Think Inside the BOX

EMANG BRANDON MBEDZI

Jun 4, 20185 min read

Beautiful isn't she?. Many of us dream of owning one of these contemporary houses, but with costs ranging from a minimum of R10 million all the way up to R150 million, it may just remain a dream for many. Or will it?. The construction world is changing, today this particular house can be had for 1/4 of the normal price, including the land. Oh I'd almost forgot to mention it will only take a few weeks to complete. Sounds interesting? Let me take you through to a different style of living with freedom.

Shipping Container Construction

Shipping containers, like the ones above, can be re-purposed to build very modern and strong buildings ranging in size & design from single bed cottages to multi-story apartments and even shopping malls. It's like Lego with a bit more creativity. You purchase one or more shipping containers depending on space and design from a container seller online or near you, have an architect create your living space, get permit approval, build it in even offsite, lay a very simple and cheap foundation on site, pop your new house on top with crane or forklift and were done, that's it.

20 & 40ft Containers

Containers are largely built in China and then shipped all over the world carrying different things. There are about 8 different types of shipping containers but for construction purposes we normally used High Cube 20ft of 40ft dry freight containers and there is emphasis on being HIGH CUBE because they are a foot higher giving more ceiling height. Containers are built tough, they withstand 160km/h winds and 50ft waves, stuff you'll probably never encounter, and they can handle weight north of 120 000kg. Their made of corten steel which has the ability to create its own rust protection (petina) which is brown and blends in well with the environment.

Container Purchase

Due to cross-border quarantine laws, most have wood treatment chemicals in the floors. You may want to get ones that weren't used to carry dangerous chemicals as the fumes remain poisonous. There is a way to determine container safety and that's through a CSC Plate found on every containers wall which shows what the container carried. You can also use it to find out load strengths necessary for safe construction design but I'd recommend expert help from this stage as it becomes technical.

Priced from around $1000/R12 000 for a good used one to $4000/R48 000 for a brand-new one in most parts of the world, it appears they have a somewhat standard price. The best option really is buying what's known as a ''One trip'' container. One trip containers are used only once to transport goods to a destination and then they are sold there. Strangely, it's more expensive to ship back an empty container than it is to build a new one. The result of this is 11 Million disused containers around the world and the number is rising with more goods being bought online. Funny enough, 2km from Maboneng in Johannesburg lies one of the largest inland container yards in the world. Many of these containers will eventually be recycled for different purposes but I must mention that due to the massive structure of containers and their weight, they are expensive and highly energy-consuming to recycle which is bad for the environment overall.

Shipping Container Projects

In recent years, Architects and engineers have made notable steps in repurposing shipping containers for construction. Words cannot fully describe it so here are 5 of some the best container projects around the world.

5 Amazing Container Construction Projects

1 - Freedom

''A force for the natural evolution of home living spaces. Our goal is to build a community of like-minded people who want to be part of the conversation to create living freedoms. City governments are boxing out alternative living options to protect their tax base stealing our American Freedoms''... Minimalist Homes.

These are the words of Freedom creators, Minimalist Homes, in Michigan and this 40ft High Cube container house was built to prove that it is possible to free people from housing dept by having one of these houses. An average home in Michigan with same amenities costs about $160,000 and values have increased by 6.9% over 2017 and Zillow predicts a 2.4% increase in 2019. The price per sq/ft in Michigan is $119 with basic rent being $1,050.

You'll notice that it's pretty much a container with a few doors and windows cut through. The outside appearance including container price could be achieved for not a lot over $2000 but this being their premium model, with very high quality interior finishes and high materials puts its price at $50 000 delivered which is 1/3 of what one would have paid for a nice roof over their head. The highest cost has always been fittings and from the time you find your container, the budget is really up to you, how big or fancy you grow is up to you and your architect as long as you satisfy legal requirements within the box.

2- Containers of Hope - Costa Rica

Located in San Jose, Costa Rica this $40 000 container house was designed and built by architect Benjamin Saxe & his clients. At 1,000 sq ft, the home is made of two 40ft used shipping containers put together with a gap for a raised roof likely built from cutouts of the container. $40,000 is apparently cheaper than the cost of social housing provided for the poor in Costa Rica. Clever & classy.

2- Sleepbox Sukhumvit 22 Hostel - Thailand

The lovely Sleepbox lodge was created by Mr. Kriangkrai Wangwong, Project Architect, Mr. Pisit Chuenchasilp, Marketing and Management Specialist, and Mr. Chuchai Pahanpongpat in Chiang Mai, Thailand out of old shipping containers. It is what the creators prefer to describe as a hostel with a hotel feel, and i must say from the pictures and reviews alone it sure is. The cost & time savings made from such a design can save up to 1/3 of the cost of having it made the conventional concrete & steel way and it resists strong winds & storms common in Thailand with ease as containers are naturally built to do so. It's a real bargain for visitors too with a room starting at $20/ R250 a night.

3 - Drivelines Studios - Johannesburg

Maboneng is a vibrant area in Johannesburg CBD full of youthful culture, student life and working young people. Both need safe & affordable accommodation. 2km south of Maboneng, lies a huge industrial park with more shipping containers than any other part of the world that isn't a major water body. This made life easier for the architects at Lot-Ek to make Drivelines Studios container apartments project possible. Designed in 2014 it was completed in September 2017 at what was reported to be 25% less cost than conventional materials. Rental for an apartment is R4900/month, savings for everyone here.

The building offers;

Studio apartments varying in size between 40 and 60 sqm and include a private outdoor space along the walkways that look into the yard on all floors.Swimming Pool and gardenRestaurants and barsAccess to Public Transportation. Proximity to The Living room, a beautiful rooftop bar & restaurant.Gautrain Station 5km away, meaning cheap metered taxi fares.Maboneng Shuttle ( Connecting the Maboneng Neighbourhood)

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5 - Common Ground Shopping Mall - South Korea

Built by Urbantainer, Common Ground is South Korea's first container mall and is also the worlds largest container architecture building. Built with 200 containers, it spans 5300m2 and took only 5 months to build because most of the units were pre-fabricated offsite and when the groundwork was ready it was a matter of stacking, just like Lego again. This prefab method saves time and money while giving a standardised high quality finish. Three things we care most about in project management, less TIME, less COST, high QUALITY, this big boy solved all 3 pretty well.