racks. Furnished options available.

Contact info

Address	1128 NW Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007, United States
Phone	+1 602-888-1719
24HR Emergency Line	+1 623-398-3542
Website	https://www.containersongrand.com/

Shipping Container Backyard Office, BC, Canada

Floor plan, Elevations, Section

About Randy Bens Architect

About Ennova Structural Engineers

About KBC Developments

Project	RB Studio
Architect	Randy Bens Architect
Containers	1x40ft
Structural Engineering	Ennova Structural Engineers
Builder	KBC Developments
Project Participants	John Buttery, Intern Architect AIBC, Container West, Stickle Cabinets
Manufacturers	Structurlam, Herman Miller, Flor, Studio Italia design
Area	350 SF
Year	2016
Location	New Westminster, BC, Canada
Photography	Ema Peter

Description by architects

Completed in the winter of 2016, this modified shipping container is our new office. The practice was formed in 2005 to focus on small, well-crafted buildings. After working in my home office with one staff member for many years, we decided to expand the practice (a little).

Lifestyle is important to me and my wife, so the decision was made to expand to the back yard rather than to a remote commercial space. The goal was to have the benefits of working from home, while having an independent space for staff, a place to conduct meetings with clients and contractors, and to simply have more room to do our work. The self sufficient shipping container backyard office contains a kitchenette, washroom, printer / network cabinet and an open studio space. The small meeting space can be configured in a number of ways, and the table can join the desk for model making.

We looked at several construction options and settled on an over-sized corten steel shipping container. These containers were designed for mining operations and are 40’ long, 11.5’ wide, and 9.5’ high. The inherent durability of the steel shell, and the ability to for us to take the structure with us when / if we relocate were two of the biggest benefits.

The 350 sq.ft. shipping container backyard office cantilevers over its new foundation, and pulls all the services from the old 1930’s house that shares the property. Water, sanitary, power, and data were trenched from the house to the base of the building. The container was fitted out in the supplier’s factory, and arrived on site 95% complete,




The yellow cedar cladding was a city requirement (all shipping containers must be clad). The window and door are also yellow cedar, and they’ll be left to weather to a grey patina. The steel stair has already taken on a full layer of rust after one winter. The interior is lined in birch plywood to impart warmth, and the Douglas Fir desk clear spans 19’ giving us a very flexible working space.

The reaction to the project has been universal in the neighbourhood and from visitors - everyone loves it. There is something about small buildings that most people find appealing. It has turned out to be a pleasant place to work.

Shipping Containers Inside Split Level Home, Seattle, Washington

Floor plans

Video

About Paul Michael Davis Architects

About TransOlympic Engineerin

About Karlstrom Associates

Project	The Wyss Family Container House
Architects	Paul Michael Davis, Tiffany Chow - Paul Michael Davis Architects
Structural Engineer	Mark Leingang - TransOlympic Engineering
Civil Engineer	Mark Leingang - TransOlympic Engineering
Builder	Dick McDonald, Roger Reynolds - Karlstrom Associates
Area	3200 SF
Year	2019
Location	Mercer Island, Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography	Mark Woods

Description by Paul Michael Davis Architects

Our clients, a young family of 5, approached us asking us to design something bold, unusual, and adventurous. Additionally, it had to add space for their growing, rambunctious kids, as well as bring their 1960s home into the 21st century. And they really loved the idea of re-purposing shipping containers.

After analyzing the house and the way the clients lived in it, we proposed a series of minimalist metal boxes to replace their existing, poorly constructed garage. In it’s place, we designed a multi-level space with a new garage, a guest bedroom, and two multi-purpose spaces which could be used by adults and kids alike for a variety of things over the years. Within this stacked volume, we stacked two recycled shipping containers and put the more private, messy rooms like bathrooms and a laundry room inside.

Our budget didn’t allow for a complete renovation of the existing house, so we decided to let the existing house remain mostly as-is, and juxtapose it with a strongly contrasting, minimal addition.

Scope:

Garage and Family Room addition and extensive remodel of a 1950s house on a wooded suburban site on Mercer Island’s south side. The project includes the incorporation of two repurposed shipping containers.

Types of Structures Necessary for Comfort and Safety Needs of Mining Crews

 

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/u-O2n41d_ps

In every mining, construction, infrastructure site, or even in a simple building, house or shipping container home, we need to consider safety first for the structural facility. Do you manage to see or pass by any construction site to which you can read a lot of safety precautions? These safety measures contribute a significant factor why there is no accident or zero accidents. Besides all the safety precautions, we also need to consider, understand and hear about my employees' preferences and make them relaxed and satisfied. It is necessary to provide them with a comfortable atmosphere and facilities that can treat their home far away from their places. To which, in return, they can provide an efficient and productive output.

