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Last Updated on February 3, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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20 Best Shipping Container Homes For Sale To Inspire You
Shipping container homes are a marvel of modern architecture. Can anything be more sustainable than recycling an entire shipping container? This idea is not new, but many creative designers and studios have taken it to the next level.
Key Takeaways
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- Sustainability and Innovation:
Shipping container homes are a creative, sustainable solution that promotes recycling and reduces construction waste. - Architectural Diversity:
The article showcases various container homes worldwide, each reflecting unique architectural styles, locations, and design elements. - Affordability and Efficiency:
Many of these homes offer affordable living solutions with reduced construction time compared to traditional housing. - Adaptability:
The homes serve various purposes, including private residences, guest accommodations, student housing, and commercial spaces. - Design Innovation:
Features like solar panels, modular setups, and energy-efficient ventilation demonstrate the versatility and innovation in container architecture. - Notable Examples:
- Grillagh Water, Ireland by Patrick Bradley Architects offers cantilevered designs.
- Container Guest House, Texas emphasizes aesthetic use of minimal space.
- Flying Box Villa, France demonstrates vertical scaling for maximum land efficiency.
- Sustainability and Innovation:
These are becoming increasingly popular with those who want out-of-the-box home solutions, which is ironic because they’re just metal boxes. You can hire studios and architects to do the job. All you need is a shipping container, some land, and money.
One significant advantage of using a home shipping container is reducing construction time. If you keep things fundamental, like an RV home, you could have a complete home in under a month. However, people have made container homes faster than that.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, these 20 best shipping container homes will have you gasping:
20 Best Shipping Container Homes
1. Grillagh Water, Ireland, Patrick Bradley Architects
The outbacks of the Irish countryside are probably the last place you would think of finding a contemporary-design shipping container home. Situated in Cavan, Ireland, the Grillagh Water House gets its name from the nearby Grillagh River. This is the first-ever container home in the country, completed by Patrick Bradley Architects.
The home comprises four 45-foot shipping containers, placed in a manner that creates two cantilevers. There are plenty of glass windows and doors to enjoy the pastoral views of the surroundings. The containers extend into dark grey metals that look like sculptures.
The home’s entry is on the first floor, leading to an open-plan living area. Two balconies, one on the west and the other on the south, complete the total area of the Grillagh Water House, which is 1,236 sq. ft.
This container home, with three bedrooms, offers more space than one would imagine. One of the bedrooms is behind the entrance gallery, which is not initially visible.
2. Container Cabin in the Catskills, New York, Nowhere Studios
Many container architectures worldwide are not homes but hotels. One such structure is in Saugerties, upstate New York. The container cabin in the Catskills Mountain is an excellent getaway experience. You can find it on Airbnb and enjoy container living in the woods.
This is a 20-foot shipping container on a 20-acre plot of land. It is well-equipped with essential amenities and, to some extent, luxurious. We’re discussing the wood stove, kitchen, writing desk, sofa, and hammock.
It has low-energy windows and a glass door, so the inside temperature does not get that wrong on those frigid winter days. Also, all of the exposed steel surfaces are lined with spray foam insulation, which helps regulate the temperature inside the cabin.
Porter and Sara, Fox of Nowhere Studios collaborated with a Brooklyn-based Cargotecture company called Continuum. Something like this could only originate in Brooklyn.
3. Seven Havens, Indonesia, Budi Prodono Architects
This shipping container home, The Clay, is more popular than Seven Havens. It’s located on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, just east of touristy Bali. Sitting on concrete stilts, Seven Havens offers spectacular views of Selong Belanak.
This is yet another shipping container hotel that is quite luxurious. The name Seven Haven comes from the fact that each suite in this structure is called a haven. Each suite, or haven for that matter, is unique.
The main bedroom, however, has a container sitting at a 60-degree angle to the ceiling. This slanting technique seems to be a signature of Budi Prodono Architects, who also designed the famous Leaning House of Jakarta. The container almost seems to be slipping away from the top, which makes it all the more interesting.
