Shipping Container Architecture

NICK SOCRATES

CONTAINER HOMES 2012

NICHOLAS SOCRATES
Introduction
There is growing interest in the use of shipping
containers as the basis for habitable structures.
These “icons of globalization” are relatively
inexpensive, structurally sound and in abundant
supply. Although, in raw form, containers are dark
windowless boxes (which might place them at odds
with some of the tenets of modernist design...) they
can be highly customizable modular elements of a
larger structure.

2

Shipping Containers as Building
Components for Home Construction.

No two building projects are the same.
Even with modular kit applications,
variations due to location and climate,
site factors such as grading and slope,
and home owner preferences (to
name a few factors) create substantial
differences between projects. There
is no single perfect shipping container
home design solution, and the most
important thing in any home building
project is preparation. Preparation,
preparation, preparation. Ever hear the
old carpenter’s axiom “measure twice,
cut once”? Did we mention preparation
is important?

3

There are “what to do” and “how to do
it” articles for container home and non
container home applications. Bear in mind,
that a shipping container house is just a small
steel building and much of the information/
detailing of steel buildings (and wood
framed as well) is applicable and relevant to
shipping container home building as well.
The details of the steps and stages require
to turn recycled shipping containers into
shipping container homes and buildings.
Including (but not limited to) feasibility,
budgeting, scheme design, technical
hurdles, site concerns, foundation, envelope,
modifying structure, passive enhancements,
construction documents, and permitting.
Many are looking to containers today for their
building projects.

4

Conceive It.

Establish planning and design goals. Define and evaluate
space requirements. Review benchmark standards,
codes, and guidelines.

90% of good architectural design is planning - knowing
what you want from your home, what you can afford
budget wise, and what the external factors (site, code,
costs, etc..) are. Preparation is an important part of the
design process. As you start to design your shipping
container home, the “limitations” brought about by
site, code, and budget can serve to inform many of the
necessary design decisions along the way. Being aware
of these issues and how they could potentially impact
(productively or negatively) the design and budget, will
keep the design economical and efficient. And buildable.

This is a critical phase where expectations are set, and
budget ceilings determined. The primary objective is
to establish a conceptual design with input from design
professionals, potential contractors, modular suppliers,
and material/equipment suppliers. A comprehensive
budget and schedule are also developed so a true
profile of scope, budget and risk can be understood and
assessed early on.

5

Concern yourself with big picture issues. Like, can
you build a house(s) on the land/site, and what is the
maximum square footage you can build. It is also
important to get a list of what drawings, permits and
inspections, including fees, will be required. Find out
what drawings must be professionally stamped as well.
You should also check if their are any deed restrictions
on your title. Some jurisdictions dictate zoning and
planning in deeds, especially subdivisions.

This is a critical phase where expectations are
set, and budget ceilings determined. The primary
objective is to establish a conceptual design
with input from design professionals, potential
contractors, modular suppliers, and material/
equipment suppliers. A comprehensive budget
and schedule are also developed so a true profile
of scope, budget and risk can be understood and
assessed early on.

7

Passive vs. Active heating and cooling

There are two types of building designs. Those that embrace the site, and those that
impose themselves on the site. The house pictured above on the left is Frank Lloyd
Wright’s solar hemicycle Jacob’s house. The house on the right is Mies van der Rohe’s
Farnsworth house. Both are icon’s of 20th century modern architecture built/designed
by masters. They are both comparative in size, use, and initial project budget. The
maintenance and yearly energy expense for the two however, are substantially
different. The contrast is due to the buildings’ different shapes, orientations, and wall/
surface materials.
8

Picking where to build on site

There are many factors to consider including grade, soil bearing,
existing landscaping, potential views, and proximity to easements/
site boundaries/roads. Generally speaking, if soil bearing capacity is
consistent throughout the site, flat/level areas are best suited. They
require less grading/excavation, and allow for the most economical
foundation designs for shipping container homes.

