Ship Shape

Overseas storage containers offer a simple housing solution

PREFABRICATION strategies combined with recycling initiatives has led to the repurposing of steel shipping containers as modular building components.

Transformed from carrying overseas shipments into a construction module, they provide a durable building block for simple, low-cost and sustainable structures, from homes and offices to temporary event venues.

A variety of container dimensions exist to accommodate different requirements and local road regulations. Their width is standardized at eight feet (2.4 m), but the height and length dimensions can vary. The 20’ and 40’ containers are the two most popular lengths, while the heights are available in three dimensions from 8m to 9.5m.

Shipping containers are made of slow-rusting COR-TEN steel, which gains its name from its high corrosion resistance and tensile strength. This type of steel was designed to eliminate the need for painting, because a stable rusted appearance forms after being exposed to weather.

The appeal of the conversion of shipping containers to architecture comes from their inherent modular quality, durability and sustainably. Added benefits, such as easy transportation and quick on-site construction, make them an attractive option for some builders and buyers.

A container must be modified with the addition of insulation, windows and doors, and corridors and stairways to connect adjacent containers. Though the containers themselves are a relatively inexpensive, the conversion process can become costly if proper considerations such as interior materials are not made.

“Containerlove,” designed by LHVH Architekten, is a home on a rural site in Kall, Germany. In contrast to its monotone, linear exterior, the warm, inviting interior of the 969 sq. ft. private residence no longer resembles a shipping container. Limited to the sizes of the modules, the floorplan was optimized by changing the layout of the boxes, and the design further experiments with altering the container facades and surfaces.

After detailed planning, the production of the house took only four weeks. The modules were then delivered to the site and assembled. Since all but a few elements were completed in the factory, the only on-site tasks were the joints, piping and connection to utilities. The assembly process took just a day before being ready for occupancy.

Three modules of varying lengths form an L-shaped floorplan. The layout maximizes the interior space for an airy feel and efficient use, while the walls are thick enough to contain an effective amount of insulation.

The master bedroom and bathroom are situated at one end of the house. At the other end, where two containers are doubled up to form a wider space, there is an additional bedroom and an office that could potentially be used as a third bedroom by adding a partition. The open-plan living room, kitchen and dining space are situated in between, at the elbow of the design.

The main entrance with a small, covered porch, is located between the kitchen and dining area. There are five additional doorways that connect the outside and the interior. Large windows are placed strategically throughout to provide natural light. There is also a small wooden terrace at the inside corner that provides adequate privacy.

Apart from flexible building options, shipping containers provide an efficient way of delivering homes that may appeal to some buyers by combining economic and sustainable advantages in a single prefabricated package.

BY: AVI FRIEDMAN IS AN ARCHITECT, PROFESSOR, AUTHOR AND SOCIAL OBSERVER.