Container Living - You've Seen it Before but Not Like This.

     Move over mobile homes, container living is here to stay.

      Once confined to scrap metal yards or landfills, shipping containers are quickly becoming the darlings of the modern architectural world.  Easily transportable, widely available and practically indestructible, these metal boxes just may be an answer to the worldwide housing crisis.

    Oh, and they're cheeeaaaap.  A used container can be bought for around $2,000.  Not bad, considering the average price of a house in California still hovers at around $400k. With such affordable pricing, architects and designers have had ample room to experiment, resulting in much chicer and more forward-thinking designs than the dissected mobile homes once traveling the US highways.

    Architect Adam Kalkin has received much notoriety for the high design of his Quick Houses. Based around the construction of five shipping containers and coming in at a cost of just $100 per square foot, multiple floor plans are available for customization boasting many of today's modern appetencies; stainless steel kitchens, wood floors, and walk-in closets.

     Even big business is jumping on the bandwagon. Hospitality giant Travel Lodge has recently finished construction on a 100 room hotel made by cleverly fitting 88 recycled shipping containers together. The Uxbridge, England building cost much less and was finished more quickly than new construction. 

   Although in truth there are a finite number of containers available for recycling, that number is in the millions, making container construction a viable alternative in worldwide building. Looks like we may all be sleeping in a box sooner than we thought.

 

Comments

[Maggiejoe]

i think it's pretty darn cool for someone who's into contemporary style. and to put one up on a piece of vacation p****rty would be super cool. we had a cabin upstate that was damp, musty, mousey but it was a fun "roughing it" place while our kids were growing up. a container or two would have been so much better. my concern is that something that's promoted as being a cheap alternative would wind up costing mega bucks in the end due to red tape, zoning, permits, blah, blah blah.

[Maryanns66]

How kewl is that! Neat article and idea for sure. With a design like the picture you posted, I can see DH,me and the Chihuahuas in that 'container'! I would love one or two for storage and a shop. Humm. Wonder if they're hurricane proof? LOL

Thanks for posting this and for your site, I love it! I like the carpet stools, too.

[rcksmom]

Although it's not my style, it is still a pretty neat idea. In certain areas of the country I think they would offer a great new avenue for living to those who like the modern style and open space.

"With the price of gas, I can't even afford to go CURB SHOPPING!!"

[clueless1]

Sure would beat a cardboard box! I could live like that.I need one to make a shop out of.Wouldn't that be cool!

[Ringgo's Tree House]

The one in that photo is gorgeous and the possibilities are endless.

I think it's a great idea. My personal thing is more about rescuing old houses everyone else thinks should be bulldozed, but I'm in favor of any kind of house-recycling that can be done. I've seen people turn an old school bus into a residence that actually looked cool, and who doesn't remember the Boxcar children?

I'm glad to hear this is catching on among serious architects and designers. That way, we'll see it done really well, and it won't just have an image of people living in substandard housing.

[PacificCoastHome]

I like it! Very good recycling of materials!

PCH

[Bec4]

I think it is pretty cool! I had a friend several years ago where i used to live whose house was built around or from a railroad car.

[Kobus]

Posted Jul 30, 2008 01:10 PM Hide Post
Very neat! In Amsterdam so far they only use them for students. A great solution where we don't have campuses, existing flats are full and kids have to pay sky high prices for tiny rooms in people's apartments. But I can see the idea picking up with artists and other like-minded folks. I'm not sure if I'd give up my place for one (and that's tiny, but I have a private yard!) but it would be great for a workshop or shop.

Read about my own eclectic ways of recycling:
http://trashcollector.blogspot.com
See slide shows of my work here: http://www.freewebs.com/astridsikkema

[Kobus]

Posted Jul 30, 2008 01:10 PM Hide Post
Very neat! In Amsterdam so far they only use them for students. A great solution where we don't have campuses, existing flats are full and kids have to pay sky high prices for tiny rooms in people's apartments. But I can see the idea picking up with artists and other like-minded folks. I'm not sure if I'd give up my place for one (and that's tiny, but I have a private yard!) but it would be great for a workshop or shop.

Read about my own eclectic ways of recycling:
http://trashcollector.blogspot.com
See slide shows of my work here: http://www.freewebs.com/astridsikkema

[Ringo's Tree House]

Another bonus would be if you could get refrigerator-truck containers, they would be insulated better than almost anything an individual could do with standard building materials.

[Michele105]

My first thought was "wow the kids could make a mess in their container and no one would have to see it!" LOL I think that looks pretty cool! Too comtemporary for my taste but I could totally cozy that up Smile

[JoyLuck]

I'm all for alternative housing and think this is a good idea. I might live in one altho probably as a summer vacation home. Not sure how this type of housing works in cold climates where the temps could be -40F and it's necessary to engineer roofs for snow-loads.

This is not a new concept and I don't see it growing really quickly but if they can be finished inexpensively enough it could solve the housing problems for many. I see on the architect's site the claim of a $99,000. house which would be a dream for many.

Can't ya just see one of those filled with T2T furniture and yard sale tschotkes! Love that idea!

[Veronica]

Yes! If I had all the money in the world I would love to sponsor a contest where each of you got a container and decorated it with your own personal style. These super modern homes are fantastic but they don't feel completely "lived in". It would be fun to see the T2T spin!
-Veronica

[Donagail]

So, would they hold up in the cold weather of the midwest? Also where do you buy these containers? I could use one for a garage.

[Architects India]

I must say this is a very modern and interesting idea ... it is innovation and creativity at its peak ... but i don't see this kinda stuff happening in India for a long time to come...

[Eva B. Liland]

Cool idea. Maybe I should get some land and stack em' high :-) Actually, mobile homes are not so affordable anymore. A few years ago when I was storing some furniture in a storage facility, a guy LIVED in his unit.

[signature custom closets]

Wow, cool idea! I didn't know that used containers can be made into a home or a building!