The Application Of Container Homes
Author : SJ Modules Feb 01, 2021
Billed as the largest container city in the world, Amsterdam's massive Keetwonen complex houses 1,000 students, many of whom are happy to secure housing in the city's tight real estate market. Designed by Tempo Housing in 2006, Keetwonen is said to be a roaring success, with units that are well insulated, surprisingly quiet and comfortable.Each resident enjoys a balcony, bathroom, kitchen, separate sleeping and studying rooms and large windows. The complex has central heating and high speed Internet, as well as dedicated bike parking.Keetwonen has proved so popular that its lease has been extended until at least 2016. small vacation homeNeed some flexibility with security? Need a temporary structure or small vacation home? Going off the grid? The Port-a-Bach system from New Zealand's Atelier Workshop might be a good fit.Costing around $55,000, Port-a-Bach sleeps two adults and two children comfortably, in a dwelling that folds up into a fully enclosed steel shell. Modular PoolsOne of the advantages of modular architecture is that it allows for adding accessories like pools. Children's Center
Completed in 2004 by Urban Space Management, Fawood Children's Centre spans three blocks, and includes a nursery, office space and an adult education center. The container based structures are connected by external walkways, and everything is housed under a colorful meshed shell. Container LivingIt's important to remember that resourceful people have been living in repurposed shipping containers for decades, particularly around ports and along the margins in developing countries. The big metal boxes are dry, fire resistant and quite readily available.Here, some men make their homes in containers in Jakarta. A community of people have lived in shipping containers for 20 years in Armenia, since the temporary housing set up for them after the devastating 1988 earthquake has never been replaced. Quik House
Want your own container house? There's a six month waiting list for the Quik House by architect Adam Kalkin, who is based in New Jersey. The distinctive Quik House comes in a prefabricated kit, based on recycled shipping containers (in fact a completed house is about 75% recycled materials by weight).The standard Quik House offers 2,000 square feet, three bedrooms and two and one-half baths, though larger options are also available. The shell assembles within just one day, and all the interior details can be finished within about three months.The Quik House comes in two colors (orange or natural rust bloom), and the estimated total cost, including shipping and assembly, is $184,000. You can add even greener options such as solar panels, wind turbines, a green roof and additional insulation (to R-50). Weekend house
We love this adorable mini housing unit from architect Jure Kotnik. In the epitome of doing more with less, the upper container provides shade to the entry of the lower. The lower also provides space for a small terrace. The inside of each container may be small, but the modular nature means space can be readily added, or subtracted, as needs or finances change (this is how people regularly build in much of the developing world). Interiors are also flexible, and they can be made as appealing as your imagination allows. Specific Exhibition
Site-Specific and Buatalah Studio were asked to design a green building exhibition for Baan Lae Suan Fair in Bangkok. They came up with a design for a family of three, made out of four reused shipping containers and prefabricated modules. The home reuses graywater and incorporates spaces for growing food. An exterior look at the innovative and welcoming Site-Specific design. One can see how a small family might live comfortably in the versatile dwelling conceived by Site-Specific. All Terrain Cabin
Canada's Bark Design Collective built the All Terrain Cabin (ATC) as a showcase for sustainable (and Canadian!) ingenuity. The small home is based on a standard shipping container, and is said to be suitable for a family of four, plus a pet, to live off the grid in comfort and style.The cabin folds up to look like any old shipping container, and can be sent via rail, truck, ship, airplane or even helicopter. When you're ready to rest your bones, the cabin quickly unfolds to 480 square feet of living space, with a range of creature comforts. Beach House
With its modern lines and appealing spaces, the award-winning Redondo Beach House by De Maria Design turns heads. The luxury beachside showpiece was built from eight prefabricated, recycled steel shipping containers, along with some traditional building materials. According to the architects, the modified containers are "nearly indestructible," as well as resistant to mold, fire, and termites. Seventy percent of the building was efficiently assembled in a shop, saving time, money and resources.One of the containers can even sport a pool! The lessons learned from Redondo Beach House are being incorporated into a line of more affordable, accessible designs, soon available as Logical Homes.