9

Landscaping and shading
are very effective passive
design strategies. When
you consider where
to locate your house/
building on site try to take
advantage of as much
existing greenery as
possible. The location of
dense, coniferous trees on
the elevation against the
prevailing wind (usually
west or northwest) may
decrease heat loss due to
infiltration and wind chill
factor in the winter. Sites
with deciduous shade
trees can reduce summer
solar gain if positioned
properly on the south and
west elevations of the
buildings.

10

Views and privacy will
also be important things
to consider. Every site
is different and has its
own potentials. If you
don't already have a land
survey of the site, it's
probably a good time to
get one done. They're full
of relevant information
and could bring things
to your attention (like
easements and utility
access locations) that
you're unaware of. If you
are lucky you received
one when you purchased
the land or will be able to
get one from the record
files of your building
department.

11

Approach
You should have a good
sense of your site, your
budget, and a rough
conceptual design for your
shipping container home.

12

Designing Your Shipping
Container Home

Finalize building location on site. Remember,
flat sites are best as they require minimum
excavation and grading. If you are planning a build
which consists of more than one container, you
should talk with an engineer or contractor early.
Foundation costs are potentially very expensive,
especially if the bearing capacity of the soil is
poor or land substantially sloped.

13

Drawings and Documentation

The drawings of a typical home
construction project evolve through each
of the design milestones - Conceptual/
Scheme Design, Design Development,
Permitting, and Bid/Construction
Documents. Conceptual/Scheme
Design and Design Development
drawings are important to develop the
necessary design, floor plans, elevations,
and the budget square footage takeoffs.
Typically, they are a communication tool
between the designer and client as they
vet through the design of the home. If
you are the designer, you will develop
these drawings loosely yourself as you
outline/document the design. You can
use hand sketches or utilize one of the
many consumer modeling and drafting
applications. But, they are for your own
reference and not necessary for filing.

14

Permitting Drawings

If for what every reason you are not
subject to any building department/
jurisdictional approval (very rare)
you will not need to assemble a
Permitting Drawing set. If you are,
which is most cases, first thing to do
is call the building department and
get a permitting submittal checklist.
Things typically required will be
plans (site, foundation, floors, and
roof), elevations, land survey, water
treatment (septic and run-off), energy
code compliance, structural drawings,
and soils report. Also make sure to
check which of these documents will
need to be stamped by a licensed
professional.

15

Build Strategy

Regardless if you are going to bid the project out to general
contractors (GC) or build yourself, you should speak with as
many potential GC’s as possible throughout the design process.
Having done this prior to bidding the project will do three things;
help get accurate pricing for budget development, assemble a
list of general contractors to bid competitively for the project
(if you are not building yourself), and problem solve the design.

If you go the GC route, there are fundamentally three project
delivery methods: Design/Bid/Build, Construction Management,
and Design/Build. The different methods are distinguished
by the way the contracts between the Owner, the Architect (if
there is one), and the Contractor/Factory are formed and the
technical relationships that evolve between each party inside
those contracts. Typically, there is no single “best” method for all
projects, and no method delivers fastest, cheapest, and highest
quality simultaneously. What distinguishes each is the amount of
design information and drawings available prior to construction
and whether the build price is fixed or relative to actual costs.

16

The design and manufacturing of shipping container homes
is a viable alternative to conventional construction for many
reasons, but despite a strong showing of successful container
projects, building with shipping containers is still in it’s early
stages. From the design perspective, there are many design
entities with “Kit” shipping container home offerings. These
however, are very far from turnkey. Virtual none of the
“design entities” have shop/manufacturing capabilities. The
ones that do, have very small custom shops with limited
output which is highly customized and high in price. From
the manufacturing perspective, there are more and more
factories/companies building with containers. Typically, they
have a “stock” catalogue of very base shipping container home
designs to purchase turnkey. Some can provide customized
solutions (design to your specs), at higher cost points.

