What is the reason to build a home made from recycled shipping containers instead of a traditionally constructed, low cost “stick-built” house with approximately the same price per square foot? Homes made from shipping containers can be built inexpensively while incorporating significant advantages: they are industrial cool, modular, green, and strong by nature.
STRENGTH
Made from Corten steel, each 40’ container holds 64,000 pounds. Although we remove some of the corrugation, we reinforce those areas with structural steel as well as additional internal stud framing.
We weld the containers to plates that are cast into the foundation or footings to anchor them. This process makes them far stronger than a traditionally “stick-built” house, which is a great advantage for areas susceptible to high winds and storms.
DURABILITY & SECURITY
As our primary building components, shipping containers are designed to make multiple voyages on the ocean, resisting rust and moisture.
The combination of a Corten steel exterior and a metal roof is far more resistant to the elements than traditional materials often found in “stick-built” houses.
If needed, security can be increased by adding sliding corrugated steel panels over the larger openings, such as patio doors and windows.
Container homes are low maintenance, secure and durable, which makes them ideal for second homes as well as primary residences.
FAST CONSTRUCTION & MOBILITY
Although each project takes careful advance planning, once the foundation is in and the containers are on site, we can have roof trusses installed in two days and a sealed structure within two weeks.
Because the major building components of our homes are within the dimensions of a standard high cube container, we use standard trucking for transportation.
GREEN
Steel is one of the most commonly recycled materials on the planet, with up to 90% of its content being recyclable. However, when a structure is made from shipping containers, the steel is being 100% upcycled without the energy used to scrap and melt down the material.
Reusing containers as homes helps remove excess containers from shipping yards.
For building a LEED certified home, utilizing cargo containers as the base structure will give a head start on achieving the credits required particularly when combined with other sustainable strategies.
COOL AND BEAUTIFUL
Clients can easily imagine the interior volume of a space created by containers. This fully engages the potential owner into the design process as they begin to think in terms of connected modules rather than traditional plans.
Once we combine the industrial feel of corrugated steel with other materials such as glass and wood, the houses become dramatic, sophisticated and beautiful. Color is another element that is used to play off the way corrugation catches light.
These boxes have been all over the world yet they are used to create what we perceive as one of the most permanent objects: a home. This paradox of use (movement and permanence) creates a tension and energy that gives these homes a unique presence. In short, they are industrial cool.