Shipping Container Home Addition, Austin, Texas

Interior

About Mark Reynolds Architecture

About Sige&Honey

About Troo Designs

Architect	Mark Reynolds Architecture
Shipping Container Home Addition Builder	Sige&Honey
Shipping Container Home Interior Design	Troo Designs
Containers	1x20ft
Location	Austin, Texas
Year	2016
Area	160 sqft

Patrice Rios, founder of interior design firm Troo Designs and custom shipping container business Sige&Honey, has combined her two loves in a new project in East Austin’s popular Mueller neighborhood.

Designed with local architect Mark Reynolds, the duplex creatively reuses shipping containers as home additions that can serve as guest bedrooms, offices, or art studios. "The intent was to give the homeowner a place where they felt inspired to live and work," says Rios. With one unit already sold, Unit B, which mirrors the same floor plan with more feminine finishes, is being offered for $499,000.

In her discussions with Reynolds, Rios requested that the architecture of the building reflect the shipping containers in the backyard. The modular appearance of the duplex, clad in white Hardie plank siding, mimics the look of a two-story container home. With large windows and 11-foot-tall ceilings, the two-bedroom, three-bath residence feels more spacious than its 1,484 square feet. On the ground floor, the living, dining, and kitchen areas flow into one another; potential guests in the shipping container also have easy access to a full bath of their own. A steel-and-wood floating staircase leads to the second floor, which holds two bedrooms with patio access.

"This home brings a downtown high-rise feel with your own private work space and is literally steps away from one of the most popular neighborhoods in Austin," says Rios. "The east side is vibrant, funky, and very open to new concepts. There is no other place I would have rather built my first home including the shipping containers." 

3 Bedroom Shipping Container Home, Bruce Township, Michigan

Construction Process

About Three Squared

Project	Ebeling House
Builder	Three Squared, Inc.
Containers	6
Area	2,600 sf
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2.5
Year	2018
Location	Bruce Township, MI, USA

Description by Three Squared

The Ebeling House shipping container home is a unique hybrid construction utilizing both traditional lumber framing and shipping containers to create a spacious 2.5 bath, 3 bedroom shipping container home complete with open concept dining/living/kitchen, a home office, laundry room, a generously sized pantry, and an attached three car garage with a workshop.

Quik House - 4000 sqft 4 Bedroom Shipping Container Home, New Jersey

Interiors

4 Bedroom Shipping Container Home Plans

Video

Time Lapse of the Construction Process

Location

About Adam Kalkin

About Industrial Zombie

Project	Quik House
Architect	Adam Kalkin
Containers	9x 40ft HC
Area	4,000 square foot
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3.5
Year Built	2008
Year Remodeled	2013
Sold Price	$867,000 (April 2021)
Location	Califon, New Jersey, USA

Nestled on a cul-de-sac at the end of a private road in charming Califon, NJ, this 4,000 square foot, 3.1 baths, 4 bedrooms shipping container home sits on just over 3 acres, about one third of which is forest.

After winding through the beautiful pastoral roads of Hunterdon County, just an hour from New York City’s Holland Tunnel, you arrive at a custom-designed checkerboard steel gate that opens to the curved driveway of this one-of-kind modern home designed by renowned architect, Adam Kalkin.

Through innovative design and the upcyling of industrial materials, this unique home with upscale amenities throughout is an architectural wonder. Constructed in 2008, it is comprised of several steel shipping containers welded together with CorTen steel beams. Kalkin created two separate, yet linked, two-story wings, that boast an open floor plan and flexible design.  

Complementing the steel are glass sliders throughout, which serve to bring the outside in, and shine light on the copious wood flooring, doors and accents. The commercial and industrial grade materials used throughout are complemented by state-of-the-art radiant heat, high-velocity central air, recessed lighting, abundant storage, built-in shelving, and top of the line appliances and finishes.

The architect’s unique vision is outlined in a book titled “Quik Build: Adam Kalkin’s ABC of Container Architecture” by Alistair Gordon.  

This 4000 sqft shipping container home has been featured in DWELL, CNN, Vogue, among other publications. It has also received international recognition, including an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in NYC.  

Arriving at the front of the house you are welcomed by an oversized Neoporte pivoting stainless steel door at the center of a custom designed glass and stainless steel breezeway, that seamlessly connects the two wings. The breezeway provides a temperature controlled interior connection that serves to unify the home’s aesthetic.

