In recent times shipping containers have been gaining popularity for their use as forming the framework of homes, retail spaces and offices.It's no surprise given their qualities. Shipping containers are cost effective, don't take long to get onto your site, and they're eco-friendly.
Some of the obstacles to overcome when using a shipping container instead of conventional building materials include:
Temperature regulation
Metal is a great heat conductor which is why it would be a bad idea to put your office straight into a metal shipping container in winter. The good news is that this is easily fixed, with the simple solution of internal insulation. You can insulate between the metal and your internal walls – easy!
Appearance
In their raw form shipping containers are exactly that – raw! Some people like this industrial look, but for most it feels too harsh. This shouldn't be a deal breaker though, as you'll see below, there are building materials you can use to soften the container, and with the right use of vegetation you might even forget that you're dealing with a repurposed container!
Size
Shipping containers are limited in their size and shape, but if you have the budget and a creative mind, there is no limit to how you can combine containers to create rooms, galleries, stairwells and hallways.
Building codes
If you're creating a space for humans to occupy you will need to make sure it adheres to council regulations and engineering requirements plus, you'll probably need to have your plans approved.
Here is a collection of some of retail, home and office ideas using shipping containers:
1. This H&M pop up retail space, with a clear roof on a beach in the Netherlands.
2. This amazing pop-up restaurant in a container – even the tables are attached to the container walls!
3. This modern coffee shop in Tokya, Japan.
4. This great Nike pop-up store at the World Basketball Festival.
5. This beach-front kiwi bach made of multiple containers makes a very unique container house.
6. This unique, multi-level, permanent retail store made of stacked storage containers has a high end feel about it.
7. This communal area within a corporate office building. The modern office has done well to create such a spacious and open feeling.
8. This neat group of shops and restaurants in Medellin – Colombia.
9. This PUMA mega store.
10. The container mall in Christchurch, New Zealand.
11. This tiny container home with separate wings for work and living.
12. This back-yard home office. A great solution for those with limited space and budget.
13. This hostel with shipping containers for rooms.
14. This unique viewing platform at a vineyard in Tasmania, Australia that was made using shipping containers.
15. This student accommodation solution in Amsterdam.
16. This incredible idea for a multi-container office that catches light throughout the day.
17. Another large space that uses containers to compartmentalise, create break out areas, and meeting rooms.
18. This corporate office designed with the containers looking into the central mezzanine.
19. This container restaurant that comes complete with subway tiles and a vertical herb garden.
20. This unique home, which could also work as an office.
21. This stand-out, open plan office complete with floor to ceiling windows and great indoor-outdoor flow.
If all these images have got you dreaming about a container project, talk to us about our supplier Royal Wolf. Royal Wolf rent and sell used new or used shipping containers throughout New Zealand, and can work alongside your architect for your shipping container project.
