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Maritime container architecture. Container houses
The container houses or rather, that architecture with metal containers is on the rise. In times of crisis risky proposals, is what an architect friend who is planning an isolated single-family house based on maritime container modules.
A way to build relatively cheap, fast and tested for many years in different countries, so the container house it can be a very valid option.
It is curious that in Northern European countries with more extreme climates, the construction of households container and a country like Spain with a more temperate climate, the use of containers is dismissed, possibly due to the roots of its own brick culture.
But, we must recognize that in the face of the crisis, the houses with containers, are becoming a possibility that many clients would reject directly and that today is gaining strength as a viable alternative.
We have to understand that containers have been designed to store and transport goods over long distances, and in a tight, economical and safe way. However, it is the curious coincidence that spaces that have been designed to store and transport goods, they have one proper human scaleIn other words, they are valid for projecting habitable spaces.
the containers are the perfect scale for use in the architecture sector
What material are the containers made of
Mainly the materials of sea containers They are made in steel corrugated, although many are manufactured in other materials such as aluminum and wood plywood, which in turn can be reinforced with fiberglass.
You have to identify all the parts if we are going to work with them on the works. The following scheme will be useful:
What dimensions does a container have and how much does it cost?
In a generic way the standard dimensions and the container characteristics are:
If you want to check more container dimensions can be accessed HERE. It should be noted that dimensions and types There are many, but if we look for generic drugs, the cost gets cheaper.
With reference to cost of containers There are a multitude of suppliers, from what I have been able to verify, we must always take into account the transport that is usually around; Transport 200 km without unloading: € 480 / truck (1 × 40 'or 2 × 20'). That they leave it in the garden of our house, the total cost will be around € 700. As an example and to have an overview of prices of a container would… What would be the container house construction value?
How much is a container worth …
You can ask for prices and doubts from Ibercontainer where we can see several types and prices of containers, so much new as second hand. (Note: According to recent comments, to get a "decent" container we should pay from € 3,500 Approx)
When asking for container prices, you must also inquire about the transport
What should we take into account when we buy a container for an architecture project
First we must recognize the functionality that it will have; if it is for exterior and part of the structure, for interior, only as decoration, etc. The following diagram offers us some more common possibilities of use and from here, we will start looking for the ideal one.
We already know that it is difficult for us to bring it and in what type of construction we are going to use it. Now, we should look at which container we are interested in for our container houses. First check the regulations on containers that affects us according to municipal ordinances.
Initially, this type of “dry” construction is not contemplated in detail in the regulations (efficiency, lighting, ventilation, insulation, reinforcements, etc.), although it does provide guidelines regarding compliance with general concepts of structure, thermal and acoustic insulation. , etc. applicable to any type of construction and use.
What type of container to use in a house construction
- If it's only a ground floor, new containers or used
- If we talk about adding tall plants. In P. Baja new containers for the base and the tall ones are used.
The living height is an important point to consider, so we will look for 40ft HC (2.70m) containers to obtain a living height of 2.40 - 2.50. In corridors or wet areas we can go to lower and more standard size containers. (In the purchase you have to check both the interior measurements of the containers as well as the exterior ones, according to manufacturer they change something)
Verify the habitable height, it is an important point to take into account
Make sure that complies with the container with the corresponding ISO, ensuring that they comply with the necessary resistance standards and adequate external measures. In addition to verifying their structural state in the case of second-hand containers, let us remember that they have been around this world many times.
By container dimensionsWe will have to use more than one for our architecture projects so we will have to consider what the needs of our future home really are; Number of bedrooms, bathrooms, dining room and kitchen dimensions. In this sense, it is advisable to carry out a sketch or plan, first with the needs of our home and later we will "play" to fit the dimensions of the containers on the floor of the container house.
As I point out, in the article house plans reference a total of 28 ecological homes that we can investigate different distributions made by large architectural firms.
How does a container work from an energy perspective? It is a very interesting question and one that we must understand to achieve optimization in all senses. From the following Final Degree project (The PDF document is large) by Blanca Sanchez represents a very valuable and well explained report with images like the following one (Pages of the document from 34)
Advantages of container architecture:
- Ease in transportation and variety of containers.
- Easily stackable (Up to 5 heights depending on its base)
- Quick construction that favors lower cost.
This section is important, the reduction in costs due to the speed of its execution on site. The optimization in the use of materials, machinery, facilities and above all, the control of the work flow during the construction process we can have savings of up to 50%.