4. Devil’s Corner, Tasmania, Cumulus Studio
One of the most architecturally unique container homes is located on the land down under. Cumulus Studio designed the Devil’s Corner in Apslawn, Tasmania, for the Brown Brothers Winery. Part of the views this three-section container home provides are the Devil’s Corner’s vineyard, Moulting Lagoon, and Freycinet Peninsula.
The highlight of this structure is the shipping containers covered with loose timber, which pay homage to the landscape and rural farming in the area. The Cellar Door and Lookout also houses a food market where you can sample Tasmanian food.
The three sections are named the Sky, the Horizon, and the Tower. The last one stands vertically and offers some of the best views, including the bay. Unsurprisingly, this shipping container project won the 2016 Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
5. Bard College Media Lab, New York, MB Architecture
While most shipping container homes built by architects are pretty artistic, this one is relatively simple and what you would expect a shipping container home to be like. That is not to say that it’s uninteresting. What makes it different is that it was built in a single day.
This container structure is part of the Bard College Campus and houses the college’s media lab. The architecture company completed this project in just one day, costing $200,000. That’s not bad for container architecture that expands over two stories.
The color theme is pretty basic, back to black and white. The interior is a lab, so it’s somewhat different from what a home would look like. However, the company claims the two-story structure can be repurposed as a home with a kitchen and bathroom.
Many glass windows let in plentiful natural light for a small space. The views are excellent, as the structure is surrounded by trees that provide all four seasons throughout the year.
6. Stacked Shipping Container Home, Spain, James & Mau Arquitectura
Stacking one shipping container over another is becoming the norm for these box homes. This home is located in El Tiemblo, Avila, Spain. It was built using four 40-foot shipping containers and has a total area of 2,000 sq. ft.
This home, completed in 2010, maintains its charm and form, showing that container homes are built to last. It has two stories, and the kitchen and bedrooms are spacious. The living room features floor-to-ceiling windows that serve as functional and design elements.
The second floor houses the main bedroom with a closet and ensuite bedroom. The architecture firm cleverly scaled the house vertically rather than horizontally to maximize the space in each living space.
On the outside, there is no camouflage design to divert attention from the containers. You can very clearly see them. The interior, on the other hand, provides an excellent contrast to their simplicity. The inside space has a modern and cozy decor that could be considered high-end.
7. Student Housing Project, Denmark, Urban Rigger and Bjarke Ingels
Given the skyrocketing price of real estate in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, container homes would make a lot of sense. However, this floating container home is not an alternative to costly housing but an architectural challenge in its own right.
Urban Rigger built the Student Housing Project to provide affordable housing to students. The container homes, like apartments or dormitories, provide shared living space with private bedrooms.
The structure lies on the harbor, which gives it serene views of the water. On the other hand, quite a few amenities are the container home. This includes bathing platforms, community gardens, and kayak landings.
The containers are stacked on each other, forming an equilateral triangle. This housing project is big, at 7,319 sq. ft. It is a buoyant container home that serves as a model for other such projects in harbor cities.
8. Colorado Shipping Container Home, Colorado, Studio H: T
The Colorado Shipping Container Home does not look like a shipping container home at first, and that’s because it’s not entirely a shipping container. However, that does not change the fact that it’s pretty amazing. It uses two containers that overlook the beautiful Colorado landscape.
This is even more spectacular because it’s built on an existing rock cropping. It’s quite a sight as it sits among the rocks. The home features a more central living space, with the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and office all around it.
The top story features a bed that allows you to gaze at the stars. The bed slides on tracks without a tent, so you can experience the sky and the outdoors as they are. This structure has won the AIA Colorado Citation Award.
9. Container Guest House, Texas, Jim Poteet
The Container Guest House in San Antonio, Texas, is by far the most adorable tiny container home for guests. Container homes usually have small spaces, but this one is just 320 sq. ft. That is not a lot of space, but architect Jim Poteet created an aesthetically pleasing structure and decor.
This is part of a private residence used as a small guest house. In terms of recycling, it’s way ahead of other container homes as it uses a bevy of recycled telephone poles for foundation and repurposed bamboo for flooring.
The architect used the container’s roof to create an intelligent garden. The plant’s cascading green color strikingly contrasts with the container’s navy blue.
