Containers Architecture

Dr. Ahmed Hosney Radwan

Assoc. Professor of Architecture,
College of Fine Arts.
Helwan University.
Containers Architecture Reusing Shipping Containers
in creating Architectural Spaces 7
 ABSTRACT
Reusing and recycling of materials is considered as an
important value in sustainable design and architecture
prolonged among many historical ages, from reuse of
stone, wood, marble columns, etc

From re-use of paper, till reusing steel shipping

containers, various attempts have been made to explore
the possibilities, opportunities and examples of creating
many functions, projects, or even large buildings been
constructed in this way, the wide increase of these
applications lead to the emerging of a type of
architecture called afterwards containers Architecture.
Objectives
This paper is:
• an attempt to explore this containers architecture,
• studying different opportunities of reusing these steel boxes,
• Further analysis of This type of Architecture
• How to create some architectural spaces that hosts different functions & human activities,
• not only on the scale of an individual building but also on a larger scale
• can help in creating a quick or sometimes temporary solution for a building or a group of buildings
• that are structurally stable & safe, environment friendly,
• with very high capabilities of achieving aesthetic values that can be utilized by people.
INTRODUCTION
What is Containers architecture:
A type of architecture that is generally characterized by the re-
use of steel shipping containers as a structural element and
Architectural envelope that can host a specific function or a
human activity.
Cargotecture:
The application of cargotecture has greatly
expanded in the recent times in credit to
their strong plating, inexpensiveness, and
widespread obtainability.
It was noticed recently that many people
were building their houses using shipping
containers for their low environ-mental
impact in comparison to traditional houses
made with brick and reinforced concrete
structure, taking also in consideration the
short time required to erect a building in this
way, with future possibilities of moving
these buildings to other locations or adding
extra spaces or volumes.
WHAT IS A SHIPPING CONTAINER?
Ø The composition of the shipping container WHY COULD A SHIPPING CONTAINER BE
Ø Storage Order USED AS A SPACE UNIT THAT CAN CREATE
A BUILDING OR A GROUP OF BUILDINGS?
 FACTS

As a result of its structural composition, a

Arch Space(s)
shipping container, in addition to its
uniform, regular cuboid shape, & its
modular size(s), many functions inside a
building or even complete buildings could
be easily constructed by reusing these
structure
containers, several examples existed all
over the world for buildings that was
constructed this way. dimensions
material
THE BUILDING FUNCTIONS THAT SHIPPING CONTAINERS CAN HOST.

Generally, they could be re-used to

construct these kinds of
buildings/functions: RESIDENTIAL

CULTURAL

commercial COMMERCIAL
• Small residences- Shipping Container

•It is composed of two twenty feet standardized containers, one container is placed on top of other
in an intertwined manner.
•criss-cross stacking can be done as another solution of formulating a non-traditional box shape.
•Adding some modifications and reinforcement required for supporting the weight, particularly
the added supports and beams.
•Upper containers as well as lower containers need reinforcing, borders of globalized containers are
made to facilitate placement of another container straying from its corners, which means the upper
container is balanced.
•by applying a specific color theme its atheistically pleasing to the human eye
•Modifications have been made to connect the 2 containers vertically thus creating a staircase that
connects the 2 levels, While criss-cross stacking created a shaded area on both sides of the lower
container beside two terraces on both sides of the upper container.

The possibility of adding a third

container on top of the second
one, in the case of needing an
extra space
• Mid-Size Residences
The DeWitt and Kasravi Sea Container Home

Making some modifications in the vertical planes to create doors and windows Floor plan showing the internal and external spaces

• This home consists of four containers; the designing creativity belongs

to Modulus.
• It is based in California, but the actual framework was completed in
another location. The containers were only reassembled in the house
location.
• The top floor features 9 skylights, giving large volume of natural light
into house.
Shipping Container Guest House

This cabin was designed in Texas by the prominent architect Jim Poteet. This design uses a single container, which can
function as a garden retreat, studio, and even a playhouse for children and adults. This house contains glass doors and
windows and the container is 8x40 ft. This cabin has one toilet, shower and sink available. There also are cooling and
heating systems emplaced. The roof features an assortment of various plants.

