Modern shipping container homes are popular due to their versatility and affordability. Despite having a pre-made shape containers can be stacked in a lot of different ways to produce unusual forms for modern dwellings. Thanks to their low price (about 2,000 per container) they can be used to produce not only modern houses and retreats for less, but also used in construction of low-income housing.
Shipping containers aren’t always a perfect solution to housing problems though. They are poorly insulated and present an array of different other issues and challenges that the prospective homeowners should be aware of. But after all if you’re looking to reduce the cost of your prefab and create a dream home, shipping containers might be at least a useful construction material.
Architect Adam Kalkin is mostly known for his modern shipping container home designs that are so innovative and stylish, they could easily become the poster homes for cargotecture (a term coined for shipping container architecture).
The Adriance house is made of 12 shipping containers and is located in Northern Maine. Its area is estimated at 4,000 square feet (371 sq m) and it features glazed walls at both sides of the structure separated from the outside world with only dark curtains. Kalkin has worked with Butler to construct this fabulous home.
This modern house featured on HGTV belongs to Keith Lasseigne who built it in Austin, Texas. The exterior betrays the secret that the house was made out of shipping containers but when you step inside there isn’t a trace of that.
The wooden floors, impeccable style, and modern appliances – all make this house look ultra modern and even luxurious.
We found this black and white house on IdealKConstruction among the collection of other modern shipping container homes and it’s gorgeous. The ground level is almost fully glazed offering the indoor/outdoor atmosphere.
The more private second floor can be accessed from both inside and outside of the home and the staircase is shielded from the outside world with a double wall matching with the house’s colors.
Shipping containers aren’t just for the private homes though. They are successfully used for building office buildings, stores, and restaurants, so why not an apartment building? La Aduana is an apartment building in Mexico made out of 36 containers.
Designed by Mario Plasencia it is partially covered with wooden slat screens and the original container doors make for the apartment balconies. Modern shipping container homes are simply made to solve housing problems.
Containers make for wonderful retreats where you can pretty much live indefinitely, especially if the climate allows it or the home was properly designed to meet every kind of weather. This Canyon City container cabin is the epitome of modern design.
There’s lots of glass and the containers are seemingly stacked in a pretty loose manner. Built by Tomecek Studio Architecture the house makes use of one 40′ container and six 20′ ones and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and even the guest quarters.
Casa Incubo is an incredible example of modern shipping container homes. Designed by architect Maria José Trejos for a professional photographer the house embraces the cedar tree on site and provides enough lighting for working and living.
The shipping containers are used as they are aside from a few openings for windows here and there. The glass sliding doors on the ground floor are shielded with sliding wooden panels. The wooden deck that seems to extend from the house floors features built in lights and the additional awning and roof increase sun protection.
The Caterpillar House by Sebastián Irarrázaval is a prefab effort that makes an ultra-modern home for an art collector and his family. Using five 40′ standard containers and six 20′ containers the architect created a house that cantilevers over the site.
To create a swimming pool the architect chose a 40′ open top container, which is a great idea if you’re looking to cut costs linked to building and maintaining the pool.
Nomad Living is a mobile retreat designed by Studio Arte located in Portugal that consists of a shipping container and a carcass structure that makes sun awnings for the wooden deck.
The glass inserts allow the light in and the views of the surrounding nature while the white curtains provide with privacy and make for a beautiful decorative element.
This modern weekend home found on ContainerForStorage consists of two 40′ containers aligned parallel to each other to create a spacious enough abode. The containers’ original look was preserved with a couple of windows and wooden accents added in the process.
The house features a small outside deck that invites to step inside where there are hardwood floors, HVAC system, two bedrooms and a modern furnished kitchen.
