Shipping containers are now entering the world of architecture. A lot of people have been turning them into eco-friendly cafes (or simple cafes) as well as residences which are completely different from what they originally are. So here are eight of the many beautiful container houses around the world. Most of them are sustainable and energy efficient!

1. Zigloo Domestique – Victoria, Canada

This architecture is one of the first shipping container houses in Canada. And believe it or not, the architect Keith Dewey took a cue from a magazine while he was designing this. Dewey repurposed eight 20-foot cargo containers and gave them roof and home interior using sustainable materials.

Zigloo Domestique Complete is 178 sqm and has passive ventilations. After calculation, Dewey supposedly saved 70 trees because he used recycled materials. After six years of completion, the Canadian architect sold the house for $728,000.

2. Flying Box Villa – Orgeres, France

With a budget that ranges from $100,000 to $500,000, 2A Design could build a relatively small home consisting of three shipping containers. The challenge was constructing a house that has the most creativity and originality without being too expensive.

Flying Box Villa has three levels. Garage, entrance, and laundry room are in the bottom level. The second level has the living room and garden, whereas the main level has got two glass facades that faces the street and the home’s garden. The top one is a solarium where the resident can bask in the sunlight and admire the surrounding village as well as the natural landscape.

3. Seven Havens – Lombok, Indonesia

In the east of Indonesia’s famous Bali there’s an island and province of Lombok. And in the southwestern part of it, there’s a stunning container residence. It sits on a set of concrete stilts on a hillside so the house can have a great view of Selong Belanak.

A container set at 60 degree angle serves as the ceiling of the master bedroom. It gives the room a wedge shape overlooking the bay. This gorgeous residence is one of the craftsmanship of Budi Pradono Architects. They have similar design technique of another private residence that you can find in Jakarta. Just google “The Leaning House of Jakarta” and you can see it.

4. Six Oaks Shipping Container Residence – Santa Cruz, California

In the middle of Santa Cruz’s mountains and trees, there’s a private residence that uses six shipping containers. Designed by David Fenster from Modulus, this house intended to waste minimal space so that the project would leave little impact on the environment. Fenster uses recycled wood as the stairwell and furniture. The foundation of the flooring uses stained and sealed recycled plywood.

And because of the sustainable design, the containers have only about one meter gap from one another. The container on second floor is placed at 90 degrees angle too. There used to be an old railway around the vicinity, but Fenster transformed it to be an underground escape route should there be an emergency.

Read also: Small space houses and their sustainability concept

5. Shipping Container Guest House – San Antonio, Texas by Jim Poteet

Typically, guest houses are just big enough for a short stay. You’ll only need a living room, study, bathroom, patio, and bedroom, right? Well, one container can fit all those, even though the size is only about 2,5 meters wide and 12 meters long.

With minimalistic concept, Jim Poteet decided that that small spaces are not a problem. For example, the roof of the create also utilizes as garden space. He added a touch of luxury to those recycled shipping containers while still maintaining sustainability. He used recycled telephone poles as the foundation. The flooring and wall coverings features repurposed bamboo.

Poteet’s mission was to transform a mere, humble shipping container into a habitable, energy efficient, and homey residence. He said, “We didn’t take the container out of the project and try and turn it into something else.”

6. Ccasa Hostel – Nha Trang, Vietnam

As time progresses, you can find affordable, artsy, and vibrant hostels all over the world now. Such is the case for this hostel designed by Vietnamese studio, TAK Architects. The hostel used to be mere shipping containers and now they’ve become a place to sleep for travelers across the world.

Since Vietnam has a warm climate, it’ll get a bit hot from direct sunlight. But not to worry, there are pergolas that surround each container that will give you sun shield. If you’re a beachgoer, good news. This hostel is just 180 meters away from the beach.

7. Cove Park – Rosneath Peninsula, Scotland

Basically, this building is a complex of rentable shipping container houses in Scotland. The designer is Edo Architecture, and they linked 6 shipping containers together to make a little artsy waterfront resort.

Overlooking Loch Long in Scotland, this place is a safe haven for artists from all over the world. Visual artists, craftspeople, writers, and musicians can make this complex as their residences. There’s a layer of grass at the top of the containers to naturally insulate the house. The complex gets a lot of natural light because of each house’s sliding glass doors and portable windows.

8. Colorado Shipping Container Home – Nederland, Colorado

Studio H:T built a home using two shipping containers on a rock ledge in the Colorado wilderness. And although the house isn’t shipping containers entirely, it’s sustainable, not to mention beautiful and lavish. I mean, turning humble containers into something so aesthetic and homey? For me it’s eco-friendly and worthy of respect.

The design team makes the containers as the home’s central living space. They function as the kitchen, bedrooms, bath, office, and laundry room. You can find a bed that you can slide for a no-tent outdoor experience on the upper floor. And not only that, there are roof-mounted solar panels, passive cooling, and many more sustainable features.

Which one that you’d want to live in or pay a visit? Do you have shipping container houses around your domicile? Don’t hesitate to tell us your thoughts or stories in the comments below. For another sustainability-related article, be sure to click here.

 

Source(s)
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/best-shipping-container-homes/
http://hiconsumption.com/2014/02/the-15-greatest-shipping-container-homes-on-the-planet/