The house is made entirely out of containers, and due to the boxy nature of the container, the decorating
possibilities are limited. Two large sections of steel were removed for the sliding doorway and window and the
container was given a blue paint
Patio is featured in the roof and front, minimizing the chances of rainwater smashing against the glass. The
interior of the cabin is made with wood to reflect a feeling of comfort and calm.

The mix of materials and colors give it a unique standing in the conventional mass of
guesthouses. The designing creativity for this house belongs to the Poteet Architects, it
is important to note that this is not their sole container-based design
 various configurations of staking the containers can lead to various models of residential units

floor plan showing how it looks like if 3 floor plan showing how it looks like if 3
containers are closed between each other containers are opened between each other.
various configurations of staking the containers can lead to various models of residential units
• Keetwonen in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The largest container locality in the world is located in

Netherlands. This city was created by Tempo housing, and called
Keetwonen. This city went on to gain huge prominence in the
country, particularly in students groups. The city has become the
second largest dormitory in the city of Amsterdam. The success
of Keetwonen displaced any previous anxiety that container
households would be either too noisy, small, or cold. The
containers proved to be highly cost-efficient, roomful and
insulated against noise and effects of weather, beating out other
student housing schemes present in the city.
Keetwonen also manages to offer utilities that were missing in
other student housing societies; each house came complete with
its own kitchen, bathroom, gallery, study and bedroom. Each
house featured upsized glass windows to facilitate daylight
entering the house and ventilation system. This project was
based on the requirements of students, a personal space for
study without the necessity to share showers and bathrooms
with individuals to whom you are unfamiliar. The city offers
plenty of opportunities to facilitate student convenience, for
instance, the interior area features a cordoned area to facilitate
bike parking.

Typical Plan of the room Various Shots of Keetwonen

Cite A Docks
•Architect: Cattani Architects
•Location: La Havre, France
•Date: 2010
•This structure is a dormitory located in Le Havre, France.
•One hundred dorms were construction through transforming old containers into a four-story building.
•Each apartment has 24 square meters and includes a bathroom and a kitchen, which is just about everything a
student could need.
•Observing the building façade, it sponsors a highly metallic and dull theme, which fails to complement the
students’ learning energy.
•According to the developers, the metallic framework facilitates greater identification of various rooms and
broadens them by using foreign extensions, which are modified, into balconies.
•The sloping architecture provides the entire structure a mixed feeling of being both filled and hollow. Granting a
more scenic view.
•This existence of this structure is in credit to modified used containers. The modifications provided changes the
containers into complete houses spanning 24 sq. meters individually, and amounting over hundred houses in a 4-
floored structure. Section
•One of the chief designers for this structure provided a reflection on her through process. The team had to work
against the popular sentiment against stacking. The housing demands have changed drastically and therefore this through
structure had to be designed in a way that ensures greater feeling of personal housing independences. the room
•Containers came out as the best solution, older models would be renovated, and interior space would be
refurbished. The designing on containers allowed for them to be stacked on each other and foreign objects, such as
walkways would be erected to facilitate movement.
•Container based framework makes it easier to identifies the boundaries of each house and makes them
aesthetically pleasing through the placement of terraces. The sloping effect makes the structure even more
aesthetically pleasing through portraying the structure as neither too crowded nor empty.
•Structure, comprised of one hundred houses, is spread over 4 floor plan. The first floor was elevated to ensure
identical privacy for the ground floor residents as the residents from upper floors receive.
•Each house faces a garden located within the structure premises, plenty of windows and glass walls facilitate
consistent penetration of natural light into each house.
•In order to facilitate greater noise and temperature isolation, the containers at dividing locations those lacking
adjacent containers were coated with forty centimeters of reinforced concrete, alongside rubber coating to ensure
minimal vibrations.
The external facade is designed by the combination of the old “boxes” that has kept the undulating, repainted in
metallic gray. Inside, the designers chose white walls and wooden furniture. Each studio has a bathroom and a
kitchen.

