How Do We Build a House? - Shipping Container Architecture

Thanks for the article.Your article was pretty informative and i hope that in future also i get these kind of article.

Thanks,
Portable Storage,
www.moveablecubicle.com

Thanks Richard for an informative blog.I would love to read more from your blog.

Thanks,
Moveable Cubicle,
http://www.moveablecubicle.com/

Doesn't normal building materials like fiberboard and particle board... even furniture (foam cushions)... rugs (foam padding/carpet itself)... all have chemical leaching into their surroundings? Even new cars--a huge culprit. I am sensitive to things myself and will be building a home from containers, so this concerns me. I like the idea of the wood already on the floor (I believe teak); possibly coating it or polishing it... but based on what I am reading, I am not sure that's the right approach. Dunno yet, I am still in the beginning phases of research before building my home. I am blogging about the subject of container homes and will be blogging when my build happens. Take care all.

Terry
containerist.com

I've been reading about natural cotton fiber insulation, seems doable for shipping container architecture. I'm looking at building a shipping container house. One thing I really liked about the last house I built is the heat recovery ventilation system - this provides a constant flushing of fresh air throughout the house, for about the 200 Watts that it takes to move the air. As the outgoing and incoming air cross paths, the heat is exchanged between the two. I have small children and installed this to help protect our young children from any off-gassing from new building products.

Back to insulation, I plan to insulate the outside with the Supertherm ceramic paint, and then put stud walls on the inside, fill them with the cotton insulation and cover with drywall or panelling.

Hello Richard, I just wanted to say I am very sorry about your wife...no one should have to worry/suffer like that in their own house! That's crazy! I have also been doing research on these container houses! How do I go about finding out if they are allowed in Arkansas where I live? and does anyone know a company that puts it together for you and just ships them out to you? I seen one website, a man done it from his factory but I have not been able to find it again at all. He takes your design or one of his and uses the shipping containers to build it to your needs and he will ship it out to you? If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it! Thanks! Tell you wife I hope she feels better. Lupus is very difficult...a close friend of mine was diagnosed with MS and Lupus. Get well wishes!

email Jack Climer at jack.climer@gmail.com. He has a development group called Quadrant Development and he has amazing homes that he can give you!!!!
Best of luck,
Lori Dean

We really appreciate all the help - we're still gathering info so it's great to keep getting more

Just thought I should point this out. Make sure you take the wood out!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/shipping_contai_2.php

I'm in Savannah too. Not a student (We love SCAD students) but we are also researching shipping container homes. You can find containers on Ebay all day cheap. If you live near a port city or a big city you can buy them there. Search for 40 foot shipping container. We can buy them here for $900 to $1500. Ebay's seem to be $1500 & up. If you stay w/ one level, you can plasma cutter (rent one, like cutting butter) to cut holes for windows, doors & larger openings inside the house (remove a wall to create a doublewide). Just set them side by side & pull up tight. & bolt or weld. Electric space heaters & fans & AC window units work til you can get central heat/air unit. Propane stovetop & fridge & plumbing hookups & you're done. :) Then just take a trip to Home Depot for filling the openings (do this first). Or check out www.safecrete.com. They sell Hebel Block. From Germany. 2 plants in the US. They sell block that's super lightweight, glues together w/ glue & a trowel, needs no paint inside & out. Can't build a house faster. Ultra energy efficient as well. No dryrock, studs, paint, nails, insulation, tar paper, Can be hand sawn, drilled, routered, etcetcetc. To get cost estimates supply a simple plan for maybe a rectangular house. Below are links to pages on how to build these container homes:

We want to build one like this > http://www.escapeartist.com/OREQ4/POD1.html
http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/26/cargo-container-homes-and-offices/
http://weburbanist.com/2008/06/01/more-cargo-container-homes-and-offices...
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/shipping_contai.php
http://www.pfnc.net/
http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid=9497461
http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=9497505
http://www.sgblocks.com/
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2006/06/16/carollloyd.D...
http://www.quik-build.com/
http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/fablisthome.htm
http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/containerbayhome.htm
http://shippingcontainerhousedesign.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_container_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh-Kilometer_Market
http://www.tempohousing.com/projects/keetwonen.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/24/container.homes.ap/index....
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/03/video-shipping-container-homes-from-...
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/13/lot-ek-shipping-container-house/
http://firmitas.org/
http://earthsci.org/education/fieldsk/container/container.html > a container house hit by 285 km winds
http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.html?title=Seventh-Kilometer_Bazaar
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/studios/s97/burns/p_jones.html
http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Building_a_Container_House-Building...
http://www.containerarchitecture.co.nz/portfolio/2.html
http://www.hybridseattle.com/
http://www.escapeartist.com/OREQ4/Nomadic_Housing2000.html
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/CHE/CHE-037.htm
http://www.loutzenhiser.com/RecyclingOnSteroids/ShamelessKalkinJonesCoRi...
http://www.zigloo.ca/index/concepts/Eco-Cargo_Living_Space
http://www.zigloo.ca/index/concepts/flw_container_house_unique_home_desi...
http://www.demariadesign.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3...
http://www.demariadesign.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2...

Videos
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shipping+container+home&sear...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFhYnD19-w

Aloha, i am an architecture student studying at Savannah College of art and design. I was doing some research for a design competition my studio is participating. I have been becoming increasingly interested in container architecture. In regards to your needs, I am interested in helping you get into a home more suitable for you and your family. If i can be of any assistance, please let me know.

Hey Richard, its sad to hear about your wife, these toxic boxes that we confine ourselves in have been getting worse and worse, especially in manufactured housing, they use formaldehyde like its going out of style. You can purchase an indoor air quality monitor to find out just how bad the levels are, I know that this is not going to fix your problem, but it will at least arm you with real information. You can pick one up for as little as $200, they are good to have around and relatively easy to use, http://www.dylosproducts.com/?gclid=CIKS7M_Z25QCFSEragodImWSkw

As far as the building with storage containers goes, you should check out this website, http://www.shipping-container-housing.com/, its full of great resources.

Danny Beesley

Green Building/ Green Technology Consultant

 BGTV loves the shipping containers, and we've done some filming with Adam Kalkin who has done some innovative work in this area-- see his site at: http://www.architectureandhygiene.com/

You might also check out SGBlocks: http://www.buildinggreentv.com/user/dcross , and a few other resources here: http://www.buildinggreentv.com/keywords/shipping-containers

- maxmsf