In our childhood, many of us played with Legos and blocks and created interesting shapes, designs and built houses of our choice. A similar story is being built in real life, too. Container homes, a concept which is gaining traction in countries that are battling space crunch, are proving to be an effective tool to overcome housing scarcity.
Container homes are exactly what they sound like; homes made from the steel shipping containers that are seen carrying goods everywhere on trains, trucks, and ships. From these giant Lego blocks, we can build homes of all shapes and sizes. With about 14 million ‘out-of-service’ containers in the world, there are many of them available.[1] And playing with giant blocks has a definite appeal! Especially, the environmental appeal of a container home is the idea that you are re-using a leftover product of the shipping industry to make a home.
Container homes are an innovative concept wherein a steel structure, shipping boxes, are transformed into living spaces. These huge containers which are as big as a single floor of a home are stacked and joined to make multiple stories. In many countries, containers homes are quite popular for their sheer durability and strength. These do not have any adverse effect on the environment.
Many non-government organizations have been using the concept to build low-cost housing. For instance, a two-story container home that was built in January this year houses Orange County’s homeless veterans in California.[2] There are 16 apartments in the building that are equipped with basic necessities. This structure is California’s first shipping-container apartment building.
A slum named Orangi Town, in the outskirts of Karachi, on Pakistan’s west coast sprawls across some 8,000 acres and is home to at least 1.5 million people. Residents live in houses made from concrete blocks, with eight to 10 people sharing two or three rooms.[3] Deprived of government services, the community has financed and built its own sewer system, with locals taking responsibility for maintaining it. Container homes would be a good answer to solve the issue of overcrowding in the cities like Karachi.
Overcrowding, urban flooding in the monsoon season, and lack of access to clean water in the summer (or any water at all) contribute to health problems including malaria, drug-resistant typhoid, and water-borne diseases like Naegleria, a brain-destroying amoeba.[4] While Pakistan has set long-term goals of providing housing to all, container homes can act as a quick fix.
A worldwide system exists for moving containers around. Once they reach a site, they are relatively simple to set in place on a prepared foundation. These can be easily stacked and then the final installations can be made. These container homes can be moved to different locations, an advantage other housing concepts do not enjoy. This is precisely the reason why they are popular mode of housing in the US military.[5] As a building block, shipping containers are both durable and versatile. In addition, to save on construction costs, upcycling an old container can be an eco-friendly alternative to building from the ground up.
Due to lower construction and maintenance costs this idea can be a great solution for the City of Karachi due to limited funds. There is also a perception that container homes are contributing to recycling. Container homes are often marketed as being environmentally friendly because they are said to be made from used containers, thus conserving metal resources. These homes really are the best use of the containers, from a sustainability perspective. This sustainable step can then transform Karachi into a livable and competitive megacity.
My idea of a container home is using second-hand containers which are guaranteed to be structurally sound, watertight, and suitable for use as secure storage containers. A standard ISO shipping container is 8ft wide, 8.5ft high and 40ft long. Utilizing both container and conventional building methods, I worked on layout with large open plan designs. This design uses a 40ft containers, conventional build in between and then another 40ft container on the other side. The containers are used as a solid base to build the rest of the building from and can be lined inside and clad on the outside. With 2 bunkbeds, 1 bathroom, kitchen area, and living room, this model is perfect for a small to medium sized family who enjoy a laid-back lifestyle with a custom open layout. The total floor area of the base model is 320sqm. The production of this home would be around 3 weeks with a 10-day onsite installation process. A crane service can be hired to help set the containers.
The structure also features energy-saving components such as hydro-source heating, solar panels, and low-energy pumps, Composting waste systems, wind turbines, solar hot water, security systems, and power managements systems. These blocks will reliably produce their own electricity. During a year, a solar panner can generate as much as 5,000 kilowatts of power. The house also has backup batteries that store 20,000 watts. This assortment of renewable energy options ensures that power is available under nearly all conditions. Insulation keeps hot or cold air from easily passing through the walls while a smart thermostat also helps to minimize energy consumption. This reduces the home’s total cost because it decreases the necessary number of solar panels.
Also, these homes contain only eco-friendly materials and hardware. The furniture is manufactured from recycled products. These container homes come with equipment that process both drinking and wastewater. The system collects rainwater and thoroughly filters it to maximize safety. After occupants use the water, other equipment screens, filters and composts the sewage. Filtered wastewater is released into the soil, but the system could be modified to use a holding tank or city sewer too. In conclusion, this converted shipping container design offers an all-in-one housing solution that satisfies its own energy and water needs.
[1] “How Many Shipping Containers Are There in the World?” Budget Shipping Containers. Web. July 4, 2019..
[2] “O.C. Project That Turns Shipping Containers into Homeless Housing Is Dedicated.” 09 Feb. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2021.
[3] “8 Cities with the World’s Largest Slums.” Web. 1 Feb. 2021.
[4] “The Six Biggest Challenges Facing Pakistan’s Urban Future.” Web. 11 Feb. 2021.
[5] Structures, Falcon. “Using Containers for Military MOUTs, Storage, Housing and Workspace.” Repurposed Shipping Containers for Business. Web. 16 Mar. 2021.