The GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant is joining forces with the non-profit Michigan Urban Farming Initiative to build a homestead out of shipping containers. They plan to turn a shipping container into a sustainable home that will also come with a plot of farming land to cultivate. The home will be designed by TAKD Design and built by the Integrity Building Group of Detroit.

The shipping container they will use to build this home was donated by the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative. It measures 40 feet by 10 feet, which will yield 320 square feet of living space that will be taken up by 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen/dining area.
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Tiny Yellow House

When Seattle, WA based designer/contractor Hartman Kable wanted a home away from home, he opted to built for himself a beach house from a repurposed shipping container. The SurfShack, as it is called, is located on the Washington Coast. With clever design elements, the finished beach house has room enough for two to stay in it comfortably, while it was also made using mostly repurposed materials. The SurfShack was also featured by Derek “Deek” Diedricksen on RelaxShacks.com. You can watch the full video tour at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trsZ-PD-TMA, from which the photos that accompany this post are taken.

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The Spain-based architectural firms Hombre De Piedra and Buró4 recently designed and completed a cruise ship terminal in Seville, Spain that was constructed entirely out of repurposed shipping containers. They used 23 previously used shipping containers and repurposed or upcycled them into a 508 square meter (5,468 square feet) terminal. Before being repurposed the containers made about 29 trips around the world.
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The Lakeland, Florida-based company, New Generation Builders, uses recycled 8 by 20-foot shipping containers, and transforms them into tiny homes or offices. They specialize in providing sustainable, fully functional homes, though they also take orders for custom builds. Their designs are aimed primarily at customers who are looking for a cabin or beach house to use as a weekend getaway, or a guesthouse to put in the back yard. However, these houses could easily also be used as a permanent residence for a single person or a couple.
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The Louisville, CO-based company Rhino Cubed has recently unveiled a custom made, shipping container home design which will be available in 3 models. The homes are designed in a way that honors their shipping container origins. However, the company has managed to transform them into cozy and unique homes, that are sustainable, portable and affordable. In addition to that, the future owners will also be able to choose between an on on-the-grid or an off-the-grid option.
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The Costa Rican firm Cubica designs and sells some very interesting and very functional shipping container homes. They use reclaimed shipping containers to design homes that are small, but nevertheless spacious enough for comfortable living. The single family home designs they offer come complete with a rooftop deck, kitchen, full bath and even a laundry room. While primarily marketed as cabins or vacation homes, the Casa Cubica shipping container houses could also serve as a full time home for a couple or single person.
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