The shipping container house may be the ultimate eco-friendly home, since the entire structure is made from a recycled item. A shipping container to be precise. Yes, those are the big metal boxes you see on the backs of trains as they port boxes across continents.
According to a Modern Marvels show on the History Channel, there are enough shipping containers in existence to form a continuous line around the earth at the equator--8 containers high. Usually these containers are simply sent to the scrap yard, but now you can grab one for your own use... to turn into a house.
They say the cheapest and most efficient form of housing is to use an existing box, which is exactly what a shipping container is. The containers are designed to be strong, so they make for a sturdy home when they're converted into living space. They can even be stacked one atop another to form a house with multiple levels or even a multi-unit live/work complex such as Container City in London.
Once the containers are insulated and water and electricity are added, they make a perfectly fine domicile for any climate and any time of the year. The insulation and everything can be made with 100% recycled materials to create a truly eco-friendly home. Since the roof is flat, you can even plant grass or a garden on top of your house.
Further reading:
more pictures with container house
www.pro-container.com
Posted by: rad | February 06, 2009 at 01:33 AM
FYI I posted links to your site on Craigslist under the alternative housing (alt housing) discussion forum here http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/forums/?forumID=1001
Posted by: twodogkd | April 16, 2009 at 01:08 AM