| Floor Plans / Drawings |
| Construction Process |
| About Builders/Owners |
| About Måns Tham Arkitektkontor |
| About Ramboll - Structural Engineer |
| Architecture | Måns Tham Arkitektkontor |
| Structural Engineer | Egil Bartos, Ramboll |
| Area | 150 sqm (1600 sqft) |
| Containers | 8 |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Photography | Staffan Andersson |
| Year | 2019 |
Description by architects
This 1600 sqft shipping container home was built of eight assembled, 20′ and 40′ re-used, high cube shipping containers. The house is built on a steep lot next to a lake, outside of Stockholm. There was a ban on dynamite for the site and there was no room for a slab, just a steep canyon where a lot of rainwater flows toward the lake. That is why the modular home stands on pillars or stilts and land light on the terrain. The structural walls of the containers allowed the upper level to be larger than the entrance level footprint. This way the building adjusts to the V-shaped natural canyon of the site. The clients, a truck driver and a therapist with three kids, have built the house mostly by themselves with big help from their father and father in law who is a skilled welder and used to run a mechanic workshop. The interior is a composition of rare finds and re-used building components.
A shipping container is not a great starting point for a home because of its limited width, 2,4 m. Also, as soon as you take out any part of the corrugated walls between two containers to make a wider room they lose their structural strength. Therefore we had to put a lot of effort into deciding which walls to cut and which to save so that we could use the containers with as little additional structure as possible.
The husband worked for a demolition company and is an avid mechanic with a love for old customized American cars. Re-use and alteration became the way to build the house, much in line with the custom car culture. Salvaged from demolition sites around Stockholm, components like timber planks, metal boards, staircases in wood and steel, and parts of old kitchens were re-used and installed after slight modifications.
Each architectural detail was drawn directly from the raw material that was found. Trust and dialogue rather than standard solutions characterized the building process that included many discussions on-site between the architect, client/builder, and structural engineer. Quick hand drawings complemented the drawing set.
The original proposal and plan were never changed though. In a housing scheme, the plan drawings and the flow of the plan, the ability to always walk towards the light and to have surprising views and diagonals, is regardless if you make a container house or a wood frame house, very important.
This is a modest home for a family with three kids so each square meter had to be planned carefully. The entrance level has a den and a guest bedroom, laundry, and a master bath with a view. The upper level has a living-dining and terrace towards the view and bedrooms in the back towards the forest.
The top container has two functions, a look-out mezzanine where the kids can find solitude but still be around, and also as a light shaft that brings the midday sun into the north-facing living room. Even though the harsh site faces north the living-dining room is flooded with direct sun and the roof terrace has a great evening sun location.
The upper level is connected to the pine tree forest behind the house by a free-spanning eight-meter steel truss sky bridge. The rectilinear world of stacked containers meets the natural form of the hillside. The modular shipping container home stands on steel pillars/stilts on concrete plinths. This eliminated the problem with large amounts of rainwater that flows down the steep hillside. This is very explicit during heavy rains seen from the lower bathroom. It has one big window facing the zen-like view of the canyon rock at the backside of the house. A small openable window to the left makes it possible to hear the birds outside when taking a bath.
The subdividing mullions of each window, together with exterior add-ons that were needed to make the containers up to code (such as railings, chimneys, and water dispensers) were all designed to give the house its own logic and proportions. A composition that dissolves and goes beyond the absolute symmetry of shipping containers.
There is a point where the stacked containers, with everything that is added and modified, cease to be containers and instead becomes an assembled building fixed in a landscape. This point interests the architects and guided the designers through many design challenges with the house.