The whole container is just one room decorated with colorful furniture and decor. If the guests want to sit outside, there’s also a small, brightly lit porch. This design is a great model for using lots and large backyards to create an extra room or living space.
10. The Caterpillar House, Chile, Sebastian Irarazzaval
Built on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile, the Caterpillar House is made of 12 shipping containers lined on a hill. The design was built relatively quickly and on a humble budget that the residents could afford.
The best feature of this large container home is its ventilation system. The open facade allows wind to enter, eliminating the need for air conditioning. One of the most significant benefits of container homes is that they can be built in places that utilize natural resources.
The architect has created a large living space, almost like a house, by utilizing six 40-foot and 20-foot containers. One of the 40-foot containers is an open-roof container built for the pool.
The home, surrounded by the Andes mountains, must have been challenging to build. However, the challenge is balanced by the views the mountains provide. This massive container home belongs to an art collector, which makes sense.
11. Ecuadorian Container Home, Ecuador, Daniel Moreno Flores and Sebastian Calero
You know the design will be flawless from maestros like Daniel Moreno Flores and Sebastian Calero. This is yet another dreamy, larger-than-life container home in Pichincha, Ecuador. Seven smaller 20-foot containers and one 40-foot container were used.
This differs from other such homes because they can be broken down and transported. While not exactly a mobile home, it does pave the way for easy relocation. This is mainly because the house contains separate modules, so to speak, that come together to create a single living space.
This dismantlable nature of the house came from the owner, who is really into bikes. The design duo also refrained from polishing up the dents and damages of the containers to maintain their integrity as containers. That gives it a rustic feel, but only with the containers, as the rest of the house is pretty clean and modern.
12. Containers of Hope, Costa Rica, Benjamin Garcia Saxe
Besides sustainability, the other theme behind container living is affordability. The Containers of Hope were built with a mere $40,000. Architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe used just two 40-foot containers placed parallel to each other. For a small budget, he created something stylish and functional.
The home features a slanted roof that helps ventilate air and uses natural sunlight to reduce energy consumption. Located outside the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, it’s free from all the noise and pollution of the big city.
Although parallel, one container is placed a bit ahead of the other, which creates an asymmetrical design. The middle section serves as the entrance to the house. The 1076 sq. ft. area provides all the essential parts of a traditional home.
13. Summer Residence, Italy, Designboom
The Summer Residence in Sardinia, Italy, is as Italian as it gets. The Designboom designers created a space that can function as a home and an office. It is the perfect place for a modern-day businessperson or artist working from home.
The Italian factor in this container design is the outdoor space, which is covered with a straw roof and provides a kitchen and dining area. Given the home’s outdoorsy nature, the name Summer Residence is quite apt.
The two well-decorated outdoor courtyards show how one can utilize the outside to compensate for a container’s limited floor space. The interior offers easy access and a roomy feel, thanks to the sliding glass doors,
This container home’s decor is full of color, perfectly matching its tropical vibe. The blues, yellows, and greens pop out, creating a beautiful space from something as dull as a metal box.
14. Six Oaks Shipping Container Residence, California, David Fenster
This container residence, surrounded by the greenery of San Jose, California, was created by David Fenster for Modulus. The project’s idea was to maximize space while leaving a minimal carbon footprint, which the designer achieved with his innovative design.
The house uses stacked containers with a four-foot clearance between them. Six shipping containers in the instantly recognizable crimson color are used. The house sits on top of an old emergency railway route.
Not only is the house’s exterior recycled, but also the interior. Most furniture is made from recycled materials, while the staircase is redwood. For flooring, recycled plywood was used. The whole house shows how extreme you can go with recycling and repurposing.
15. Modular Home Direct
Modular Home Direct is an innovative solution in the construction industry that provides consumers with a seamless and efficient way to build their homes.
This approach involves pre-fabricated modules directly delivered to the building site and combined to form a complete house structure. Modular Home Direct accelerates construction and ensures quality and durability through stringent manufacturing standards.
It offers a range of customizable designs, allowing homeowners to tailor their homes to their specific needs and preferences. Therefore, Modular Home Direct can reduce construction time, lower costs, and ensure a high-quality finished product.
