Container Urbanism: Reclaimed Pop-Up Structures

When urban populations outgrow the pace of new construction, and suitable homes and offices spaces are difficult to find, what are property hunters to do? Perhaps more of them will start coming up with novel temporary solutions like this: a temporary, movable office made from shipping containers by Daiken-Met Architects.

The architecture firm had a difficult time finding leasable space in the city of Gifu, Japan. So they designed this three-story structure, which is made from seven 20-foot shipping containers connected using a steel frame system. The frame made it easier to stack the containers, and also provides balcony space, which can be hard to come by in urban areas.

Daiken-Met architects told Inhabitat, “In the local city, we are facing various problems such as decreasing population, increasing vacant land, on the other hand it is difficult to make a rental contract for small buildings.”

As Pop Up City notes, Sugoroku Office doesn’t just represent a new form of eco-friendly architecture, it’s a new sort of urbanism altogether. The architects obtained a short-term rental contract for a small plot of land that stipulates removal and reconstruction every few years.