Floor Plans / Drawings
Construction Process
About Builders/Owners
We who are behind this project of Sweden's first container house, Thomas & Linda. We live during the construction period in a construction shed of 20 sqm together with three children aged 6, 12 and 16 years. We have been running the project with the container villa since January 2015. We threw ourselves into it at full speed and were very naive. Which turned out to be a good condition. Had we known before about all the obstacles and problems that had arisen, we would probably never have started this. Now we have come a long way and take one problem at a time when it arises. Are you interested in building your own container house? We have an architect who knows the technology needed and two designers who have developed a working concept for this. In that case, contact us at info@containervillan.se and we can help you move forward with your thoughts. Thomas & Linda
| Website | https://containervillan.se/ |
| Klokahem | https://klokahem.etc.se/om/containervillan |
| https://www.instagram.com/containervillan/ |
About Måns Tham Arkitektkontor
Måns is an architect and urban strategist based in Stockholm. His practice makes architecture that stand out and make sense. The work ranges from private residences to community-based urban design. The architectural end result is always the goal while the process and method vary depending the project.
Before starting his own practice, Måns worked for 8 years at renowned architecture firms as an architect and project leader. He has worked in Sweden, France and the US with projects ranging from master-plans to interior design. Måns also teaches as an adjunct faculty member at KTH School of Architecture in Stockholm and writes and lectures on urban design.
| Address | Döbelnsgatan 79, 113 52 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Phone | +46 (0)704 80 76 17 |
| mans@manstham.com | |
| Website | https://manstham.com/ |
About Ramboll - Structural Engineer
Ramboll is an international leader in architecture, engineering, and consultancy, offering expert guidance and sustainable solutions to clients and partners worldwide, including shipping container homes design.
Established in Denmark in 1945, Ramboll now operates in 35 countries. By blending in-depth local knowledge with global expertise, we help shape resilient communities and deliver positive change. We call this approach: Bright Ideas. Sustainable Change.
As a Partner for Sustainable Change, we empower our stakeholders to achieve their objectives and successfully move toward a more sustainable future.
Across every stage of our clients’ value chains, we apply innovation, creativity, and technical know-how to identify risks and unlock opportunities linked to sustainability. By uniting our technical skills, sector expertise, and digital capabilities, we help organisations improve performance and develop business models designed for long-term sustainability.
More than 18,000 professionals form the core of Ramboll’s work, delivering both stand-alone and integrated solutions in Buildings, Transport, Energy, Environment & Health, Water, Management Consulting, and Architecture & Landscape.
Ramboll is a proud participant in the UN Global Compact, making a strong contribution to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. Our climate targets, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, are fully aligned with the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C pathway.
Our value creation begins with the need for sustainable transformation in society and among our clients, and it delivers both financial and non-financial benefits to our key stakeholders – Clients, People, Society, and Company.
We are architects, engineers, and consultants providing comprehensive services throughout the built and natural environment. Our clients’ demands are increasingly driven by ambitions to build a sustainable future and to minimise the negative impacts of global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and social inequality.
We collaborate across every stage of our clients’ value chains, applying our expertise, creativity, and innovative thinking to manage the risks and unlock the opportunities that come with sustainable transformation. By combining technical know-how, sector-specific insight, and digital tools, we help organisations improve performance and develop business models built on long-term sustainability.
We work alongside clients who are determined to make a meaningful impact on sustainability within their operations and supply chains.
Pressing global issues — from climate change and resource depletion to environmental damage, social inequality, and biodiversity loss — are reshaping expectations and creating new demands on businesses and institutions.
Public- and private-sector organisations alike are being driven to respond, whether by minimising risks, complying with new regulations, or capitalising on opportunities emerging from changing stakeholder priorities.
This may involve defensive measures to reduce negative impacts or proactive strategies to capture new business possibilities and reimagine ways of operating.
Our ambition is to act as a trusted partner, helping clients navigate this journey successfully by recognising their unique challenges and opportunities. Our greatest assets are our people — their expertise, innovation, and commitment to excellence.
Our services and knowledge form the foundation for successful project delivery. We integrate sustainability at every stage — from strategic advice, concept development, and planning to detailed design, implementation, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning. By embedding principles of circularity (shipping container homes), innovation, and digital technology throughout our work, we deliver the most effective and future-ready solutions for our stakeholders.
For our clients, we create value by tackling their most pressing challenges and delivering solutions, including shipping container homes, tailored to their needs. For our people, we provide an inspiring, modern, and inclusive workplace with rich opportunities to develop skills and grow. For society, we contribute to liveability, economic growth, and social cohesion by fostering a resilient built and natural environment.