- Its cost is lower than a traditional construction.
- You favor the environment before recycling a container.
- They are strong and safe.
- They are much more harmless to the environment than traditional construction and do not generate permanent alterations in the land
DAdvantages of container architecture:
- They are narrow. In some spaces, to meet habitability standards, the combination of several containers will be needed.
- Need to adapt the architectural project to the dimensions of the containers.
- Need for a structured base and according to its new purpose.
- Economic investment in its adaptation to its new use as a home. In addition to practicing a structural reinforcement if we want to do things well.
- In some projects it will be necessary to use new containers, usually when several heights are required.
- Container maintenance is expensive. We must avoid its corrosion.
Blueprints to build a container house
Due to the dimensions of the modules, in many cases we have to adapt to them for the distribution of the different rooms of the house; bathroom, bedrooms, dining room - living room … etc. We provide some distribution plans as an example of design and that can provide us with ideas.
We can see the following image where four cases arise (If we click on the image we will see it larger).
If we want plans of houses made with containers like the following image, more detailed, we will have to go to the professional part with CAD drawings. From the article on how to find free Autocad blocks you have it literally solved.
The containerized construction or based on modules, it is gaining strength in a market that requires lower prices in the acquisition of homes and at the same time not lose the necessary quality and comfort. If someone wants to delve deeper into the subject, we recommend the book "Book of Interior Design and Architecture: Containers Sustainable Architecture (Monsa)" by the architect Luis de Garrido, it is not excessively expensive € 9.60 and possibly one of the best.
How to build and design a container house
In this sense, the container architecture is developing multiple techniques based on new technologies that appear on the market facilitating a substantial improvement in efficient performance andcontainer housing design.
The container construction allows a wide modular game to shape our home. In the following infographic we can see different examples of combinations that make homes with different shapes possible:
Guides and manuals for container construction
- Build a house with construction containers HERE
- Interesting analysis of the interior design of the container house where it focuses on the aspects of color, treatment of the rectangular space… etc…. More information HERE
- Innovation in the design of modular homes through the use of containers … More information HERE (Doctoral Thesis)
- The current state of the modular housing and light seen from an environmental consideration … You can consult HERE (Very good)
- Article about natural light in interiors and its characteristics. (Very good)
From the article on modular housing and prefabricated architecture we will find more information and manuals in this regard, covering aspects not so focused on the plan of the container house but on the prefabricated with modules and why build it, in addition to its advantages and disadvantages.
Container constructions
We leave you a video of the construction process of a container house.
We can also access two articles in which the step-by-step construction of a house with containers maritime: (Be careful!… the two links take a while to load)
- Modular housing article - Example Part I.
- Modular housing article - Example Part II.
Container houses
Given the existence of different types of containers the designers are sharpening their ingenuity by providing a series of container homes that go beyond a simple and common aesthetic. In this case we want to remember some examples of industrial designs that we believe provide added value to an architecture in constant evolution.
1.- Individual container house
From the CG Architects team of designers they provide us with the perfect example of a careful and functional design. A house made with shipping container.
At the base there are two containers where we find the day areas and on top of them, another two in the upper part forming an overhang, where the rest area is. A visual spectacle that undoubtedly enhances the good design of the houses made with containers what are we gonna see…
This is a example of a container house made by CG Architects studio.
The truth is that they are really a good idea. We also leave you a few examples of residences with containers so that you can see how far you can go
We really liked the following video for the quality and the concept with the simplicity and comfort that it apparently offers in a forest with a lot of snow. For who says they can't withstand extreme temperatures! … More open for light to enter, impossible.
Another example of innovation would be the Joshua Tree project carried out by the Whitaker studio. Each container is geared toward maximizing views across the landscape or using topography to provide privacy, depending on its individual use.
The residence has three bedrooms with bathrooms, a kitchen and a spacious living room, each of which shows a different aspect of the Joshua tree. additionally, a garage covered with solar panels provides power for the house.
2.- Buildings with containers
Although the container houses are having a considerable increase in adherents, the "boom" is focusing on the construction of buildings made with containers mainly due to the low cost and speed of its construction.
There are many examples of a coherent design and use, but especially a neighborhood in the city of Amsterdam, the Keetwonen neighborhood, stands out. dedicated to students and built on the basis of buildings with these recycled structures.
This type of housing has made Keetwonen the most important bedroom town in the country, showing that the containers for housings can be converted into fully equipped accommodation at more than affordable prices thanks to a modular container architecture.
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