Have you ever considered residing in a shipping container house? Most people would be horrified by the very question and thought of the proposal. Houses are “supposed” to be constructed of wood, brick, and mortar, not a large metal box. However, there are many people throughout the world who are embracing the comfort, uniqueness, and utility of living in repurposed shipping and cargo container boxes.
As with any creative and innovative architectural designs, they are either shunned or embraced. Most people prefer to live in traditional homes. Shipping container homes attract a new and pioneering breed of homesteaders looking to get off the grid or creating a conversation piece and work of art in their community.
Contemporary and modern home designs and construction materials illustrate the creative and unbounded human abilities to transform available components into a comfortable dwelling. For millennia, humans have used available materials to create settlements all over the world. Some ancient homes were constructed of mud bricks or carved in the mountain sides. The ingenious nature of humans allowed for people to live almost anywhere on the planet.
Humans continue to seek ways to adapt to live in their surroundings with affordable, attractive, available, comfortable, and durable materials. Shipping container houses meet all these criteria and more.
Container housing is gaining popularity as an alternative living space due to their environmentally-friendly attributes and benefits such as:
• Constructed of recycled materials
• Reduced construction waste
• Reduced carbon footprint
• Minimal ground disruption and environmental impacts to installation site
• Only a foundation slab needs to be formed
• Reduced digging and site alterations to install the units
The containers offer unlimited design versatility. They can be assembled, connected, and stacked in countless configurations. The only limitations are budget and lot size.
Residents can choose the minimalist option and call a single container home. Most shipping container home dwellers choose the multi-unit option, which allows for separate room functions for living and utilitarian purposes.
The container homes can be installed on many types of terrain on a level, secure, and stable surface. Some dwellers choose the option of electric generators to energize their homes. By not tying into the main power and utility grid, they have the added benefit of a mobile home, which can be transported to other sites as desired.
Most shipping container homes are planned as very long-term or permanent fixtures in the community. Whatever option you and your family choose, living in a shipping container home is a truly unique experience that offers all the amenities, appointments, and conveniences of modern living. Think of it this way, when you are inside the unit, you are living in a home. It is only a shipping container on the outside. Besides, after all, any home is just a box on the outside. It is what is inside that truly matters.