17

Foundations

Building a house is no small feet. Even a small one. There are thousands of
materials, pieces, and tasks involved. Unless you are a builder or experienced
it’s intimidating. But, what containers as perfect modules allow you to do, is
simplify the entire process. Think of a typical 1,000 square foot house. Try
and work through in your head the total length of timber for the framing,
square footage of sheathing, number of floor joists required, and ceiling
rafters. Can’t do it. Not too many can. Now think about that 1,000 square
foot house made out of shipping containers. It’s 3 forty foot containers. By
reducing the house into 3 base component pieces (modules), it’s much easier
to understand, design, and build.
This is a critical phase where expectations are set, and budget ceilings
determined. The primary objective is to establish a conceptual design with
input from design professionals, potential contractors, modular suppliers, and
material/equipment suppliers. A comprehensive budget and schedule are also
developed so a true profile of scope, budget and risk can be understood and
assessed early on.

18

Container Modifications
Shipping containers have monocoque bodies. The corrugation panels
(roof, sides, and back), floor, purlins, front doors, frame, and rails form an
integrated structural skin. They are strong and made to carry floor loads far
in excess of what is required for typical home construction. But, when you
modify them, cutting holes or penetrating members, they are weakened.
Regardless of what level of modification your shipping container home design
calls for, it is recommended to review with a structural engineer or architect.

Steel cutting, framing, and welding is a large part of shipping container
home design and construction. Typically, steel construction is not used
much in single family or smaller home design because of expense. Cost
of steel vs. wood/light guage framing is substantial and the labor cost for
steel vs.carpentry is also higher. To combat this, it is best to have as much
of the welding and reinforcing done off-site before setting the containers
on site and starting the interior fit-out. Most (if not all) container re-sellers
have the facilities to make these modifications. If you don’t have experience
in metal work, or are not hiring a general contractor, you should plan on
doing most of the container modification work off-site prior to delivery.

19

Set and Secure Containers to Foundation
and Each Other

When the shipping containers arrive on site, they are crane-
lifted one by one onto the foundation, hooked into place, and
welded down to marry them completely to the foundation.
These heavy-gauge steel containers are so strong—each is
designed to carry 57,000 pounds—that they need only be
fastened at the corners to hold fast, much as they would
be on a ship. In the example above, the shipping container
bottom corner blocks are welded to steel plates imbedded
in the concrete slab to secure the house to the foundation

20

Install windows, exterior doors, flashing,
and any sky lights

Windows are set into openings that were measured and cut prior
to delivery of the shipping containers or roughed out on site.
All openings for windows and doors should be framed with a
steel section. Hollow rectangle sections work the best, but an L
section will work as well. Images below show openings or sliding
door systems in the end and sidewall panels of a container.

21

Inspection and Sign-off
Staged inspections through the build with contractor and building official -
foundation, plumbing and electrical, architectural, and fire.

Put together final check/punch list for contractor

Review punch list with contractor

Final inspection with building official for certificate of occupancy

22

Cargo-containers

There is growing interest in the use of shipping containers as the basis for habitable structures.
These “icons of globalization” are relatively inexpensive, structurally sound and in abundant supply.
Although, in raw form, containers are dark windowless boxes (which might place them at odds with
some of the tenets of modernist design...) they can be highly customizable modular elements of a
larger structure.

Even though container modifcation-examples are abundant, just 3 are chosen here to give an idea of
the range and variety. First the spacebox, designed by ‘De Vijf’ and ‘Holland Composites’.
Secondly the architecturefrm LO-TEK. These two examples show the manipulation of a sinlge
container-box and the different spatial and conceptual possibiliites.
Bluebase.MAS responds to issues raised by contemporary cities such as London, where our
increasingly transient lifestyles are resulting in more work related communities in which living clos-
er to the workplace and being able to move quickly a predominant factor in our choice of the home.
This shift in emphasis will fundamentally change the way we view our cities.

