Shipping container construction is a growing area of architecture, as sustainability and the do-it-yourself ethos makes these structures a popular component of buildings. The green motivation for using shipping containers is obvious – there are countless empty shipping containers sitting on docks all over the globe. Incorporating them into storage sheds, houses and other structures is an excellent way to put them to use and avoid additional resource consumption.
When considering building a structure from used shipping containers, thinking about the pros and cons is important.
Pros
Shipping containers are quite inexpensive and are a cheap way of getting a sturdy superstructure for your home.
Shipping containers are widely available. There are thousands of them sitting empty on shipyard docks. You can easily find an available container and have it trucked to your site.
Shipping containers are strong and resilient, and will make your home strong and damage resistant.
Using shipping containers reduces your environmental footprint. Because you’re reusing materials, you aren’t consuming more materials, meaning your home will have less of an environmental impact than one constructed from scratch.
Cons
The dimensions of storage containers can be a little awkward as a living/working space. Most containers are just a little more than eight feet high and wide. Combining containers can alleviate this problem, however.
In some areas, building using traditional wood framing may be cheaper and less trouble than reusing storage containers. However, in areas where resources are scarce or a quick housing or shelter solution is needed, storage containers can be ideal.