Section through the Buildings

Various views of Cite a Docks
• Cultural centers

Platoon Kunsthalle, berlin, Germany

This structure was designed with intent to serve as a place
where creative individuals could work and thrive.
•Opened on 2012
The firm responsible for designing this structure is
Graft Lab Architecture. The entire structure is made
from containers.

An iconic reality of the container based architecture.

•This structure functions as an art center and exhibition
hall

This structure was designed with intent to exhibit the

modern feeling, a place where inspiration and imagination
can meet.
•The interior of this structure features exhibition areas,
studios, pubs and even a restaurant. The interior has plenty
of clear space to facilitate larger groups visiting the
exhibitions.

Various views of Cite Platoon

• Puma City

• Puma City is an 11,000-square-foot store, crafted with 24 red shipping containers, located a mere stone’s
throw from Boston’s Fenway Park.
• Puma City is a three level indoor-outdoor structure, constructed out of twenty-four containers.
• The structure fulfils the purpose of a stowage, living area and moveable headquarter for companies.
The structure is designed to be easily taken apart, shipped and reassembled anywhere in the world

Puma City
 London Container City I, II:

Based in London, the Container City is built as a unique and simple

workplace made out of only containers. The design is made to look
modern, stylish, and innovative. Inexpensiveness and
environmentally friendly structure are the defining traits of this
container-based city. The primary purpose of this city is to serve as a
modern workplace in a modern setting.
The construction location is the Trinity Buoy Wharf, with
constructions beginning in 2000 and 2002 respectively. This city has
won multiple prizes in London for its innovativeness and modern
designing. The cities have been used by a great number of
organizations pertaining to various industries, ranging from local
governmental officers, banks, software development companies,
healthcare, educational institutions amongst the numbers.
The first Container city is also known as the Riverside building,
which is comprised of a total seventy-three containers, based on five
floors, the construction work on this building was finished near the
end of 2005.
The entire prospect of the Container city is based on its excellent
idea of reusing previously used containers, thus granting them new
life. The containers are inexpensive in comparison to other
conventional building material. The reuse of containers meant that
there was little need for bricks or environmentally damaging
material.
Both cities are perhaps the most prominent container based
structures in the world. The second city is based on its unique
ziggurat designing approach, its vivid paint job acting as a source of
joy and motivation to its residents.
The Container city was built only as a singular city, the second day
and its multiple extensions are a part of an overall extension of the
project, highlighting its great global prominence. The second
Container city building was finished two years after the completion
of the original project.

London shipping containers city.

Vertical configuration of
Containers
CONCLUSIONS

Although having a very systematic and regular shape, shipping containers could be reused to create not only functional spaces, but also
various configurations of architectural programs or functions, that vary from a very simple residential unit, to a small office building extending
to a shopping mall, or a cultural center, that hosts bigger number of users.

Shipping Containers Architecture Benefits could be briefed in the following points:

Ø Renovation of previously utilized containers that have fallen into disuse from ports located world-wide.
Ø Containers are highly inexpensive compared to conventional building material, ranging from be-tween $1,500 to $3,000 United States
dollars per individual container.
Ø Containers are considerably sturdier compared to wooden or brick structures, they also late for multiple decades with little decay.
Ø Containers are all standardized with identical de-signs, thus all containers can be stacked upon or placed side by side without requiring
additional re-sources or planning.
Ø Renovation of containers take little time, there have been reports of a container being successfully renovated for personal living in little as
72 hours.
Ø Durable against extreme temperature and pests.
Ø Easily broken down for movement and reassembled with the same structure intact, requiring little expense for transit of house between
locations.
Ø Highly durable frame lasts for decades without requiring too expensive or specific maintenance.
Ø Always a possibility for further extensions, a house can be expanded with more containers to make it larger, with personalized placement
of new rooms and utilities.
FURTHER RESEARCHES THAT CAN BE DONE BASED ON THIS
RESEARCH

Several researches can study the possibilities of using Containers Architecture in constructing low cost housing
projects, whether in Egypt or in developing countries that need a quick solution to maintain a shelter for the homeless
people.
Studying the possibilities of high rise buildings using shipping containers.
Wider emphasis on urban configurations using shipping containers.
Thank you