For our company, we ensure long-term stability and profitable growth while upholding responsible business practices and staying true to Ramboll’s heritage.
As the Partner for Sustainable Change, Ramboll is committed to acting responsibly toward clients, employees, society, and the business itself. This responsibility is reflected in our ambitious climate goals, aligned with the Paris Agreement.
We are actively working toward climate targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in line with the 1.5°C pathway. Among these, we aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our value chain by 2040. This includes cutting absolute scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions — from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy use, business travel, employee commuting, and product use — by 90% from 2019 levels. The remaining 10% will be neutralised in accordance with SBTi criteria.
Our climate ambitions extend beyond our own operations to how we work with clients, partners, and stakeholders. In every project, we propose more sustainable alternatives. And in line with our ambition to lead the global green energy transition, Ramboll will withdraw from oil and gas exploration before the end of 2025, shifting this expertise into renewable energy. We continue to accelerate the green transition through strategic partnerships, aligned with the objectives of our 2022–2025 strategy: The Partner for Sustainable Change.
Our Climate Targets Approved by SBTi
In May 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) officially validated Ramboll’s net-zero goal for 2040 along with our strengthened 2030 carbon-reduction targets. This endorsement underscores our determination to act on climate change with both speed and scale.
These targets give us a clear direction for our climate action programme:
Long-term commitment
Ramboll pledges to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our entire value chain by 2040.
This involves cutting absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions – including purchased goods and services, fuel and energy use, business travel, employee commuting, and the use of sold products – by 90% from a 2019 baseline.
Any remaining 10% of emissions will be neutralised by 2040 through approved removal methods, in line with SBTi criteria.
Near-term milestones (by 2030)
Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 53.9% from 2019 levels.
Cut scope 3 emissions from fuel- and energy-related activities and business travel by 27.5% within the same timeframe.
Lower scope 3 emissions from the use of sold products by 55% per ton produced.
Ensure that 70% of suppliers, by emissions covering purchased goods and services, have science-based targets in place by 2028.
Our headline commitments
Net-zero emissions across operations and the full value chain by 2040.
53.9% reduction in scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030.
27.5% reduction in emissions from fuel- and energy-related activities and business travel by 2030.
55% reduction in emissions from the use of sold products per ton produced by 2030.
70% of suppliers with science-based targets by 2028.
These science-based targets ensure that our climate ambitions are not only measurable but also aligned with the 1.5°C pathway of the Paris Agreement.
Our climate commitments go beyond our own operations — they also guide how we collaborate with clients, partners, and stakeholders. In every project, we present more sustainable alternatives. Aligned with our ambition to lead the global green energy transition, Ramboll will fully withdraw from oil and gas exploration by the end of 2025, redeploying that expertise into renewable energy. Through strong partnerships, we continue to accelerate the green transition in line with our 2022–2025 strategy: The Partner for Sustainable Change.
“Climate science tells us that we need rapid and deep emissions cuts if we are to achieve global net-zero and prevent the most damaging effects of climate change,” said Luiz Amaral, Chief Executive Officer of the Science Based Targets initiative. “Ramboll’s net-zero targets match the urgency of the climate crisis and set a clear example that their peers must follow.”
Our Key Climate Actions
Transparent reporting and wider scope 3 coverage
We openly disclose our emissions and actively reduce our climate footprint. In recent years, we have expanded our scope 3 categories in line with the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Decarbonising transport
We are transitioning our car fleets to electric vehicles (EVs), making EVs mandatory for company cars and fleets. Over 40% of our fleet across Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the UK is now electric.
Optimising office operations
By procuring renewable electricity across our geographies, we have significantly reduced scope 2 emissions. We are also shrinking overall site footprints while expanding space in sustainably certified buildings.
Responsible business travel
We promote low-carbon travel and have introduced carbon budgets for business trips, along with dashboards to monitor progress and track KPIs.
Reducing emissions from sold products
For furnaces produced in the Americas, we are improving product design, helping clients operate equipment more efficiently, and decarbonising the electricity used to power it.
