One of the key characteristics of shipping containers is that they can easily be stacked one on top of another and still retain their structural soundness. After all, when they were still used for their primary purpose i.e. the shipping of goods, they where stacked high into the air. Because of this, these building blocks lend themselves fabulously to building multi story buildings, such as family homes, apartment buildings or student housing. Below you will find a few great examples of creating functional buildings out of shipping containers.

1. Student Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa

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Dr. Jeff Wilson of the Huston-Tillotson University in Texas has embarked on a very unique and special experiment. He has transformed a dumpster into a home and plans to live in it for a full year, so that he can learn as much as he can about sustainable living. The experiment is called the Dumpster Project and its main aim is a hands-on study of how much space a person actually needs to live.
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Shipping container architecture is a great way to build a sustainable home, but many architects and homeowners are also going a step further, and using these building blocks to build truly off-the-grid homes. The main advantages of such homes are the ability to place them virtually anywhere, minimizing the footprint and lowering the monthly costs to virtually zero. Below are 5 examples of shipping container homes, which feature a variety of great technologies and methods to make them self-sustaining.

1. Wisconsin Off-The-Grid Home

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A shipping container home is going up in Royal Oak, Michigan. According to the builder, ModEco Development, this is likely the first home made of recycled shipping containers in Michigan. Passersby are showing great interest in the home, some even taking pictures, and so far the community support for the project seems to be a given.
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This modern and striking home/studio was built a few years ago, but deserves a second look. It was created by designer Jennifer Siegal, who was tasked with the job by a client who wanted to transform a former junkyard in downtown Los Angeles into a live-work artists community. To get the job done, Jennifer salvaged most of the building materials on-site, including the containers, which make up this cool home called Seatrain house.
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The Canadian firm Kottage RV is offering an innovative mobile home solution, namely a shipping container home, which can be towed to virtually anywhere. So if you’ve been staying away from cargotecture ideas for want of something that can be relocated on a whim, look no further.

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