WEST WING

The West wing’s first floor is quintessential modern industrial design. It boasts exposed CorTen Steel beams, concrete floors and an open kitchen with a 12-foot long stainless island.  The island contains a Miele dishwasher, Viking range and sports custom wooden cabinets where one can prepare dinner while taking in the spacious lawn and private courtyard.  

Economic and Minimalist Solutions in Self-Sufficient and Movable Shipping Container Hotel, Czech Republic

Floor Plans / Drawings

About Artikul Architects

Project	ContainHotel (Hotel Trainspotting)
Architects	Artikul Architects
Containers	2x20ft, 1x40ft HC
Year	2015
Location	Treboutice near Litomerice, Czech Republic
Photography	Michal Hurych

Description by Artikul Architects

For a brave investor, we designed a small mobile hotel from used shipping containers. Its first location fell on a surf camp between the Elbe and a busy railway line - that's why we named it Hotel Trainspotting for the time being.

The building consists of two twenty-foot containers and a high forty-foot container transversely placed on them. In the lower containers there is a bathroom, technical facilities, storage and one guest room. There are four rooms in the upper container with a terrace. The whole hotel is designed as a demountable, maximally self-sufficient and environmentally friendly.

6 HVAC Maintenance Checks for Spring

It's finally springtime. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. It's also time to start thinking about your HVAC system in your shipping container home. Just like your car needs a tune-up now and then, your HVAC system needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. This article will discuss six essential checks you should perform on your HVAC system this spring.

 
1. Check The Air Filter

The first and most crucial step in HVAC maintenance is to check the air filter. A dirty air filter can restrict airflow, causing your system to work harder than it needs to. It not only decreases the efficiency of your system but can also lead to premature wear and tear. Check your air filter every month and replace it as needed.

If you have a disposable air filter, throw away the old one and install a new one. If you have a reusable air filter, wash it with soap and water, then let it dry completely before putting it back in place. It's also a good idea to check your furnace's blower motor while you're at it.

Shipping Container Homes California - Architects, Builders, Designers

	Echo Tech Design	Architect/Designer	Los Angeles, California
	44 West Construction	Builder	Topanga, Los Angeles County, California
	Leger Wanaselja Architecture	Architect/Designer	Berkeley, California
	AB Design	Architect/Designer	Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, California
	Barber Builders	Builder	Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California
	DeMaria Design	Architect/Designer	Los Angeles, California
	Obed Group	Builder	West Hills, California
	OBR Architecture	Architect/Designer	San Diego, California

Weekend Shipping Container Home, Idaho

Weekend Shipping Container Home Interior

About Jug Mountain Ranch

Project	Jug Mountain Ranch Cargo Cabin
Containers	1x20ft
Area	320 sq ft
Location	Jug Mountain Ranch, McCall, Idaho, USA

Description from Gearjunkie

A repurposed shipping container serves up a great weekend get-away opportunity for this GearJunkie contributing editor.

I recently pulled out my old expedition sled. Plastered with stickers and dinged up from hoisting it through glacial till it has been around the world in pursuit of big adventure. This time was a little different, though. Still bloated to the gills with food and equipment, the sled was stocked with family supplies for a family winter getaway to a remote weekend shipping container home in Idaho.

Cargo containers are large corrugated metal boxes used for shipping. Loaded with goods, stacked and shipped across seas, containers came about during the post-World War II boom, ushering in modern globalization. Today it’s reputed that 17 million containers exist. Surf the inter-webs and you can get yourself a shipping container for as low as $1,200.

Surf a little more and you’ll find examples of purchased shipping containers creatively repurposed as building blocks for livable structures. And, as we found, backcountry weekend shipping container homes. There are lots of pros and cons to building with containers, but this one was already constructed and waiting in the glorious outdoors.

Fat Bike Into Idaho Backcountry

I hitched the sled to the back of my bike and pedaled our supplies three miles into the Idaho backcountry. Rounding the final corner, we spied our winter destination. Jutting out of the woods over the drained reservoir, the weekend shipping container home in Idaho looked like it was speared from over the mountains and lodged in the earth. 

Sporting 25 kilometers of fat bike friendly groomed nordic trails, Idaho’s Jug Mountain Ranch has carved out a nice round-the-year niche for active families. For unique digs, the Ranch dragged the corrugated cargo box through the stands of Ponderosa Pines and perched it over the Jug Mountain Reservoir, so close, in fact, that in summer you can swing your legs off the deck and dangle your toes in the water below.

