When we start thinking about building a habitable structure, we usually don't start thinking about the use of a recycled 20-foot shipping container. 'Icons of globalization' Mass produced, salt stained, dark, windowless, solid steel, durable universal module, whose primary function is to be shipped. It is easily transported by road and rail and there is a global infrastructure which supports these modules. Easy to acquire, this is the next wave in modern architecture.
Shipping containers have been used for years to store and transport items, and now people are using them to create functional living and work spaces. A portable solution for an owner who is interested in an inexpensive eco-friendly modern alternative. With tens of thousands of empty containers cluttering global seaports, developers are starting to obtain them as literal 'building blocks' for a larger architectural projects.
"Future Shack is the prototype for mass-produced, relocatable emergency and relief housing." They provide custom, prefabricated storage containers to post natural disaster areas, to assist in relief efforts. Many companies around the world are now coming to life, and using the discarded treasures that sit on their docks.
Global Peace Containers, a non-profit organization creates sustainable housing, from retired international shipping containers. Building unique self sustained housing and emergency shelters are important for humanitarian efforts. Containers simply give people the ability to drop these ingenious mobile homes anywhere, and in any configuration.
San Francisco, California is home to the Shipyard, an artist community which was built from a collection of shipping containers. Many of the artist within that community are members of the Burning Man community and they make unique eco-friendly art projects for community events. For example the community built the three story steam-powered victorian house, yet unfortunate as it is, this community is currently searching for a new home, as they have recently been evicted by the city of Berkley because it has a new development plan that does not include the vision of the shipyard or it's artist.
Container City 1 was built in less that five months, and completed in 2001 in the heart of London at Trinity Buoy Wharf. Over 80% of the building was constructed from recycled materials, making it a very cost effective and environmentally friendly. Providing live and work studios affordable and available to almost anyone interested in alternative housing. Container City 2 is an extension of the first, bridged by containers and built even larger housing 22 additional studios. This project is one of the most successful container projects to date because developer worked so closely with the London Government. Now the UK is sponsoring these affordable container living projects throughout the Country.
For those living in the Mountains, harsh environments calls for solid structures that can help us sustain. maybe we should be considering how these containers can help us weather the winters in Nederland. They could be useful when building a home, a great storage container, but beyond that, in a time when materials are expensive, and recycling is a viable option in an alternative friendly community, why not start considering containers. With over 1.6 million containers arriving each year and only 688,000 full containers leaving the US, there is obviously a surplus of containers building up along the port regions of the US.
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