Enhancing supply chain emissions data
We have implemented a vendor onboarding system to better categorise spending, systematically track suppliers’ GHG emissions, set ambitious reduction targets, and monitor progress. This strengthens our understanding of our scope 3 category 1 footprint and drives emission reductions throughout our supply chain.
Net Zero Definitions Are Evolving — and So Must Our Roadmaps
Thousands of organisations, cities, and nations have pledged to reach net zero. Many are taking concrete steps, but emerging research shows that “net zero” is not always defined in the same way as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This mismatch could have major consequences for existing roadmaps.
Did Early Adopters Get It Wrong?
Not necessarily. But it’s clear that the understanding of net zero is shifting. Alongside the SBTi’s ongoing consultation on its net zero definition, the GHG Protocol is drafting new rules for calculating biogenic emissions, and the UK Government is exploring how to account for greenhouse gas removals. These and other initiatives are reshaping the language around net zero and creating a new common vocabulary.
Many advisers still recommend established approaches to net zero or carbon neutrality. That’s not inherently wrong — but organisations need to stay alert to how definitions are changing and what this means for collective progress.
Why Offsets Alone Aren’t Enough
Most agree that global net zero means reducing emissions steadily while increasing removals until a balance is reached — for instance by 2050 — between what is emitted and what is removed.
But under SBTi’s emerging approach, no company can claim to be net zero until it has achieved “deep decarbonisation” — meaning it has cut emissions as far as technically and economically possible, leaving only residual emissions to neutralise. Offsetting before reaching this point would simply be “carbon compensation” under SBTi’s language, no matter how high the quality of the offsets.
The SBTi is expected to confirm its definition and criteria soon. If applied strictly, the new rules could mean organisations with more ambitious timelines — for example, targeting 2040 instead of 2050 — must decarbonise up to 33% faster.
Carbon Neutral vs. Net Zero
Some organisations may feel safe claiming “carbon neutrality” rather than “net zero.” But SBTi’s framework uses the term “neutralise” within its own net zero definition, so both claims may ultimately be classed as carbon compensation until deep decarbonisation is achieved.
The Offset Supply Problem
SBTi does not “own” the definition of net zero, but it is highly influential. More importantly, the widely used definition of net zero breaks down at a global level. If every entity aimed to reach net zero by 2035 using the current approach, there simply wouldn’t be enough removal offsets available to balance emissions. Climate change is a global challenge and definitions must work at that scale.
Focusing on Reductions First
The emerging SBTi definition encourages a different emphasis for organisations and cities:
Demonstrate clearly that emission reductions take precedence over offsets.
Estimate more precisely what residual emissions will remain once reductions have been maximised.
Use that understanding to build a realistic picture of your net zero destination and avoid missteps along the way.
Future-proof net zero strategies — as climate science advances, it calls for faster, not slower, action.
Accelerate actual emissions cuts and let the substance of your action plan shape your targets, not the other way around.
Why the Definition Matters
How net zero is defined drives the thousands — even millions — of actions that follow. A sharper definition shifts focus toward real carbon reductions. Organisations aiming for SBTi-approved targets may need to revisit their end dates or, better still, increase the speed of their emission cuts.
Don’t Forget Nature’s Role
World Environment Day’s themes of recreate, reimagine, and restore highlight a key truth: we could invest trillions in energy transition and still fail to restore nature, habitats, and biodiversity — or even make things worse. To get the full benefit of net zero efforts, we must think beyond carbon alone.
Nature can and should play a bigger role. SBTi is already developing guidance for Science Based Targets for Nature. As organisations pursue net zero, they should also aim for no net loss of nature and contribute to a global “nature positive” goal. High-quality nature-based solutions — such as reforestation or peatland restoration — offer ways to neutralise or compensate for emissions while also creating wider environmental, economic, and social benefits.
| Address | Krukmakargatan 21, 118 51 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Phone | +46 10 615 60 00 |
| Website | https://www.ramboll.com/contact-us/sweden |
1600 sqft Modular Shipping Container Home on Pillars/Stilts on a Steep Lot, Stockholm, Sweden