Jug Mountain Ranch Cargo Cabin

We punched in the code and swung open the doors. The 20-foot-long weekend shipping container home was divided in half; a pair of bunks racked with all-weather mattresses stood behind a roller door, the kitchen and main quarters ran down the right flank. Just a short walk outside led you to the eco-outhouse and the ‘pee’ tree. A shed was stacked with enough wood to keep the cabin warm for two winters.

Inside, the entire shipping container home was paneled in plywood and fortified with everything one might need for a stay. A propane-powered stove fueled a kitchen stocked with cookware, flatware and cleaning supplies. A small wood stove sat prepped and ready to light. And windows galore cut through the corrugated wall, ready to soak in the light and judicious mountain views.

The kids got right to choosing their preferred bed of choice. Powered by solar, I flipped the Goal Zero battery, illuminating the cabin with a string of holiday lights, then lit the stove to heat up our weekend home.

Idaho Outdoors Recreation

We passed the days skiing, biking, and sledding. We returned late in the afternoon to hang our sweaty-wet clothes out to dry. Our bellies warmed with soup du jour.

We’ve done a fair amount of winter family camping, mostly in yurts though. Yurts, being round, can feel open but dark. Contrary, the cargo cabin, being narrow, felt more constrained, but brighter.

When we wanted to call it an early night for the kids, we simply rolled the divider door shut, allowing mom and dad some quiet time to chill over boxed wine.

Soon enough, it was time to go. We packed up our gear and racked up the bikes for the ride back to the rig.

Would we come back? Certainly so. Just $100 a night got us a prime outdoor location all to ourselves in a neat little corrugated package. What would we do different? We’d come back in summer of course, so I could finally retire that old bright orange sled.

International Household movers are working to make your life easy

An international household relocation is a time-consuming operation. Numerous processes must be followed to successfully transport your personal belongings from the United States to your new abroad residence. During this challenging period, you will not be alone. SDC international staff can speak with you about any aspect of your foreign shipping. This is because moving from one country to another is complex and challenging. Before you relocate, your relocation expert will arrange all of the necessary tasks. If you desire one, they will put up a visual estimate on your house site. You'll decide together on the breadth of international home moving services you'll need for your move. Your relocation specialist will accurately estimate the cost of your moving services.

How To Ensure That Your House Is Warm Enough During Snowy Months

 

Snow is a winter wonder for some and a terrible inconvenience to others. If you're someone who enjoys bundling up in your warmest sweater and taking an afternoon stroll in the falling snow, then perhaps you've accepted the cold weather as part of what makes this time of year enjoyable. But if you're like most people, and the idea of spending hours shoveling your driveway and scraping your car windows isn't particularly appealing, then you're probably dreading what this winter season has in store.

For those who aren't as eager to brave the chilly months ahead, there's good news. It doesn't have to be as difficult as some make it out to be. In fact, there are a few things you can do to help ensure that your shipping container house is warm enough during snowy months.

Clever Ideas To Transform Your Outdoor Area Into A Lively And Practical Space

It doesn’t matter whether you have a small or large backyard near your shipping container home, these areas are supposed to be one of the loveliest and most comfortable spaces. That’s the place we go to when we want to just sit back, relax and unwind.

The outdoor space shouldn’t be the place you want to escape from. On the contrary. People usually have backyards that are cluttered with too many unnecessary things and then everything appears to be too messy and chaotic.

That’s why you need to become more organized and think of the steps you will take that will completely renovate it. If you don’t know where to start, then check out the tips we’re about to add that will entirely transform your outdoor space.

4 Reasons Why It's Worth Investing in Properties

Investing in properties can be a difficult decision. Sometimes putting your money elsewhere may seem like the better option, but giving a chance to real estate is worth it if you're willing to put in some work. This article will cover 4 reasons why investing in properties is worth it!

1 Bedroom Shipping Container Home, El Prado, New Mexico

1 Bedroom Shipping Container Home Interior

About Boma Properties

Project	The Steel Pueblo
Builder	Boma Properties
Containers	1
Area	320 sq ft
Bedrooms	1
Location	El Prado, New Mexico, USA

Description from Airbnb

THE STEEL PUEBLO

• 1br/1ba unique modified shipping container

• Fiber Optic internet with live streaming tv makes it a great place to work from

• Private back porch with sliding glass door

• Floor to ceiling windows to show off Taos city night views

• Surrounded by Mountains

• Great Central location to Town and all local adventures

The Steel Pueblo comes in the form of a boutique lodging experience where your stay will be a focal point of your travels rather than a place to simply rest your head.

