(Check out our complete collection of 70 Works of Recycled Art and Design.)
After the overwhelming praise for our previous post on cargo container homes and offices we simply couldn’t resist doing a follow-up with even more amazing shipping container architectural designs from around the world. From self-transforming shipping container rooms to towering retail spaces and emergency housing here are ten additional examples of amazing recycled designs (including information on a company you can hire to create your own modified shipping container places).
Above is an amazing shipping container living space that transforms on demand into a modular work of recycled architecture. This living area is made from one large shipping container that is modified to open up with the push of a button to form a usable living area. This space has everything you need: bathroom, small kitchen/bar area, and a couch to relax on. All it needs is some sweet transforming furniture.
The Freitag Shop in Zurich is built entirely out of 17 old, rusted shipping containers. The 85 foot high structure really emphasizes the company’s dedication to eco-friendly products, which includes messenger bags made from recycled tarps and tires. The structure features staircases between each level of the shop and a viewing area at the top of this ‘eco-friendly skyscraper’.
Container Cities are designed to provide affordable, stable and easily constructed alternative solutions to creating conventional office, workspace and live/work spaces. When they are done designing the containers themselves become a colorful structural system complete with nuanced design additions and modifications that blur the line between container and architecture. These modular creations can also be constructed and deconstructed/move relatively easy for short- and medium-term structural solutions.
Completed in 2003, this East London youth center took only 1 day to construct the exterior! The structure is composed entirely of 7 used storage containers. The result was a cost-effective solution to traditional construction. Mile End Youth Centre has been considered the future of inexpensive construction for buildings such as this one.
The awesome Riverside Building in London is a masterpiece of storage container recycling. This large office building is constructed out of a total of 73 used storage containers. It took only 8 days to piece together each container into a total of 22 office space units. Construction of this building was completed in 2005, and the result was a cost-effective office space and awesome views of the Thames River.
Check out this retro-looking prefabricated house located in the Austrian countryside. This inexpensive home was created by Espace Mobile who sell prefab homes like this one for between 55,000 and 95,000 Euros. Each one of these homes comes with a 3-year warranty, and each section of the house is 4 meters wide by 1-15 meters long. Each section can be pieced together to the customer’s liking. This place offers spectacular views of the countryside through its floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Linx Shipping Container Shelter offers an innovative solution for temporary shelter applications, such as for construction workers. The shelter is made out of 20 foot long shipping container that can be stacked 2-stories high. The structure includes a kitchen, dining room, showers, bathrooms, office space, and sleeping areas – not exactly your average construction worker shelter!
Hybrid Seattle takes a highly stylized and creative approach to creating container architecture designs. Many of their works are, so far, purely academic exercises showing the potential possibilities of shipping container structures. However, they have build some small-scale modular housing units to test their theories and are in the process of developing a larger cargotecture housing project this year.
Lot-Ek is always on the cutting edge of strange and interesting architectural designs so it is no wonder they have their own visions of shipping container houses. Their solutions rely on a relatively simple external configuration that provides for more complex spatial possibilities on the interior of their structures. They are fully equipped with everything one would want in a home and lacking no luxury.
So if all of this got you somewhat more interested in the idea of having a shipping container structure of your own there are firms like Royal Wolf who create and sell reconstructed shipping containers. A lot of their applications are fairly low-tech (but thus also way more affordable) such as storage or work-site offices, refrigeration and so on. However, they have extensive experience creating living spaces, recreation rooms, kitchens, diners, workshops and more for private citizens and the military.
Previously: Awesome Shipping Container Homes
Next: Design or Buy Shipping Container Homes
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Great Related WebUrbanist Articles:
7 Examples of Recycled Urban Architecture
Know of other recycled design or amazing architecture projects? Be sure to list them in the comments below!
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42 Comments
June 4th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
once again, these are amazing
June 5th, 2008 at 2:09 am
the website is quite interesting but didn’t really find what i was looking for. What concerns me is what would the average cost of setting up a container creation on the small scale for something that would only use a single container. If you could e-mail me your thoughts on this matter you would have been a great help.
June 5th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Its absolutely wonderful. Its new for me. I never thought that containers could make such perfect homes. The interior designing with the perfect but space saving furnitures blends well with each containers(homes) decor.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I am still so intrigued by this concept. Not only is it resourceful, but it opens the door for the creativity of the designer and the structure’s inhabitants.
I am very perplexed by how the plumbing, duct work, etc. fits into it all. And internal stairs. Oh, and someone needs to add a shipping container garage for their little hybrid car!
June 24th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Yes, people are very interested in shipping container homes and construction but according to the ISBU Association (shipping container home organization) these raw designs are not selling.
