04 SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES

Shipping container homes are intended to provide a temporary housing solution and also serve as a prototype for mass-produced, relocatable emergency and relief housing.

These eco-houses have applications to a variety of needs: after flood, fire, earthquake, typhoon, hurricane, tsunami or similar natural disasters; tiny houses, bachelor pads (studios) or remote housing.

The main volume of these eco-houses are recycled 20-foot (appx. 6m) long shipping containers – universal modules that are mass-produced, inexpensive, robust and durable.

As a basic unit, a shipping container can also be used as required by aid co-ordination agencies or in locations prone to disaster. It is designed to be shipped, and is easily transported by road and rail. All infrastructures for handling the module are available throughout the world.

Most importantly, shipping containers are ubiquitous and can be found all over the world. They,  can be extremely inexpensive to obtain; at others, discarded containers can be found free of charge.
The containers as such have had minimal exterior changes: minor additional slots to fit the structure, a top-hinged front opening for entrance, and a series of operable panels in the roof for ventilation.

A Shipping Container Home can be fully erected within 24 hours. A pair of steel brackets with telescopic legs is fixed to the outside of the container, which is located on site by truck or rail-mounted lifting gear. Site levels are established and the legs are pinned into position. Pivoting broad steel plates at the base of the legs eliminate the need for footings, so little site preparation is necessary.

Uneven terrain and slopes up to 45 degrees can be accommodated. All fixings are simple mechanisms, requiring basic tools and skills,, as well as little maintenance for remote locales.

These eco-houses produce thermal insulation of R4.0, shading by openable external shutters to co-efficient exceeding 0.49, and natural ventilation. The Moist Tropical/Rainforest Climate type can also be equipped with roof lights or vents.

Both eco-homes are provided with optional passive solar batch water heaters and passive solar cooking ovens to fully utilise the energy potential of the blazing tropical sun. The Dry Climate type alone makes use of the Skytherm® roof pond, with bi-fold, retractable insulating panels. 

The pitched roof on the Moist Tropical/Rainforest Climate type is easily adapted to local versions of “home” with its galvanised steel frame designed to accept thatch, mud and stick, palm fronds, etc.

The containers, however small, are packed full of furniture, fittings and architecture – both in design and ideals.

Since people in tropical climates enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors, both designs were envisaged to be accessed via ramped patios (or porches), serving as extension of the indoor space. You may also feel free to select either of the two plan types, as both can be roofed using either of the two roofing systems accordingly..