The humble shipping container’s popularity seems to know no bounds, especially when it comes to creating homes and other forms of accommodation. But what about home comforts? We look at five of the best examples of shipping container living.
Living in a Shipping Container
It may look like a rusting heap of metal, but these sturdy boxes can provide the structure to amazing homes. But what about creature comforts? Take a look at some of the most stunning examples of shopping container homes from across the globe…
Joshua Tree Residence
Designed by James Whittaker, this interconnected, bright white shipping container home stands out from the Californian desert in which it sits. Originally meant as an office building in Germany, that project never came to fruition. A film producer and his wife decided that the design was ripe for a holiday home in 90 acres of wilderness they own in LA.
Minimal in interior design, internal flooring is polished concrete, perfect for using alongside wet underfloor heating. A self-sufficient home, there are views from every window over the rugged landscape, with power coming from solar panels on the garage roof and interior finishes and furniture from eco-friendly sources.
Mortgage-free Living
There is something very quirky about this shipping container home in Missouri which was built by a couple so they could live mortgage free.
It has everything needed for a home – space to park the car, reception rooms, spacious bedrooms, fantastically equipped kitchen and a modern, sleek bathroom.
With insulation, shipping containers offer not only a sturdy skeleton to a property but a warm, energy-efficient space too.
With affordable housing a hot political potato in the UK and beyond, using shipping containers to create spacious homes is sure to be universally welcomed.
Consider creating, designing and building your own home? Are shipping container homes a viable option?
Simple Living
It is not a concept lost on many us, but it seems that the days of consumerism are passing us by. No longer are we looking to create a home full of materialistic items but are keeping a keen eye on minimalistic living, whilst supporting the environment.
This simple shipping container home in Montana is deceptively simple but delightfully beautiful.
The one bedroom, one bath, open plan home is the epitome of design and style. Yet, it could solve so many housing issues. With the timber cladding mirror the wooden decking, the last thing these shipping containers look like are the huge metal hulks that have travelled the world.
Off The Grid Living
This next example from South Africa is not just a quirky home for off-the-grid living made from shipping containers. It also shows how materials and components can be reused, recycled and upcycled.
It also emphasises how by thinking outside of the box (no pun intended!) can lead to multi-storey homes made from materials and structures that offer a stylish scaffold to a property.
The probability of this home become a clone of many other others like it are minimal. In many ways, this kind of design and build creates bespoke homes for a fraction of the cost.
Basic Shipping Container Home
There is a growing industry springing up around shipping container homes. Shipping containers come in two standard sizes, with a 40-foot solid, water-tight shipping container selling for around £1,500 each. You can even pick them up on eBay!
With land – the most expensive purchase – along with the correct planning permissions, great design and some professional help to cut and support the container – you could potentially build yourself a fantastic home for a fraction of what it would cost to buy your own pad.
Design can be as simple or as complex as you want. This design proves that sometimes simple is best.
Used as holiday rentals, there is also a decking for sitting over the lake. As well as this, it has a ‘green’ roof to help the containers blend into the landscape. With watertight construction, there is no danger of damp seeping through the ceiling.
The exterior and interior of a shipping container home can be what you want it to be, from dramatic to simplistic. Is it a style of housing that attracts you?
