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Christchurch shopping mall shipping containers in 2014 © Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com Shipping Container Housing
Emergency disaster housing; temporary housing;shipping containers for permanent housing, offices, retail space, NZ Re-Start shopping mall

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about shipping container housing designs, uses, where to buy shipping containers for conversion to a house, how to convert a shipping container to housing, shipping container house inspection & maintenance

Shipping container & similar pre-fab housing: this article describes the use of shipping containers & similar structures as a base for design & provision of emergency or disaster housing, temporary structures, or even permanent homes that can be transported, erected, even stacked on-site where housing is needed in both urban and more remote areas.

We include examples of container based housing designs and we list the factors that should be considered in both cost analysis for container based housing and in project set-up & maintenance.

We provide sources for renting or buying shipping containers new or used for housing or storage or office projects, and we list expert resources, books & documents on container housing architecture & design. Page top photo is an example of creative design thinking applied to round and other shaped-containers, in this instance, from Private Passage, a New York City sculpture by Malcolm Cochran.

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Guide to Shipping Container Housing Designs, Uses, Sources, Inspection & Maintenance

Re-Start shopping mall in New Zealand, built of shipping containers (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.comFollowing Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and further-developing a disaster housing plan that New York City has been working on since 2007, FEMA and New York City officials began plans for a project to test disaster housing units, including designs such as using shipping containers that could be stackable to provide higher density housing in urban areas where otherwise space may be limited.

The city will construct a prototype disaster housing set-up testing stacked or multi-story units on a parking lot near the Brooklyn Bridge. [1]

But the most-extensive use of shipping containers as housing, retail space, and office space that we have inspected is found throughout New Zealand's South Island, as we illustrate in some of the photos given here.

Article Contents

Examples of Shipping Container & Similar Modular Housing Designs

Shippping container office - Wikipedia 2012

This office built using a shipping container is an example provided by Wikipedia.

Standard shipping container sizes vary by country, age, and intended use.

Construction material is usually steel (typically COR-ten steel) though there are also (more expensive) aluminum shipping containers.

Generally in the U.S. shipping containers are available in these dimensions:

Synonyms for shipping container in shipping use include ISO container, Cargon Container, Conex Box.

When used for occupancy or storage, these containers are referred to as Intermodal Steel Building Unit (ISBU) or a GreenCube.[9]

Container-based Disaster Housing Conversion, Transportation & Installation Costs & Considerations

All stainless container house interior, River Walk Brooklyn NY (C) Daniel FriedmanA number of factors combine to determine the suitability of converted shipping containers as temporary disaster housing or for longer term applications, including:

Tanks & Other Round Structures as a Base for Experimental Design Housing - the Bottle House

Bottle container as home, New York City river walk (C) Daniel FriedmanOur photo of a bottle structure as home (left), Private Passage, a sculpture by Malcolm Cochran, illustrates the wide range of experiment and creativity that has attracted architects and other designers to the adaptation of containers, especially shipping containers, but even a wine bottle as ready-made structures that can be converted into a home.

Properly titled Private Passage, this bottle house was the first permanent public sculpture commissioned as part of Hudson River Park.

The bottle house or Private Passage is on display in Clinton Cove, along what is popularly referred to as the NYC RIver Walk .

Private Passage is a 30 ' x 8’6” diameter wine bottle resting on its side.

The interior along with the portholes form an interpretation of a stateroom derived from photographs of the Queen Mary.

This artwork, not intended as a habitable structure, was created with support from the New York City Percent for Art program administered through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

All stainless container house interior, River Walk Brooklyn NY (C) Daniel Friedman

This all stainless interior gives a glimpse into an all stainless steel design concept used in a container home on display on the River Walk, NY City.

All stainless container house interior, River Walk Brooklyn NY (C) Daniel Friedman

As you will probably agree, this end view of the all-stainless bottle house shows a concept a bit more narrow in width than the more generous 12' x 40' shipping container structure widely used for this approach to emergency, temporary, or even permanent housing.

Interior of the all stainless steel bottle container home (C) Daniel Friedman

And unlike the rectangular-modular shape of shipping containers, round tank-containers won't accept stacking for taller structures in more crowded areas.

Below: shipping containers form the Re-Start shopping mall in Christchurch NZ in 2014.

Christchurch shopping mall shipping containers in 2014 © Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com  -  Christchurch shopping mall shipping containers in 2014 © Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Below: makeshift office space in Hamner Springs New Zealand in 2014 followed by a photo of a shipping container being delivered to a housing project near Lake Takapo in New Zealand, and

Office space using shipping containers, Hamner Springs New Zealand (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com Shipping container being delivered for housing use in New Zealand (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Shipping Containers as Emergency Structural Support or Retaining Walls

Shipping containers were also put to use as massive retaining walls or as temporary bracing to prevent the collapse of earthquake damaged buildings - shown below.