This 1 bedroom shipping container home in New Mexico capitalizes on the beauty of Taos with a living area that flows right onto patio. Enjoy your cup of coffee with the sunrise over the mountains or your wine with a cool breeze under the stars.

It boast a separate bedroom with a Queen bed with storage for your belongings. The wall of windows accompanied by floor to ceiling windows give you the best view from your bed. If privacy is desired each window has built in blinds.

The living room has YOUTUBETV and a futon for extra sleeping space when needed. The doors in the living room can be slid to the side for your living area to spill onto the porch. 12000 BTU mini split will provide heat/air so you will always remain comfortable.

Kitchen is equipped with any cooking products you will need and a breakfast bar to enjoy them at. The bathroom has a shower along with all other amenities that you made need.

The sun shines through the shipping container home brightening the internal space and accentuating beautiful surrounding mountain views. Right outside of town the stars will shine bright as you soak in the wood burning hot tub on the porch as you can see the lights of town glimmer.

The Steel Pueblo shipping container home in New Mexico, has been made to put a modern spin on the Pueblo houses. It boast the same silhouette of the traditional houses with the sharp 90 degree angles giving it its signature rectangle shape. To pay homage to the earth colored adobe of the pueblo homes the exterior has naturally rusted Corten steel giving it the earth color patina.

Two-story 2000 sqft Shipping Container Home, Arizona

3D Rendering

Construction

About Marie Jones

About Ecosa Institute

Project	Flagstaff Container House
Design	Ecosa Institute
Architects	Tony Brown, Tom Hahn
Designer	Marie Jones
Builder	Dan Miller
Containers	6
Area	2,000 sq ft
Bedrooms	2
Year	2011
Location	Southside Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

This 2,000 sq ft shipping container home, the first shipping container home in Arizona, is made from six recycled shipping containers. Located in historic Southside Flagstaff, it is a two-story dwelling with a spacious atrium living-dining room, two baths, two bedrooms, two studio/offices, plant solarium, galley kitchen, and five decks with views of the San Francisco Peaks and the lively street life of this outdoor-loving and friendly university town.

Comfortable in wintertime, with passive solar and in-floor radiant heating, and in summertime, with natural mountain breezes, the shipping container house collects solar electric power and harvests rainwater and snowmelt. The insulation is biofoam, recycled denim, and exterior ceramic coating. Aluminum dual-pane aluminum windows and translucent insulated fiberglass fill the house with natural light.

The recipient of a Coconino County Sustainability Award, the shipping container home was designed by communication designer Marie Jones and architects Tony Brown and Tom Hahn of Ecosa Institute, and was built by Dan Miller. Construction was completed in 2011.

Description by Ecosa Institute

This project features recycled ocean-going shipping containers as the main structure; but the home will also include a whole host of other environmental and energy-efficient design ideas and materials. The home is though to be the first shipping-container-based house in Flagstaff, and one of the first multi-story container projects in Arizona.

The containers have been pre-fabricated in Phoenix and trucked to the northern Arizona site for their placement into the project.  With the containers placed and connected together, the home will be completed on-site under the direction of the owners.  The project is planned to be ready to be occupied in late 2010.

This project uses five 40-foot long "high-cube" containers for the main house, in a criss-cross plan that rises into an open, dayligh filled, two-story high atrium space.  This atrium will have operable windows to allow for natural "stack" ventilation, and will be capped off with a pitched roof angled for best performance with solar-electric photovoltaic panels. Across a raised deck from the main house, a detached 20-foor long, standard height container will house an artist studio. The entire project has been designed for rainwater and snowmelt harvesting by Barnabus Kane of TBK Associates in Prescott, Arizona, and the site will also be finished with a permaculture based, minimal water use, native landscaping.

The exterior of the containers will retain their robust steel exterior, and be refurbished and repainted with a super-insulating ceramic based paint, in forest and sunset colors. A "floating" steel interior stair, as well as the entry porch, will be suspended on steel rods from the containers above, accessing the second floor bedrooms and roof decks made from portions of an additional container. Super-insulated windows with recycled content frames will be set back in recycled steel "shade boxes" that will keep the sun and snow at bay.  The project will also include soy=based spray-foam insulation, radiant floor heating, soy-stained concrete floors, photovoltaic panels, recycled metal structure and roofing, translucent super-insulating glazing, graywater recovery, low-water use fixtures and appliances, recycled content and non-toxic finishes and energy efficient lighting.  site fencing and other landscape features will be made from portions of the containers that were cut away in fabrication.

This shipping container home in Arizona has been accepted by the new Coconino County Sustainable Building Program, and will aim to achieve an "Advanced" rating under the program upon completion.