23

standard container

Standard containers are also known as general purpose
containers. They are closed containers, i.e. they are closed on
all sides. A distinc- tion may be drawn between the following
types of standard container:

- Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s)
- Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s) and doors
over the entire length of one or both sides
- Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s) and doors
on one or both sides

In addition, the various types of standard container also differ in
1 - Corner casting dimensions and weight, resulting in a wide range of standard
2 - Forklift pocket containers.
3 - Bottom cross member
4 - Floor
5 - Bottom side rail
6 - Corner post Standard containers are mainly used as 20’ and 40’ containers.
7 - Top side rail
8 - Front top end rail Con- tainers with smaller dimensions are very seldom used.
9 - Front end wall Indeed, the trend is towards even longer dimensions, e.g. 45’.
10 - Roof bows The principal components of a standard container are shown
11 - Roof panel
12 - Door header above in diagram of a
13 - Hinge 20’ plywood container .
14 - Door locking bar
15 - Cam
16 - Cam keeper
17 - Door gasket
18 - Door sill

24

high-cube containers hard-top containers
The walls of hard-top containers are generally made of corrugated
steel. The foor is made of wood.

High-cube containers are similar in structure to standard containers,
but taller. In contrast to standard containers, which have a maximum It has two typical distinguishing structural features. On the one hand,
height of 2591 mm (8’6”), high-cube containers are 2896 mm, or it is equipped with a removable steel roof. In some types, this roof has
9’6”, tall. High-cube containers are for the most part 40’ long, but are points for accommodating forklift trucks, allowing the roof to be lifted
sometimes made as 45’ containers. by forklift truck. The roof weighs approx.
450 kg. In addition, the door header may be swivelled out.

A number of lashing rings, capable of bearing loads of at most 1000 kg,
are mounted on the front top end rail and bottom cross member and These two structural features greatly simplify the process of packing
the corner posts. and unpacking the container. In particular, it is very easy to pack and
unpack the container from above or through the doors by crane or crab
when the roof is open and the door header is swivelled out.
Many 40’ containers have a recess in the foor at the front end which
serves to center the containers on so-called gooseneck chassis. These
recesses allow the containers to lie lower and therefore to be of taller In the case of transport of an overheight cargo, the container roof may
construction. be left open and fastened directly to a side wall on the inside of the
container. To do this, the roof only needs approx. 13 cm (5 1/8”) of
space.

Lashing rings, to which the cargo may be secured, are installed in the
upper and lower side rails, the corner posts and the middle of the side
walls. The lashing rings on the side rails and corner posts may take
loads of up to 2000 kg. The lashing rings in the middle of the side walls
may take loads of up to 500 kg, provided that the roof is closed.

Usual hard-top container dimensions are 20’ and 40’.

25

standard container
Flatracks consist of a foor structure with a high loading
capacity composed
of a steel frame and a softwood foor and two end walls,
which may either be fxed or collapsible. The end walls
are stable enough to allow cargo securing means to be
attached and several fatracks to be stacked on top of one
an- other. Flatracks are available in 20’ and 40’ sizes.

A number of lashing rings, to which the cargo may be
secured, are installed in the side rails, the corner posts
and the foor. The lashing rings may take loads
of up to 2000 kg in the case of 20’ fatracks or up to 4000
kg in the case of 40’ Flatrack:
fatracks. steel frame with fxed end walls and softwood foor, 20’ long
and 8’6” high

Some types of 20’ fatracks have forklift pockets. internal dimensions:
foor length 5980
length between corner posts 5698
40’ fatracks have gooseneck tunnels at each end. In foor width 2230
addition, they are sometimes equipped with lashing widht between stanchions 2245
winches with 2 metric ton lashing belts. height 2250
height of foor 336
max. gross weight 24000
For transport of certain cargoes, fatracks may be tare weight 2500
provided with stanchions. max payload 21500

26

platforms

Platforms consist solely of a foor structure with
extremely high loading capacity; they have no side or
end walls. This high loading capacity makes it possible to
con- centrate heavy weights on small areas. A platform
consists of a steel frame and a wooden foor structure.

Platforms are available in 20’ and 40’ sizes. 40’ platforms
have a gooseneck tunnel at each end.

Lashing rings, to which the cargo may be secured, are
installed in the side rails. The lashing rings may take
loads of up to 3.000 kg.

