From Empty Block to Passivhaus Premium Including a Shipping-Container-Turned Pool House: A Builder’s Personal Journey, Melbourne, Australia

As the founder of the Sustainable Builders Alliance and director of G-LUX Builders, Jesse Glascott has turned his own family home into a showcase of what sustainable construction can achieve.

On a vacant parcel of land in Melbourne’s outer northeast, Jesse built a striking residence that has been awarded Passivhaus Premium certification — a recognition achieved by only a select few homes in Australia.

3 Bedrooms 115 sqm Sustainable Prefabricated Shipping Container Home, Victoria, Australia

Floor Plan
Video
About Manufacturer - Sonic Steel

Architect	Rema O’Neill
Manufacturer	Sonic Steel
Builder	Owners
Landscape Design	Phyto Landscapes
Kitchen + Interior Design Support	Cantilever Interiors
Solar Power	RACV Solar
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
Containers	4 containers (4x 40 ft)
Area	115 sqm (1,240 sq ft)
Location	Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia
Year	2023
Photography	Tess Kelly

The new prefabricated home belongs to Green Magazine editor Tamsin O’Neill and Green Press publisher Tom Bodycomb, who assembled a team of specialists to bring their sustainable dream house to life. Their vision included a serene kitchen and flawless custom joinery crafted by Cantilever Interiors.

Having spent over 17 years writing about environmentally conscious design and housing, it’s no wonder O’Neill and Bodycomb’s own residence is both inventive and unconventional.

The couple, the driving force behind Green Magazine, had long been searching for the perfect spot along the Great Ocean Road to create a custom, eco-friendly family home. They found it when a one-hectare parcel came on the market in Aireys Inlet.

Royal Wolf Shipping Container Melbourne HQ, Administrative and Site Office with Planted Internal Courtyards, Sunshine, Victoria, Australia

Construction
Floor Plans
Location
About Room 11 Architects

Architect	Room 11 Architects
Containers	16
Location	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Year	2013

Royal Wolf is a specialist in the hire, sale & modification of new & refurbished shipping containers. Utilising the steel fabrication skill sets of this company, Room11 take the claustrophobic volume within a regular shipping container and transform it into a spacious light filled work environment with planted internal courtyards.

Weekend Retreat Three 20ft Shipping Containers 50 sqm House on Steel Stilts and Concrete Pile Foundations for Anchoring House to Hillside, Victoria, Australia

Floor plans / drawings

About studio edwards

Project	House 28
Architecture	studio edwards
Area	50 sq m (540 sq ft)
Containers	Three 20 ft
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
Photography	Tony Gorsevski
Location	Surf Coast, Wye River, Victoria, Australia
Year	2018

Description by architects

A shipping container house on the Surf Coast in Wye River, Victoria, Australia. Designed as a weekend retreat and made from three 20ft shipping containers. Two connect to form the living space with toilet, laundry and entry. The third acts as a sleeping wing with two bedrooms, toilet and shower. Connected by a external deck on steel stilts which sit on deep concrete pile foundations - anchoring the house to the hillside.

Internally the spaces are lined with marine plywood. Externally they are insulated and clad with galvanised steel sheeting. The northern face of the shipping container house has fixings to allow for planting wires to connect to the ground, encouraging native plants to grow over the house.

The Southern facade is predominately glazed with a series of double glazed doors and windows opening onto the decking which looks southwards through the trees towards the ocean. A green roof planted with native dichondra sits above providing additional thermal insulation, blending into the surrounding landscape.

Yarra Valley 5 Bedroom Shipping Container Home, Victoria, Australia

Containers	8
Bedroom	5
Location	Chum Creek, Victoria, Australia

Yarra Valley 5 Bedroom Shipping Container Home Floor Plans

A bespoke luxury home built from eight shipping containers located in the foothills of the Toolangi State Forest in the picturesque Yarra Valley. At just an hour from Melbourne, it is the perfect spot for a weekend away with friends, a home base on your tour of the Yarra Valley, wedding celebrations or corporate booking.




Only 7 minutes drive from Healesville town center and TarraWarra Estate | Yarra Valley Winery. The whole place is yours to enjoy with the local bird life and beautiful scenery.

Yarra Valley Shipping Container Home has open plan living and boasts spotted gum flooring, a cosy wood fire and a kitchen perfect for entertaining. The two levels are completely independent, each with their own bathroom and kitchen. In addition, the spacious deck is perfect for that pre-dinner glass of wine after a day exploring all the region has to offer.

Downstairs: 2 Bedrooms, bathroom, kitchenette and dining / living area, small deck.

Upstairs: 3 Bedrooms (1 with ensuite), bathroom, kitchen, dining / living area, laundry, large deck with BBQ.