Green Building : Jetson Green

10 Shipping Container Projects of 2009

If there's something we're seeing more of it's container projects.  And nothing brings out emotion like a shipping container project.  Some argue that the benefits of using containers for a structure's framework are negligible, if any, while others argue that container projects are too austere.  Or industrial.  Nonetheless, as long as you're building with old containers, we'll likely keep talking about the greener ones.  In the mean time, feel free to review the best of this year (click the text links for more images and information).

New Upcycled Container Cafe in Austin

Mark Meyer of Austin-based designSTUDIO recently pointed us to one of his newest projects, la Boite.  La Boite is a green, environmentally sensitive cafe with locally baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee.  It was built from an old shipping container, and if you're interested in details of the transformation, read more about it on designSTUDIO's blog.  For the project, DesignSTUDIO used Rainwater HOG's for greywater collection, biobased spray foam insulation, and Forbo linoleum for the floor and one wall.  You can find la Boite on 1700 South Lamar Boulevard in Austin, Texas.  Looks fun, doesn't it?

Container Solar Charging Station in NY

According to a recent press release, a sustainable energy company called Beautiful Earth Group just unveiled this containerized electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  With a soaring array of photovoltaic panels, the BMW Mini E pictured runs exclusively on fresh, green power generated by the off-grid, modular station.  You’ll note that the station just so happens to be built with recycled shipping containers, too.

Corvi Container Cabana in a Backyard

Recently in The Oregonian, there was an article by Ruth Mullen about this upcycled container cabana built by Mike Corvi using a 8' x 20' steel shipping container.  Corvi bought the container for $2,900; hired some craftsmen to cut out the windows and doors; installed dual-pane Jeld-wen windows and a sliding door; wired the place for electricity, cable, and heat; and installed rigid foam insulation and birch plywood paneling.  He finished the space for ~$8,000, and Corvi wants to sell similar container cabanas for ~$16,000.  He's also working on a prototype with a kitchen and bathroom. 

Recycled Container Parsonage in LA

Recently, Peter DeMaria, AIA, of DeMaria Design, this month received an award from the South Bay/Long Beach Chapter of the AIA for his design of the East LA Four Square Church Parsonage.  The project was built using a hybrid form of traditional stick frame construction and seven recycled cargo containers. 

32 Containers Later: Providence Awaits a Vibrant New Office Space [Video]

Recently we featured a container clinic under construction by Stack Design Build, and now, the same firm is building a unique container office space on an infill lot in Providence, Rhode Island.  Jay Cox-Chapman of Stack DB was kind enough to send us this time-lapse video taken over five days showing the assembly of 32 recycled containers into an office space. 

Old Containers Reused as Health Clinics

It's always nice to hear how good companies are helping the world.*  I've just learned about one to keep an eye on: Containers to Clinics.  C2C is a start-up non-profit that's retrofitting shipping containers for use as health clinics that cater to women and children's needs in the developing world.  Their prototype container clinic is currently under construction with Stack Design Build in Rhode Island and should be complete in mid-November. 

Green Horizon On-demand Housing Premiere at West Coast Green 2009

Today at West Coast Green 2009, Green Horizon showcased their new SFH40 on-demand housing, and it's an impressive unit.  Designed to be a self-sustaining home for a family of four, it can be shipped anywhere in the world in a standard shipping container and set up in less than two hours by unskilled people.  Each unit has two bedrooms with built in furniture, a bathroom, and a kitchen area.  But it's also designed to be a self-sustaining shelter in the aftermath of a disaster when infrastructure may be damaged, so it includes solar panels and batteries, a bio-diesel generator as backup, and water purification equipment.  Units can be interconnected to share power and water.

How about a Shipping Container Office?

Earlier this year, the OC Register highlighted one company's efforts to transform unused warehouse space in Santa Ana, California.  Orange County based Marketing Via Postal Group, Inc. needed offices for their new warehouse and decided to reuse 10 twenty-foot shipping containers as offices and a kitchen.  MVP's employees did the work and the container spaces now have porthole windows, office furniture, plants, and bathrooms/sinks. 

Green Container House in Houston

Some of you may be tired of container homes, but this one, the Cordell House, is too interesting not to talk about.  Designed by Christopher Robertson and developed by Numen Development, L.P., it's a 1,858 square-foot pad with three bedrooms and three bathrooms.  And in addition to being built with a number of green elements (described below), the developer was able to keep construction waste to a minimum with ten contractor trash bags total.