27

project examples

LOT-EK MDU

LOT-EK is the New York based studio of Ada Tolla and Giuseppe
Lignano. LOT-EK’s Mobile Dwelling Unit (MDU) began as an
experimental design project in 1999. A constructed version
features in a current traveling exhibition LOT-EK: Mobile
Dwelling Unit which was organized by the University Art
Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in
conjunction with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

MDU is a 40ft shipping container that has been modified into
a relocatable dwelling. The container accommodates several
modules for various functions such as cooking, washing and
sleeping. These modules sit within the container so that during
transportation the MDU largely resembles any other container
sitting on a ship or a dock.Once the MDU has been delivered
to a site, the modules slide out of the container like extrusions
and create an inner hallway in the newly created void inside the
container.

The plan below shows the layout of the slide-out sub-volumes:

28

BLUEBASE

Modular accommodation system

Bluebase.MAS responds to issues raised by contemporary
cities such as London, where our increasingly transient
lifestyles are resulting in more work related communities in
which living closer to the workplace and be-
ing able to move quickly a predominant factor in our choice
of the home. This shift in emphasis will fundamentally
change the way we view our cities, which will need to
become more adaptable to meet short-term change
in demand. This more flexible approach will result in a less
clustered, more efficient urban environment.
Bluebase.MAS consists of two mass-produced elements: The
accommodation module, based on the external dimensions
and performance of a 40ft cargo container, and the core
module based on a 20ft cargo container. All elements can
be easily plugged together and taken apart. A specialist lift
/ hoist is able to move individual accommodation modules
on and off the core tower so a standard container truck can
deliver a module without additional handling equipment.
The construction and fnishes are com- parable to a yacht or
high speed train.

29

Key features:

10 No. one bedroom apartments - 100%
factory built

26.8 m2 accommodation module passenger lift
/ escape stair
50m2 minimal footprint on 200m2 site fast and
independent relocation sustainable technology
use of existing global distribution system
compliant to statutory requirements
international patent pending
external 10 unit tower dimensions: 19m(h) x
12m(l)
x 7.5m(w)

30

Bernardes Jacobsen
Architects: Bernardes Jacobsen Architecture
Location: Parque Villa-Lobos, São Paulo, Brazil
Partners in Charge: Thiago Bernardes and Paulo Jacobsen
Collaborators: Bernardo Jacobsen, Edgar Murata, Daniel Vannucchi and Rafael
Oliveira
Design year: 2008
Setting up: 2008
Photographs: Leonardo Finotti

32

Maziar Behrooz
Architecture

Architects: Maziar Behrooz Architecture
Location: Amagansett, NY, USA
Project Area: 840 sq ft
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Dalton Portella & Francine Fleischer

38

Benjamin
Garcia Saxe
Architecture

Architects: Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Project area: 100 sqm
Project year: 2011
Photographs: Andres Garcia Lachner

40

Yasutaka Yoshimura
Architects

Led by Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects
in association with Nowhere Resort,
the main purpose of the Ex-Container
Project is to provide immediate housing
for those who were displaced following
the earthquake and tsunami that hit
Japan on 11th of March, 2011.

Utilizing the format of ISO shipping
containers the homes are easy to
transport and offer a higher quality
housing solution at an affordable price.
Thinking beyond the short-term, the Ex-
Container Project can initially be built as
a temporary house and then converted
to a permanent architectural structure.

42

Ex-Container Project
Yasutaka Yoshimura
Architects

Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects are
continuing to move forward assisting those
who have been displaced following the
Japan earthquake and tsunami. The Ex-
Container Project, which we featured just
last week, is one affordable design solution
offering easy transport and installation
without compromising quality.