16. Container House, Arizona, Ecosa Design Studio
If there’s one place a container home would look great, it’s the vast desert of Arizona. This project from Ecosa Design Studio was a collaboration with a student. However, the design and execution would easily give world-famous architects a run for their money.
This mint-green house has walnut-finished walnut floors and concrete floors. It also has solar panels and a rainwater reservoir. The house successfully promotes sustainable living by incorporating the recycling DNA of shipping containers.
The windows are aluminum panels and bring in vast amounts of natural light. Five decks in this house give beautiful views of the San Francisco mountains. The house makes a living in a desert so much more relaxed.
The project uses five 40-foot containers, giving the residents ample space. Also, a detached, smaller 20-foot container serves as an artist’s studio. Container living does not get better than this.
17. Manifesto House, Chile, James & Mau Arquitectura
Most container housing projects leave the containers visible. The Manifesto House is an exception because, at first glance, you cannot tell if it’s made of containers. The exterior of the containers has recycled wood pellets as lining.
The wooden exterior of the containers also serves as a protective layer. It provides summer shade and prevents the metal from absorbing heat. On the other hand, the pellets are mobile and can move to allow sunlight in winter.
The three containers in the home have ample space between them. A cantilevered balcony and solar panels on the top make this home quite energy-efficient. This house size would roughly use the same amount of solar energy as one or two RVs. The open-space design, consisting of two patios, allows for a lot of natural wind and light.
The views from the house are spectacular, with green and earthy shades. Located in Curacavi, Chile, the house has 1,722 sq. ft. of space.
18. Hybrid House, California, EcoTech
The Hybrid House in Shadow Mountain, California, was custom-built according to the owner’s needs. Although it is 2,300 sq. ft., it only has one bedroom. This is because the owner wanted a photo studio and ample storage space.
Along with the movable roof, the house of five shipping containers also features a Must-Have water harvesting system, as the area is pretty dry and almost rainless. In terms of energy consumption, the house exceeds the standards of the state of California by 50%.
Because it’s in the desert, the windows have solar shading to prevent overheating. The open layout allows proper air ventilation. EcoTech spent $300,000 to do all this, which is still modest given the real estate prices in California’s populated cities.
The house’s design and decor complement the desert backdrop well. The containers are painted white and have a metal shade canopy. It looks like a home belonging to someone who works in a creative field.
19. Flying Box Villa, France, 2A Design
This container home has three levels, set up with five metal containers. As it has more space, there’s every amenity a modern house should have. The ground level has a garage, a laundry room, and a beautiful entrance.
The first level has a glass facade that overlooks the garden and the street. On top of that, there’s a solarium to take in all the beautiful views of the small French village. By the looks of it, you cannot precisely tell it’s a container construction.
With immaculate lines and unconventional shapes, this house moves away from what most container homes, let alone conventional homes, are like. Rather than having more land, the designers scaled vertically to provide more room.
This house also has a lovely patio where you can enjoy the outdoors. The interior has wood flooring and contemporary furniture. Overall, it’s a great use of containers to build a house that does not look like it’s made of metal boxes.
20. PV14 House, Texas, Michael Gooden
The PV14 House in Dallas, Texas, shows you can even go big with the containers. This massive house uses 14 containers, expanding to 3,700 sq. ft. The position of the house allows it to take in the Texas sun and the surrounding town views.
Since the sun can be scorching hot in summer, the house features several porches that keep the windows away from direct sun exposure. The floors are concrete, while the walls are all exposed steel from the containers.
The house has three bedrooms, covered balconies, and a massive roof deck. Even though it looks pretty extravagant and is way more significant than a typical container home, it costs under $500,000.
This house is located at a higher altitude than most of Dallas. It’s just above White Rock Lake, so designers aimed to utilize the beautiful lake views. This height also allows it to be away from noise and crowds.
Container Homes Taking Over the World
It’s incredible how each of the 20 best shipping container homes has something unique. If there’s anything you can learn from these houses, it’s that shipping containers are pretty diverse. You can do so much with them with little money and with piles of it as well.
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