40ft Shipping Container Homes: Pros, Cons, and Everything In Between
40ft Shipping Container Homes | Cargotecture
👉 It goes without saying that the term "40ft" refers to the length size of the related container in the foot measurement units which equals 12.19 meters, as shown in the section below.
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"Tiny House Village", is a small town completely executed with shipping containers in Germany, Photo: www.waz-wertheim.de |
The 40ft Shipping Container Homes Primary Usages
Hundred and hundreds of people in various regions around the world are now turning to eco-friendly building systems that can be supplied with 40ft shipping container homes.
Moreover, the sea container houses can be used as emergency housing during natural disasters; as it was a good helper in the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami, where more than 90,000 people were left homeless.
They can be used as well as temporary schools and hospitals in the same urgent situations. Moreover, they can also be used by moving people to a different location, as they can transfer all their old fixtures and furniture to their new location easily. The great economic benefits of the green eco-friendly practices of recycling and sustainability create many opportunities for modern architects and builders to develop and improve the container home concept.
Since it is still in its early stages, Cargotecture is a promising industry for the next new era of engineering.
What are the Shipping Container Houses? | Definition
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Thousands of shipping containers laying on the ports' yards awaiting, Photo by: eng.wikipedia.org |
➤ Read more: Related previous article What is Green Architecture?
How to Convert a Shipping Container into a Real House?
It can be performed by ordinary people and DIY lovers at home as well. Thus, no need for the bother made with the professional staff which is the majority of the time unreachable for many reasons.In fact, and for the best concept results, I highly recommend hiring an architect with a wide knowledge of many design particulars. And the examples are various actually, due to the limited space that requires managing all the reserved areas with no wasting of any kind.
The ideal process is by providing the client-owner with the proper relevant drawings that include the construction details needed to complete the building. And who's better than the Architect to accomplish the mission?
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A layout showing a 40ft container concept. Example of a prototype container house that can be arranged in several ways, Photo by dezeen.com |
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The same container house prototype is placed over another one; The lower is a terrace for the upper, Photo by dezeen.com |
The modular structure of shipping containers means that they can be easily attached to each other, which allows architects to create interesting and unique designs.
3 Things to Consider Before Starting the 40ft Shipping Container Homes Conversion project
- Type of house you want to build because constructing a house is a long term investment and it is worst the money spent. For instance, most people discover later and after some years, that they want to spend the remaining period of their life in a usual house instead of the container house they built previously. Hence, and to avoid this mistaken decision, you have to be certain whether you definitely want a container house before you invest thousands of dollars in building this project.
- Check the local codes for construction before starting your project. It’s sometimes very useful to follow your local rules or compliances, to avoid the local authorities from rejecting your project later when it is under construction. You are advised to ask the help from professional designers or architects, well knowledgable with the local codes currently applicable. Their valuable advice will make sure that your container house is approved by the authorities. In some regions, the container house might not be accepted as a living routine.
- The next thing to take into consideration is The fixed size of the container which will allow you to know the exact number of the containers needed in your project. Anyway, the container is cheaper than the classical method of construction, but still, the transportation might be such an affair; So better to have your budget planned clearly from the beginning.
What are the 40ft Shipping Container Homes PROS and CONS?
- The cost of a 40-feet (equals 12.19 meters as mentioned above) cargo container is around US$ 1200, excluding the transportation fees, depending on your location.
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12.19 meters container size, Photo by eng.wikipedia.org |
- Container homes are low cost, but very strong, and have a fast construction time compared to the classic construction method. It is easy to modify, and shipping containers are widely available.
- They have a customized layout especially when there is more than one container to deal with and manage; there is no limitation for the partition and the rooms’ dimensions in general.
- Their eco-friendly compliances are cited above.
- It is prudent to purchase new shipping containers that are rust-free. There are different specialized sites on the internet that offer new but also used items and subsequently, it is anything but difficult to purchase the one according to your requirements. It is strongly advised to utilize cargotecture experts so as to have a well-built container home. This will ensure that you have an enjoyably structured cargotecture house that will last longer.
- Some researchers discussed that the high heat conductivity of steel requires better insulation for such houses in comparison to classic brick or wood houses. Also, there is a concern about the health risks that may generate from the original flooring of shipping containers, which are usually treated with harmful chemicals. The original flooring of shipping containers is always removed before construction begins.
- The quick effect of the natural environment around and its impact on the interior space of the container is an easy receptor of the external weather conditions; This condition can be used against the supporters of usage of the containers in building homes.
- Ordering old shipping containers instead of new ones may consist in health injuries, as required by several medical care personnel. Although it’s cheaper than the new ones, still safety remains our priority ever.
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Student dorms made from shipping containers, Photo from pinterest.com |
My experience with Shipping Container Houses with some real examples
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Amazing houses made from shipping containers! Photo-Source: pinterest.com |
40ft Shipping Container Homes at a Glance!
Books Recommendation
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