Using shipping containers to build residential houses is a great way of recycling the disused containers that are piling up in ports across the world. While more and more people are opting to build their houses out of shipping containers, an even bigger impact can be made when companies, or even governments decide to use shipping containers as the main building material for their building projects. Here are a few such projects.
Royal Wolf’s Headquarters in Australia
The headquarters of the Australian company Royal Wolf was constructed using several repurposed, 20-foot and 40-foot shipping containers, which were cut and placed in a way that forms a large, light-filled structure with four internal courtyards. The placing is also such that the shipping containers form a rectangular building. To maximize the amount of light coming in, the shorter sides of each of the containers used were replaced with full height glazing. Holes were cut into the longer sides and fitted with windows as well. The ceilings were left exposed on the interior side, but on the outside the sides were covered with rigid insulation and a membrane roof. The builders also placed two of the shipping containers vertically to form a skylight and a balcony. This house was designed by the architecture firm Room 11. more details…
A Bridge Made of Shipping Container
The so-called Econtainer bridge is still in the planning stages, but once built, it will stretch across the Ayalon River and connect with the Ariel Sharon Park in Israel. It was designed by Tel Aviv-based Yoav Messer Architects and, once complete, it will be the world’s first bridge made entirely of repurposed shipping containers. The finished bridge will be 160 meters long (525 feet) and will carry only bicycle and foot traffic, though there will also be a public shuttle going across it. The shipping containers that will form the bridge will be connected two abreast, and end to end, and the entire structure will only require a minimal amount of horizontal reinforcement. more details…
Ship Terminal in Seville, Spain
The cruise ship terminal in the port of Seville, Spain was constructed entirely out of recycled shipping containers. To build the terminal they used 23 previously used shipping containers which were effectively upcycled into a 508 square meter (5,468 square foot) terminal. The shipping containers used to construct the building were stacked into a 2-story structure, with most of the interior facing sides cut away in order to maximize the indoor space. The containers were placed in a parallel arrangement and separated one from another by a distance of one container width. The designers left the interior and exterior walls of the containers in their original state, to show the fact that shipping containers were used in the construction. They did cover the containers with a coat of white paint, which contains special ceramic microspheres that reflect up to 90% of solar radiation and therefore help to keep the interiors cool. The entire structure was built in only 15 days. more details…
Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:
Spain Gets Its First Shipping Container Ship Terminal
Awesome Shipping Container Homes in New York City
Useful Shipping Container House Ideas and Plans
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