Shipping containers used to prevent building collapse, Christ Church NZ (C) Daniel Friedman Shipping container retaining wall, Sumner New Zealdn in 2014 (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Sources & Resources for Shipping Container & Similar Modular Housing

Watch out: when buying a used shipping container; because a shipping container may have been used to transport illegal drugs or other chemicals or substances that could be harmful it makes sense to have the unit interior inspected, if appropriate, tested, and cleaned before taking further step to convert its use from shipping to a home, office, remote cabin or other structure.

Standards, Codes & Research: Shipping Containers & Containerized Housing

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2020-09-10 y Taylor S - want to convert a 16x24 pre-built shed into a tiny house.

I want to convert a 16x24 pre-built shed into a tiny house. It seems like building codes for manufactured homes are easier than codes and zoning restrictions for single family houses.

I want to put it on land without an existing house so it can't be considered an ADU. If I had the dealer put it on a permanent chassis could I get it considered by HUD as a manufactured home?

What was the process like to convert a shipping container to a manufactured home? Do you think it would be similar to converting a shed to a manufactured home?

On 2020-09-10 by danjoefriedman (mod)

Taylor it's not likely that a simple pre-built shed will as-is meet HUD specifications as a manufactured home.

On 2019-09-16 by (mod) - What are the US code building requirements to transfer a shipping container into a living container?

Ralph Heise said:

What are the US code building requirements to transfer a shipping container into a living container?

Is there a certificate I can get, that the containers are build to code? Would this be Nation wide accepted?

Who will do then pre-inspections and inspections during the manufacturing process?
(I have read about:

-PART 3280—MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS

-IRC INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE FOR ONE AND TWO FAMILY DWELLINGS

-HUD Inspection Agencies: List of IPIAs and DAPIA's)

Am I on the right track or is there anything else out there?

Moderator reply:

Thanks for the question: in fact after extensive review of New Zealand's use of shipping containers as commercial space and for storage following earthquake damage, I've just recently been reviewing procedures and regulations for converting shipping containers to homes.

The following common remark authored by HUD and repeated on several shipping container sales websites best sums up the situation:

All manufactured homes are built to the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, 24 CFR Part 3280. Manufactured homes are transported in one or more sections on a permanent chassis and display a red certification label on the exterior of each transportable section.

Shipping containers that are converted into housing units are subject to state and local building codes like modular and site-built homes.

Converted shipping containers cannot be accepted as a HUD-code manufactured home unless they are provided with a permanent chassis and are transported to the site on their own running gear and otherwise comply with all HUD Standards and Regulations for manufactured homes.

Source: U.S. HUD, "Manufactured Housing and Standards - Frequently Asked Questions" U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Telephone: (202) 708-1112 retrieved 2019/11/17 original source: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/rmra/mhs/faqs

This Q&A were posted originally at MOBILE HOME CODES & STANDARDS

On 2016-11-19 by (mod) - Looking for builder who can construct a container home using up to 5 TEUs , north of Durham

OK Karen, perhaps some of our container-home builder-readers in North Carolina will reply.

You might also contact

Mountain Housing Opportunities,
64 Clingman Avenue, Suite 101 Asheville, NC 28801
Email: info@mtnhousing.org
Phone: 828.254.4030
Fax: 828.254.0120
Website: http://www.mtnhousing.org/

Also try nearby Raleigh container home builders like

Batchelor Edmund Scott
9328 Hometown Dr,
Raleigh NC 27615

Robert J Goldstein & Associates Inc
1221 Corporation Pkwy,
Raleigh NC 27610

and in Container builders in Hillsbrough NC
Mike Dodson Construction
3210 Old Chapel Hill Hillsborough Rd,
Hillsborough NC 27278

Stonewall Custom Homes, Inc.
202 W Queen St,
Hillsborough NC 27278

On 2016-11-19 by Karen Chin - Looking for builder who can construct a container home using up to 5 TEUs ,

Looking for builder who can construct a container home using up to 5 TEUs , north of Durham, but still in NC. Potentially 2 years out. Looking also for site, and assist with site acquisition, building codes and permits, cost recommendation and past experience with container home construction. An email response is requested: karenc930@gmail.com

Question: prefab housing for the homeless?

(Mar 8, 2012) Tjibuya Daman said: [by comment box on InspectApedia home page]

I would like to buy prefab housing to use to accommodate homeless people in my country. i am however not sure about how to maintain these houses in the long run

Reply:

Tjibuya: regarding pre-fab housing maintenance, the requirements will depend on just what you mean by pre-fab. There is significant variation in materials, construction, even site delivery and assembly among types of manufactured housing.

Search InspectAPedia for DEFINITIONS of MOBILE HOME, DOUBLEWIDE, MODULAR, PANELIZED CONSTRUCTION to sort these out and then let me know which you are referring to - or describe to me in your own words what you mean by prefab housing and we'll discuss further just what special maintenance concerns may be important.

If by maintenance you refer to building maintenance (as opposed to keeping such a program going) key is choosing materials and construction types that work in the climate and environment involved and that will require little or no building maintenance.

A second maintenance topic that may require more money and energy is the provision of potable water, sanitary toilets, other utilities.

Certainly there is a wide range of options such as

But before launching any new program one would want to be guided by people living in the community about housing preferences & needs, land space, legal requiremetns, etc.


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