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Shipping container architecture is a form ofarchitecture that usessteelintermodal containers (shipping containers) as the mainstructural element. It is also referred to ascargotecture orarkitainer,portmanteau words formed from "cargo" and "architecture". This form of architecture is often associated with thetiny-house movement as well as thesustainable living movement.
The use of containers as building materials has been growing in popularity due to their strength, wide availability, low cost, and eco-friendliness.[1][2]
Due to their shape and material, shipping containers have the ability to be customized in many different ways and can be modified to fit various purposes. Standardized dimensions and various interlocking mechanisms make these containersmodular, allowing them to be easily combined into larger structures that followmodular design. This also simplifies any extensions to the structure as new containers can easily be added on to create larger structures. When empty, shipping containers can be stacked up to 12 units high.
Because shipping containers are designed to be stacked in high columns and to carry heavy loads, they are also strong and durable. They are designed to resist harsh environments, such as those onocean-going vessels. Shipping containers conform to standard shipping sizes, which makes pre-fabricated modules easily transportable byship,truck, orrail.
Shipping container construction is still less expensive than conventional construction, despitemetal fabrication andwelding being considered specialized labor (which usually increases construction costs). Unlikewood-frame construction, attachments must be welded or drilled to the outer skin, which is more time-consuming, and requires different job site equipment.
As a result of their widespread use, new and used shipping containers are available globally. This availability makes buildingtiny or container houses more affordable. Depending on the desired specifications and materials used, a container home will often cost less compared to a traditional house[3]
Shipping container construction requires fewer resources, meaning the quantity of traditional building materials needed (e.g. bricks and cement) are reduced. Whenupcycling shipping containers, thousands of kilograms of steel are saved. For example, a 12-metre-long (39 ft) shipping container weighs over 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb).
Containers used for human occupancy in an environment with extreme temperature variations will normally have to be betterinsulated than most brick,block, orwood structures because steelconducts heat very well. Humidity can also affect steel structures, so when moist interior aircondenses against the steel, it becomeshumid and formsrust if the steel is not sealed and insulated.
While in service, containers may be damaged byfriction,handling collisions, and the force of heavy loads overhead during ship transits. Additionally, although the two ends of a container are extremely strong, the roof is not. In the case of a 20-foot-long (6.1 m) container, the roof is built and tested only to withstand a 300 kg (660 lb) load, applied to an area of 61 cm by 30.5 cm (2 ft by 1 ft) in the weakest part of the roof.[4] Companies inspect containers, and condemn them if they present cracked welds, twisted frames, or pin holes, among other faults.
Shipping containers possess the capacity to be organized into modular arrangements, thereby creating expansive structures. Nevertheless, deviating from the established standard dimensions, typically 20 feet (6.1 m) or 40 feet (12 m) in length, can engender inefficiencies in terms of both temporal and financial resources. Containers surpassing the 40 ft (12 m) length threshold may encounter challenges during navigation within residential vicinities.
The transportation and construction of shipping container structures can be expensive due to size and weight, and often require the use ofcranes orforklifts. This is in contrast to more traditional construction materials like brick orlumber, which can be handled manually and used for construction even at elevated heights.
Obtainingbuilding permits for shipping container homes can be troublesome in regions where municipalities are not familiar with shipping container architecture, because the use of steel for construction is usually for industrial rather than residential structures. In theUnited States, some shipping container homes have been built outside of various city zoning areas, where no building permits are required.
To meetAustralian government shipping quarantine requirements, most container floors aretreated withinsecticides containingcopper (23–25%),chromium (38–45%) andarsenic (30–37%) when manufactured. Chromium and arsenic are knowncarcinogens. If shipping containers are repurposed for human habitation, these floors should be safely removed, disposed, and replaced. Because shipping containers can carry a wide variety of industrial cargo, spillages orcontamination may also occur inside the container, and will have to be cleaned before habitation. Before human habitation, ideally all internal surfaces should beabrasive blasted to bare metal, and re-painted with a non-toxic paint system.Solvents released from paint, andsealants used in manufacture, might also be harmful to human health.
The use, size, location and appearance of structures based on shipping containers vary widely.
WhenfuturistStewart Brand needed a place to assemble the material he would use to writeHow Buildings Learn, he converted a shipping container into an office space in the early 1990s. The conversion process is described inHow Buildings Learn itself.
In 2000, the firm Urban Space Management completed a project calledContainer City I in theTrinity Buoy Wharf area ofLondon. The firm has gone on to complete additional container-based building projects, with more underway. In 2006, theDutch company Tempohousing finished, inAmsterdam, the biggest container village in the world: 1,000 student homes from modified shipping containers from China.[5]
In 2002, standard ISO shipping containers began to be modified for use as stand-aloneon-site wastewater treatment plants. This use of containers creates a cost-effective, modular, and customizable solution to on-site wastewater treatment, eliminating the need for construction of a separate building to house the treatment system.[6]
In 2006, Southern California ArchitectPeter DeMaria designed the first two-story shipping container home in the U.S., as an approved structural system under the strict guidelines of the nationally recognizedUniform Building Code (UBC). Named the Redondo Beach House, it inspired the creation ofLogical Homes, a cargo container–based pre-fabricated home company. In 2007, Logical Homes created its flagship project, the Aegean, for the Computer Electronics Show inLas Vegas, Nevada.
In 2006, Village Underground constructed a series ofnot-for-profit artists' workspaces inShoreditch, London. Developing the concept further, Auro Foxcroft constructed recycled shipping container architecture that incorporated retiredLondon Underground carriages.
