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Since our previous post on shipping container houses, the craze of prefab structures and cargo homes has accelerated to new levels. From quiet mountain cottages to chic container hotels, it’s easier (and cooler) than ever to call a rusty old shipping container home sweet home. Take a look at a few of the possibilities….





Container City, designed by Nicholas Lacey, overlooks the Trinity Buoy Wharf in London and provides 37 studio apartments for area artists. The project was completed in 2 phases, using 50 shipping containers, and boasts an intriguing, Lego-like design. Since the completion of Container City I and II in 2002, Urban Space Management has developed several other shipping container designs including the 2500 square foot Mansell Community Center below.

SG Blocks, a St. Louis based company, received a great deal of attention with their 1800 square foot Harbinger House at West Coast Green last September. Fashioned from 5 recycled shipping containers, the 2-story home took less than a month to fabricate and not even 5 hours to assemble. The company has also designed a military building in Fort Bragg and assembled this simple 4-container home in about 2 hours at the EcoBuild Convention in DC earlier this month.

The latest project from SG Blocks is the 1920 square foot Hatchet Cactus House in Desert Hot Springs, CA, in partnership with Guller Padilla Design & Development.

Paul Stankey, along with wife Sara and his brother Paul and wife Krista, constructed their weekend getaway in the Minnesotta woods from 2 small shipping containers ($800 each) and birch wood. Holyoke Cabin was built completely by hand, without electricity, and water was pumped from a creek 1/4 mile away to mix concrete. Paul is co-founder of HIVE Modular, specializing in modern prefab design that is affordable and efficient.

British Columbia is seeing its share of shipping container houses as well, thanks to Keith Dewey, founder of Zigloo Canada. Zigloo Domestique, completed in late 2006, is Dewey’s personal home constructed of 8 used shipping containers. Bamboo, Douglas fir, and sandstone cover the walls and floors of the 1280 square foot home. Be sure to visit Zigloo.ca for a peek at his latest container home concepts.

Three insulated shipping containers were modified to create the 2 bedroom home designed by Leger Wanaselja Architecture pictured up top. The doors were repurposed as retaining walls, while bamboo flooring and wool carpet enhance the interior. Completed in late 2007, this container house overlooks the tranquil San Fransisco Bay and will withstand strong winds and earthquakes.

Shipping containers are not just for houses. Tempohousing in Amsterdam has created huge student housing facilities, hotels, and commercial buildings from used shipping containers since 2002. Keetwonen, student housing in Amsterdam, was completed in 2006 and is currently the largest container city in the world. Tempohousing is currently working on Hotel Yenagoa, a 4-star hotel in Nigeria. Other projects include a local supermarket, an array of houses, and housing for the Dutch branch of the Salvation Army.