Guest post: Shipping containers as building material

What does the $58 billion U.S. trade deficit have to do with innovation in the housing market? Here's a tangent I bet you never thought of: Every day, the United States takes in more goods than it exports. In addition the goods the U.S. exports are often high tech, or software-based products that do not require a great deal of shipping volume. As a result, America has a giant surplus of shipping containers. A quick check on eBay gives you an idea of just how cheap and plentiful these giant steel structures are.

While anyone in search of a cheap storage shed solution can see the opportunity this provides, some architects are looking at shipping containers as innovative, new ways to build unique, yet affordable housing...

Projects vary in scope from simple studios to high-end modern housing, and grassroots forums full of prospective builders have formed to discuss this new idea in home building. Possibly the most impressive completed project is Container City, a 100-unit, multifamily live/work space in London.

Building with containers has some unique advantages. It takes recycling in home building to an entirely new level. The ability to "ship" a simple home also makes them ideal candidate for emergency housing. They can also be built at affordable rates, especial when comparing other building techniques used to construct modern-style homes.

But are shipping containers truly a viable option, or are they the modern equivalent of geodesic dome homes?  Gregory La Vardera, a New Jersey-based architect whose projects/designs include innovative home building materials like steel frame construction and structural insulated panels (SIPs) makes a case for this building method:

"As a form of prefabrication IBUs have certain several that make them desirable. The first is their inherent strength. Some of the first prototypes were built in hurricane prone areas. The structural properties of the box goes a long way towards reducing risk. The second is their transportability. The standard ISO dimensions are truckable without special road permits or leading/following vehicles, all which create additional expense. Without those additional transport issues it is much easier to move modules. Third, the steel construction obviously is not flammable, nor does it contribute to the growth of mold or provide habitat for insects. IBUs out perform conventional construction in many ways. They can be used to build homes that appear very conventional, or they can be used exposed for a contemporary aesthetic - my own preference."

As a mortgage broker by trade, my first thought is, "How am I ever going to get that financed?" However, where there's a will, there's a way. I doubt shipping container-based homes will ever replace stickbuilt as the popular choice of construction, but for a builder looking for an affordable, green, efficient, and unique home, it's time to start looking back inside the box.

--Todd Carpenter, Lenderama

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