In 2007, entrepreneur Brian McCarthy developed prototypes of shipping container housing formaquiladora workers in Mexico.[7]
Hybrid Cargotecture Development (HCD), headquartered in Sri Lanka, is a leader in the field of containerized construction. Known for its eco-friendly approach, the company specializes in transforming upcycled shipping containers into luxury homes, chalets, offices, and resorts. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, HCD has pioneered hybrid designs that combine the durability of shipping containers with modern, high-end finishes.
HCD has completed several notable projects within Sri Lanka, including containerized housing solutions for resorts and eco-tourism initiatives. The company has also expanded internationally, exporting container homes and offices to markets in Australia, the USA, Canada, and Germany. These projects highlight the versatility and global appeal of containerized housing, particularly for sustainable and fast-construction solutions.
HCD continues to contribute to the container home industry by addressing housing and commercial needs while promoting environmental sustainability through the use of repurposed materials.
In 2010, German architect and production designer Stefan Beese used six 12-metre-long (39 ft) shipping containers to create a large viewing deck and VIP lounge area for theVoodoo Music Experience,New Orleans, as a substitute for typical grand standscaffolding. The containers double as storage space for other festival components throughout the year. The two top containers arecantilevered 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) on each side, creating two balconies that are prime viewing locations. Each container was perforated with cutouts spelling the word "VOODOO".
In the United Kingdom, walls of containers filled with sand have been used as largesandbags to protect against flying debris from exploding ceramic insulators inelectricity substations.
In October 2013,two barges owned byGoogle with superstructures made out of shipping containers received media attention amid speculation about their purpose.[8]
Empty shipping containers are commonly used asmarket stalls andwarehouses in the countries of theformer USSR.
The biggestshopping mall or organized market in Europe is made up ofalleys formed by stacked containers, on 69 hectares (170 acres) of land, between the airport and the central part ofOdesa,Ukraine. Informally named "Tolchok", and officially known as theSeventh-Kilometer Market, it has 16,000vendors and employs 1,200security guards and maintenance workers.
InCentral Asia, theDordoy Bazaar inBishkek,Kyrgyzstan is almost entirely composed of double-stacked containers. It is popular with travelers coming fromKazakhstan andRussia for the cheap prices and plethora ofknock off designers.
In 2011, theCashel Mall inChristchurch,New Zealand reopened in a series of shipping containers, months after it had been destroyed in theearthquake that devastated the city's central business district.[9]Starbucks Coffee has also built a store using shipping containers.[10] Apop-up shopping mall calledBoxpark was also created inShoreditch, London, in 2011, followed by other locations in theGreater London area.[11] A pop-up shopping mall, Common Ground, was created inSeoul,South Korea in 2016.[12]
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Shipping containers have also been used as:
The abundance and relative cheapness of these containers during the last decade comes from the deficit in manufactured goods coming fromNorth America in the last two decades. These manufactured goods come to North America from Asia and, to a lesser extent, Europe, in containers that often have to be shipped back empty, or "deadhead", at considerable expense. It is often cheaper to buy new containers in Asia than to ship old ones back. Therefore, new applications are sought for the used containers that have reached their North American destination.
Containers have been utilized by architects and individuals to build diverse structures, includinghomes,offices,apartments,schools,dormitories, artistsstudios, andemergency shelters. Additionally, containers have found use asswimming pools and temporary secure spaces on construction sites and other venues.
CONEX containers were developed byMalcom McLean to standardize the intermodal shipping unit. CONEX containers may or may not meet the requirements of local building codes. As they are not field erected, a registered engineer or architect must verify that the containers comply with the structural requirements of the building code. The 2021 ICC[25] code was amended to address CONEX containers.
Phillip C. Clark filed for a United Statespatent on November 23, 1987, described as "Method for converting one or more steel shipping containers into a habitable building at a building site and the product thereof". This patent was granted August 8, 1989 as patent 4854094. The patent documentation shows what are possibly the earliest recorded plans for constructing shipping container housing and shelters by laying out some very basic architectural concepts. Regardless, the patent may not have represented novel invention at its time of filing. Paul Sawyers previously described extensive shipping container buildings used on the set of the 1985 filmSpace Rage Breakout on Prison Planet.
Other examples of earlier container architecture concepts include a 1977 report entitled "Shipping Containers as Structural Systems",[26] investigating the feasibility of using 20-foot (6.1 m) shipping containers as structural elements by theUS military.
During the1991 Gulf War, containers saw considerable nonstandard uses, not only as makeshift shelters, but also for housing of US soldiers. The shipping containers were equipped with air conditioning units and provided shelter as well as protection from artillery shelling.
It has been rumored that some shipping containers were used for transportation of Iraqiprisoners of war, with holes cut in the containers to allow for ventilation. Containers continue to be used for military shelters, often additionally fortified by adding sandbags to the side walls, to protect against weapons such asrocket-propelled grenades ("RPGs").
Shipping container architecture has inspired thereality television series Containables (DIY) and Container Homes (HGTV), in addition to being featured in episodes ofGrand Designs (Channel 4) andAmazing Interiors (Netflix).
The roof load test is 660 lbs over an area of 2' x 1' applied to the weakest part of the roof. The load is usually applied at the center of the containers positioned with the 2' dimension aligned longitudinally. Thus the roof is able to support an imposed load of a minimum of 330 lbs/sq. ft. The design is easily capable of supporting the basic snow loads of 30 lbs per sq. ft. evenly distributed.
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