If one conceives containers exclusively as boxes for the transport and storage of goods, as well as a modular unit of measurement (“cargo unit”) for the design and dimensioning of warehouses for logistics, the idea that one can live in a place like that would automatically raise anathemas against the alleged commodification of living values and the debasement of human dignity. If, on the other hand, one thinks that the use of containers in construction has for some time now not only made it possible to stem emergency housing needs due to cataclysms or imposing migratory flows, but has also given rise to interventions that are strongly characterised from a compositional point of view, offering comfortable spaces suited to the needs of everyday life, then one can also reconsider the usual prejudices. This is demonstrated by some projects that have been able to transform the most prosaic symbol of in-thermodal transport into a domestic ‘home’: an intimate home where one can take refuge away from city tensions and abandon oneself to a pacifying relationship with Nature (2 + weekend house by Jure Kotnic, Containers of Hope by Studio Saxe, Container House by Måns Tham, Escape Den by River and Rain, Squirrel Park by AHMM, Starburst House by Whitaker Studio, Floating Cubes by Younghan Chung Architects, Ventanilla Modules by TRS Studio); or a cosy housing solution for temporary study and work needs, under the banner of functionality and relational dynamism (Keetwonen by Tempohousing, Sea Container Housing by Travis Price Architects, Frankie & Johnnie by Holzer Kobler Architekturen). Beyond technical problems (especially insulation) that ordinary metal structures in certain climates do not solve, the advantages of a container dwelling are several: from reduced costs compared to conventional housing, to rapid construction times, to ease of disassembly and reallocation, to a sustainable approach involving the reconversion of elements no longer used in logistics. This is why, at a time of generalised impoverishment and global nomadism, it is perhaps worth questioning ourselves on the role of a “fluid” and essential architecture that, with a bit of rough romanticism and in defiance of the code of permanence in building, embraces the universal value of living as a “protective nest”, wherever and wherever it may be.
12 outstanding shipping container home designs
In these examples, the container from a universal symbol of transportation and goods storage is rethought in a domestic way, inspiring an alternative vision of dwelling.
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- Chiara Testoni
- 26 October 2022
The first and largest - at the time of assembly - student housing complex made of removable containers provided an effective answer, also in terms of cost and time containment, to the student housing shortage that was oppressing the city. With 1034 modules of containers set up as small dwellings, the complex - which had to be dismantled after a few years - with common areas, cafeterias, and services remained a perfectly functional and decidedly long-lived 'microcosm' for this type.
This two-storey mini-unit is composed of two containers arranged perpendicularly to each other so that the upper volume provides a protective overhang to the access area and the lower one houses two small terraces on the roof. A functional living solution with a cheerful and playful character, emphasised by the pink polka dot design of the façades.
This house made out of two containers represents the dream of freedom and adventure of the clients, who wanted an informal place in contact with nature, where they could live outside the economic constraints and tensions of the city. The work is characterised by two staggered modules interconnected by a sloping roof made from scrap metal used for the window and door frames; the design of the openings favours efficient cross-ventilation, with obvious energy savings, especially in an area with a tropical climate.
Not quite a "container house" but a prototype of a transportable modular dwelling: this is how this 80 m2 prefabricated house was conceived, entirely built in the city in 45 days, moved in four hours and installed in six. The four identical aggregated modules, reminiscent of the assembly of freight containers, house three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a pantry with washing machine and a central space for community life.
The house for a family of five is built from eight shipping containers on a steep terrain near a lake on the outskirts of Stockholm. The house was self-built by the clients, who customised the interior with repurposed salvaged building components in keeping with the frugal yet attractive style of the house.
The building is made from recycled shipping containers and comprises 24 housing units to accommodate recent graduates of the Catholic University of America (CUA). The building consists of four levels: on each floor there is a flat with six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a shared common space that includes a kitchen, dining room, living room and laundry room.
The complex consists of three buildings made of more than 420 cor-tén steel shipping containers. The modularity of the elements and the various assembly possibilities allowed for wide variations in both the type of accommodation (single, double and triple) and the configuration of the façades. Common areas for sports, social life and relaxation contribute to animating the student village with liveliness and dynamism.
A "hymn to solitude", according to the designers: this is how this dwelling composed of four shipping containers was conceived, in a rural landscape on the outskirts of Dhaka and far from the metropolitan din, embodying the ideal of a sober and authentic life. The two-storey building is characterised by a bare metal structure and projecting volumes that open out into balconies and terraces, blurring the boundary between outside and inside.
Responding to the need to increase density in existing residential neighbourhoods, AHMM employed shipping containers to build four single-family homes each measuring approximately 130 sqm. The complex, set in a lush park dotted with existing trees and new plantings, includes ample community living spaces and green roofs that promote energy efficiency and biodiversity.
A flower blooming in the desert. This is how this sculptural structure appears, made up of 14 containers arranged at different angles, each accommodating a different function: a kitchen, living room, study, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a spacious terrace are distributed over about 200 square metres. The pure volumes in dazzling white open up at the head with large windows offering spectacular views of the landscape. The building is designed under the banner of eco-sustainability: the solar panels on the roof meet the energy needs of the entire building autonomously.
Situated on the banks of an artificial lake, in a natural setting brutalised by human intervention, this house does not renounce its relationship with the landscape and especially with water, which is an essential element of the design: the house, composed of seven 3x3 m containers connected by a system of platforms and walkways, overlooks three bodies of water of different depths (a Zen pond, a swimming pool for adults and a pool for children) that actively participate, both visually and functionally, in daily domestic life.
In a small fishing settlement north of Lima, this house composed of an 8x15 m salvaged shipping container on which rests a lightweight polycarbonate volume offers an economic, sustainable and comfortable solution for a family of four. The first level houses the common areas (living room and kitchen), the second the services and bedrooms. The project, also intended to meet emergency needs in the event of disasters, involved the local community in its realisation, in a process of building skills and a sense of community.