Pros and cons
Houses from ship containers were popularized by the American architect Adam Culkin. He created his first experimental housing by connecting three cargo containers. Now he is designing modular homes for people who care about sustainability, convenience and a relatively low price.
In the photo one of the cottages of the creative architect Adam Kalkin.
In Europe, the widespread service for the construction of houses from marine containers "turnkey", they are also called semi-finished products. The modern design is made with a rough floor and walls, and also includes windows, doors, electrical wiring and a heating system. They are united in one building already at the construction site.
Naturally, unusual container houses have both pros and cons:
| Advantages | disadvantages |
|---|---|
| The construction of a small container block house will take only 3-4 months. Often, he does not need a foundation, because unlike a capital dwelling he has a small weight. | Before construction, it is necessary to get rid of the toxic coating that the marine container is treated before use. |
| In our latitudes, such a house can be used as year-round housing, but it is necessary to make thermal insulation. According to a special technology, the metal frame from the corner and the channel is sheathed with a wooden beam, we get a crate for insulation. | Metal quickly heats up under the sun, so thermal insulation is required. After its installation, the ceiling height is reduced to 2.4 m. |
| Made of metal beams and sheathed with a corrugated profile, the house is resistant to adverse weather conditions. It is durable and not afraid of vandals. | |
| Its price is about a third lower than the cost of an ordinary house, so the structure can be called low-budget | Steel in sea containers must be protected from corrosion, so a house, like a car, needs periodic thorough inspection and restoration. |
| Composite modules are combined with each other, which allows you to create any convenient layout. |
House designs: design options
In the construction market, 40-foot container houses are more common. To create them, use structures with the following parameters: length 12 m, width 2.3 m, height 2.4 m. A house from a container of 20 feet differs only in length (6 m).
Let's look at some amazing and inspiring projects from marine block containers.
Country Cottage by Architect Benjamin Garcia Sachs, Costa Rica
This one-storey house is 90 sq.m. consists of two containers. Its cost is about $ 40,000, and it was built for a young couple who always dreamed of living in nature, but had a limited budget.
In the photo, the interior design of the house. Part of the casing was replaced with glass, so it looks lightweight, spacious and stylish.
More photos and drawings of the cottage from sea containers from the architect Benjamin Garcia Saks in this video:
Guest House by Poteet Architects, San Antonio
This compact country house is created from the usual 40-foot sea container. It is painted blue, equipped with a veranda, and panoramic windows and sliding doors are inserted into the casing. There is autonomous heating and air conditioning.
In the photo there is a room sheathed in wood. Its decor is very concise due to the small area of the room, but everything you need is present.
Guest cottage from the program "Fazenda", Russia
Designers of the First channel worked on this house in a summer cottage. Two sea containers with a length of 6 m are installed on concrete piles, and the third serves as an attic. The walls and floor are insulated, and a compact spiral staircase leads upstairs. The facades are lined with larch.
In the photo there are large panoramic windows that make the room 30 sq.m brighter and more spacious.
More information about the guest house from the transport blocks in this video:
"Casa Incubo", architect Maria José Trejos, Costa Rica
This delightful Incubo mansion with high ceilings is built of eight sea block containers. The first floor consists of a kitchen, a spacious living room and a photographer's studio - the owner of this house. On the second floor there is a bedroom.
In the photo there is a terrace on the top floor, covered with grass, which protects the building from containers from overheating in hot weather.
Desert Ecohouse by Ecotech Design, Mojave
A two-storey cottage with an area of 210 square meters turned out of six 20-foot sea containers. The foundation and communications were installed in advance, it only remained to deliver the structures to the place and assemble them. The organization of ventilation and cooling systems has become a special task for architects, since in the summer, the temperature in the desert rises to 50 degrees.
The photo shows the exterior of the cottage made of sea containers and a patio that creates a cozy shadow.
Residential building for the whole family from Patrick Patrouche, France
The basis for this structure of 208 sq. M is eight transport blocks, which were installed within three days. The large windows on the front side have functional shutter doors. The house looks bright and spacious, since there are no internal walls left between the containers - they were cut off, thereby creating a large living room and dining room.
In the photo there is a spiral staircase and bridges connecting two floors of containers.
Private home for an elderly woman in picturesque La Primavera, Jalisco
This bright building is constructed of four sea blocks and has an area of 120 sq.m. The main features of the building are huge panoramic windows and two open terraces, one for each floor. Downstairs are the kitchen-living room, bedroom, two bathrooms and laundry room. On the second floor there is another bedroom, bathroom, dressing room and studio.
The photo shows a stylish living room with dining room and kitchen. The central room has high ceilings, so the house seems more spacious than it actually is.
Luxury Beach House by Aamodt plumb architects, New York
Surprisingly, this luxurious mansion in an elite location on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean is also built of dry cargo containers. The main feature of the interior are openwork panels that add sophistication to the modern design.
In the photo, the interior of the house, corresponding to the magnificent external environment. The interior decoration consists of natural materials and blends harmoniously into the seascape, but is not without elegance.
Colorful house from transport blocks from Marcio Cogana, Brazil
Six sea containers, stacked on top of each other, turned into a narrow and tall structure, which became the basis of the dwelling. As a result of unusual design, the living room became the central part of the house. "Smart" sliding doors in the closed state act as walls, and in the open - combine the interior with the street. The house is equipped with environmental drainage and water supply systems.
The photo shows the impressive youthful design of the living room, which will cheer you up in any weather.
"Casa El Tiamblo" by James & Mau Arquitectura, Spain
This cottage of four 40-foot blocks is not the most elegant on the outside, but its industrial appearance does not match the interior. It has a spacious kitchen, an open living room and comfortable bedrooms. There is a cozy patio, balcony and terrace.
The photo is a bright modern living room. Looking at this interior, it is difficult to guess that the house is built of sea containers.
Photo gallery
If earlier life in houses made of sea containers was something outstanding, now it is a global construction trend.Such houses are chosen by bold, modern and creative people for whom the issue of ecology is important.
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