Regarding Container City. Wow! yes they really started it all but remember they are in UK. This raw architecture is not acceptable in the US and most other countries. For remote cabins, ok.
The public are more interested in the strength and flexibility of shipping containers, but they want them to look like normal home designs. The people who have it right are companies like Travelodge, Gusto Di Vita Coffee and Tuff Cubes.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
This is crazy. Look at this.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Nice dude! I would totalyl move right in to any of them!
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
July 11th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Too many concepts, not enough houses.
July 12th, 2008 at 7:37 am
i lived in a shipping container shelter for 6 mos. last year. Dimensions are dehumanizing. It feels kind of like living in a Winnebago. Even though it was nice, it was too small.
July 12th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I’ve got a site that I am working on that I hope will become a clearinghouse for this sort of information, as well as a place to get into the details of construction techniques - not just “look how pretty containers can be”! That’s fun too, but more technical information is needed on the web. Interested? Go to isotecture.com
July 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
[...]Top 10 (More) Awesome Architectural Shipping Container Designs[...]
July 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
how is it possible that the architect out in LA was not included in this article, his work is the best of the best and it would have been great to see it discussed in a broader context.
here is what I read today:
http://www.labusinessjournal.c.....aID=127172
October 30th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Envision Prefab is engaged in the process of designing, building, and selling green, affordable prefab homes built from cargo containers. The concept behind Envision Prefab is to target the affordable housing market by bringing a new level of sustainability and environmentally responsible construction to the workforce-housing marketplace.
http://www.envisionprefab.com
December 6th, 2008 at 6:02 am
These are amazing…I want a whole village in my backyard and create some sustainable living for many people. This is amazing, what a joy. I like the one with all the windows.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:40 am
THESE COOL DAWG ME WANT ALOT EF DEM BOXES
January 5th, 2009 at 2:18 am
THAT IS SHIT!!!!!
UTTER TOSS PEICE OF ASS
January 13th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
its very good products.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Dear Sir or Madam: I would like to receive information about your ISO Containers for housing as I have a customer interested in using at least 30 of them fully equipped to be used in off-shore oil platforms in Mexico. Thanks in advance for your prompt response. Regards, Marco Lara(956) 459 6072 (Texas’ cell phone number)
March 4th, 2009 at 2:53 am
This idea has really grabbed my attention. Im wondering where i can get the actual architectural plans for some of these houses though. i think this concept would be of great help in places like africa and parts of asia, including some of the middle east..
March 26th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
just read about Redondo Beach house by Architect Peter DeMaria - container projects are exciting stuff!
March 26th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Hey, I just want to buy the container and I will build my own house. How much will one of your largest container cost?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I have considered this idea before but always got side tracked.,When I lost my home-washed or blown completetly from the pilings to Hurricane IKE last Sept. on Bolivar Peninsula Galveston County Tx I began my research again.To rebuild to code it is 150.00 per square foot and I am not sure if that includes the elevation of pilings needing to be 17ft above sea level.For some that will be no problem but for some of us our state backed insurance providers are not paying the claimes since we have no structure left to look at.Its BS but if there is a will; there is always a way. I was employed in the shipping and transporting business for many years so containers are no stranger. I am looking into finding an engineer or perhaps going to the universitys engineering department and learning how these containers could be elevated and hurricane proofed and conected to make homes. Many of the Bolivar residents are only receiving FEMA help which is around 25k but to the best of my knowledge these containers are around 3k per 40ft container.They do come in different sizes 20,40 and 48 ft so many options for designs,About feeling confined I am thinking large archways and lots of light though I am concerned about the struture if to much is cut.Any info I come across I will post.
Containers are available along the main shipping routes and coastal areas of the country.Remember the ride on trains and on ships for years.So go to the shipping lines online and you will be able to find used containers or some info.
April 14th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Wow great designs. If you integrate some solar panels and vertical axis wind turbines it will work even better.
thanks from the green renaissance green team green-renaissance.com
June 5th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I have been building the container homes here in Los Angeles and find them absolutely cool and GREEN!! Seeing these other designs has been incredibly interesting. Nice work to all involved, keep it green!!!
Mark Greene ICGreen.com
June 5th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Marco Lara, If you have not received the information you were looking for regarding the ISO Green container homes, ICGreen would love to tackle the project ” off-shore drilling platforms”. Regards, Mark Greene
GREENLIVING@ICGREEN.COM
July 1st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
If you want to see recycled shiping containers go to Ghana in West Africa where they line busy streets and are made into all manner of shops and businesses.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
this is as play with legos, is good. recycling!!!
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