44

AnL studio

Architects: AnL Studio /
Keehyun Ahn, Minsoo Lee

Location: Song-do New City,
Incheon, South Korea

Planning & Producing: Chang
Gil-Hwang, Kim Yong-Bae

Construction team: Ju Kwon-
Jung, Choi Hui-hyun, Kim
Chung-bong, Lee Seung-Ho,
Park Kwon-ui, Kang Jung-Tae,
Ham Yun-Ki

Client: Incheon Metropolitan
City, South Korea

Site area: 350 sqm
Building area: 91 sqm
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: AnL Studio

46

LOT-EK
Young Woo &
Associates
The Hudson River Park Trust has recently
announced the winning design for New
York City’s Pier 57, a long floating pier built
on concrete caissons in 1952. The pier,
located in Chelsea at West 15th Street
and West Street on the western edge of
the Meat Packing District, is part of the
Hudson River Park development. New York
firm Lot-EK with developer Young Woo &
Associates are set to design a rooftop park
crowning a small shopping center of local
artisan stores built with recycled shipping
containers. The center will also include a
contemporary culture center with spaces
for exhibitions, galleries, auctions and
entertainment.

48

The pier’s basic structure will be preserved, with layers of containers
holding a mix of studio, retail and community spaces. Many of the
small spaces will be rented to local artisans as a way to bring in revenue
and give the pier street-credibility and community ties. The proposal’s
emphasis on creating a niche for local artists and fusing an innovative
mix of uses offers an attractive solution for the site.

“The community working group liked the fact that the proposal generated
fewer vehicular trips,” explained President of the Board Connie Fishman.
Others found the proposal attractive due to its estimated $191 million
cost, as oppose to the other proposals that were estimated at over $330
million.

49

Yet, before being selected, LOT-
EK had to prove to the jury that
the shipping-container design
would satisfy building codes
and also create a high-quality
experience. Although the jury
was apprehensive about the
containers, upon seeing LOT-
EK’s earlier container projects
for Puma City, the jury was
convinced the project was
feasible.

The pier design still has a long
way to go before its visions
will be a reality. The plan still
has to clear the ULURP and
environmental review hurdles
before beginning construction.

50

Platoon
+ Graft
Architects

Concept Design: Platoon Cultural
Development
Location: Seoul, Korea
Architectural Consultancy: Graft Architects
+ Baik Jiwon
Executive Architect: U-il Architects &
Engineers
Prefab Engineering: Ace special container,
Korea
Structural Engineering: MIDAS IT, Korea
Interior Design: URBANTAINER, Korea
Main Contractor: Hyojung construction &
development, Korea
Program: Exhibitions, Bar & Restaurant,
Event Hall, Artist Studios, Library Lounge,
Office Studios, Workshop Room, Roof Top
Bar
Structure: M. Cabestany
Footprint Area: 415 sqm
Main hall Area: 272 sqm
Project year: 2008-2009
Photographs: Platoon

52

Architecture+Interior Designers, AnL Studio(Keehyun Ahn & Minsoo Lee) have designed a public observatory
deck, called Oceanscope, in Incheon, Korea made of recycled materials, including old shipping containers.

53

Hut at the Evergreen’s Brick Works
Levitt Goodman Architects

Architect: Levitt Goodman Architects
Location: 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Project Team: Janna Levitt (Partner-in-Charge), Katrina Touw
(Project Architect)
Project Size: 96 sqf
Project Area: 2010
Photographs: Ben Rahn / A-Frame Inc.

56

To greet visitors in the months before its official
opening later this year, Evergreen Brick Works
commissioned a temporary Welcome Hut for
the 12-acre community environmental centre.
Designed by Levitt Goodman Architects, this
96 sqf hut is provides an immediate node for
visitors and to support the Evergreen’s mission to
showcase for green design and environmentally
sustainable initiatives.
57

Elevated and painted Evergreen’s
signature eye-popping green, the
container commands attention
while also providing barrier-free
access and preventing flooding
(the Brickworks is in a floodplain).
Barn-like doors at either end of the
container open it up to the elements
and invite entry with a gesture like
open arms. A bumped-out steel
frame window gives the container
a new dimension and transforms
it into architecture. Adding to the
hut’s purpose, a scupper on the roof
funnels rainwater into an adjacent
rain barrel.

59

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Shipping Container Architecture

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