Cargo Containers

Source: Danny Bright archdaily.com

PUMA City, Shipping Container Store designed by LOT-EK

24 containers are put together to create a 3 storey store with over 11,000 sqf, including a bar/lounge area and 2 decks.

The store is currently at the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, and it´s transported to each location (Alicante, Boston, Stockholm) and assembled quickly. -- ArchDaily

Source: Shu He archdaily.com

Sanlitun South, Beijing, China, 2008 designed by LOT-EK Architecture & Design

LOT-EK concept is centered on the old typology of the Chinese ‘HUTONG’, the internal urban alley animated by small retail, functioning as multi-level, open-air circulation. The rhythm of the structure is based on the width of ISO shipping containers (8 feet) which are inserted randomly into the facades of the building and jut out into the alleys. At the ground level, the containers function as canopies that hover over the retail stores entrances and house display or other small functions on the interior. At the upper floors the containers are pierced and skewered by the horizontal circulation functioning as entrances to the retail stores and as display windows along the loggias. At every level the containers function as large three-dimensional graphic objects layered with signage and logos. -- ArchDaily

Source: Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects archdaily.com

Ex-Container Project designed by 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. -- ArchDaily

NYC Plans On Designer Shipping Containers for Next Disaster

Shipping container architecture has gained a lot of ground over the past few years for its simplicity, affordability and flexibility.  Yes the very same containers that make transatlantic voyages and are carted around hitched to trucks have become a tool for architects to design restaurants, to serve as retail or pavilions and even homes.  According to an article by Matt Chaban on the New York Observer, NYC plans to prepare for the next disaster with apartments built out of shipping containers to be used as disaster relief shelters. -- ArchDaily

Source: Tsai Design Studio archdaily.com

Vissershok Container Classroom, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa designed by Tsai Design Studio

Located in rolling hills of Durbanville wine valley on the outskirts of Cape Town, Vissershok Primary School is a rural school dedicated to the children of farm workers and underprivileged communities living in Du Noon – a poverty-stricken township several kilometers away. It all started with an annual design competition called “Making the Difference Through Design”, presented by Woolworths. The competition focuses on introducing design to local high school students. This year, the brief called for creative solutions on how a recycled container can be adapted to help under-resourced schools. 

Grade 10 student (age 15) Marshaarn Brink won the competition with a playful design of an outdoor jungle gym. The concept was then handed over to Tsai Design Studio who then evolved the idea into a final design that took in consideration the site conditions and environmental factors. Built with limited means and budget, the final product maximized the space as it incorporated the four following elements. -- ArchDaily

Source: jetsongreen.com

The New Jerusalem Children’s Home, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa designed by 4D and A Architects

4D and A Architects worked with New Jerusalem to develop new housing and facilities and settled on the use of recycled shipping containers instead of the traditional brick and mortar option. -- Jetson Green

Source: Raul Pantaleo archdaily.com

Medical Housing Compound, Soba, Khartoum, Sudan, 2009 designed by Studio Tam associati

The Compound placed besides the Hospital, in the surroundings of the Nile river, is realized around a great courtyard full of wonderful mango trees. It consists of 95 20ft-containers for housing and 7 40ft-containers for the cafeteria. Every lodging is 20 sqm and is realized with one and a half containers; the lodging is composed of bedroom, bathroom and a small veranda on the court side. 

Peculiar care has been dedicated to insulation and energy saving. The containers are insulated with a “layer system”. Inside the container 5 cm insulating panels have been placed. The outside “skin” is realized with a second insulated roof and a bamboo brise-soleil panel system. In this way the sunrays never hit the containers. This system involves a huge energy saving. Solar panels also supply hot water for the entire compound. -- ArchDaily

Source: Stéphane Chalmeau archdaily.com

House extension, Nantes, France, 2009 designed by Christophe Nogry

The dimensions of containers allowed us to accommodate rez of road a big collection of books, vinyl records and CD. For it Jean François Godet – designer and associated designed a customized bookshelf. The totality of this space is dedicated to multimedia and relaxation. -- ArchDaily

Source: Maziar Behrooz Architecture archdaily.com

Container Studio, Amagansett, New York, USA, 2010 designed by Maziar Behrooz Architecture

Our solution was to use two 9’-6” x 40’ x 8’ shipping containers (cost: $2,500 each, delivered) perched over a 9’ foundation wall/cellar. By cutting 75% of the floor of the containers, we were able to move the painting studio to a lower level via a wide staircase and take advantage of a high ceiling. The staircase itself acts as a transitional space for viewing art work. -- ArchDaily

Source: Chris Cooper archdaily.com

Container Guest House, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 2010 designed by Poteet Architects

The emphasis was on sustainable strategies– first, the recycling of a “one-way” container for a new and permanent use. The planted roof is held off the container top, providing shade and air-flow to reduce heat gain. The interior is insulated with spray foam then lined with bamboo plywood, equally appropriate for the floor as the walls. The grey water from the sink and shower is captured for roof irrigation. -- ArchDaily

Source: Kim Myoung-Sik archdaily.com

APAP OpenSchool, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 2010 designed by LOT-EK Architecture & Design

Eight shipping containers are skewed to a 45 degree angle and combined in a fishbone pattern generating a large arrow-like volume that hovers three meters over the landscape. The structure is strategically placed over Hakwoon park pedestrian walkway at the city level right on the edge of the drop to the river bank, marking the territory as a focal place of gathering, resting and viewing. -- ArchDaily

Source: Miran Kambic archdaily.com

Kindergarten Ajda, Ravne Na Koroškem, Slovenia, 2011 designed by Arhitektura Jure Kotnik

Since containers proved a good solution, the local authorities commissioned the new, permanent kindergarten extension to be built out of containers as well 13 containers ISO 20’ were therefore added to the three existing ones and all of them carefully incorporated into a unique whole, once again showing the ease with which containers help efficiently and quickly manage building size: as they are added or removed, container buildings can grow larger or smaller. -- ArchDaily

Source: Pedro Vannucchi archdaily.com

Decameron, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2011 designed by Marcio Kogan

The idea was to use discarded containers, to reuse a ready-made object, a leftover of the actual intense commodities exchange. The project was organized inside two tunnels of containers, taking advantage of the linearity of its inside spaces, and a double height hangar attached to it, a contrasting cubic volume. Huge polycarbonate sliding doors connect the store with the city and an inner garden. -- ArchDaily

Source: Andres Garcia Lachner archdaily.com

Containers of Hope, San Jose, Costa Rica, 2011 designed by Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture

A roof between the two containers, made from the scrap pieces of metal taken to make the windows, not only creates an internal sensation of openness but also provides a cross ventilation which is surprisingly sufficient enough to never have to turn the air conditioning on. -- ArchDaily

Source: Bartosz Kolonko archdaily.com

Tony’s Farm, Shanghai, China, 2011 designed by Playze

Tony’s Farm is the biggest organic food farm in Shanghai, which produces OFDC certified (member of IFOAM) vegetables and fruits. 

In order to cope with the high aspirations of the client regarding the protection of the environment, several strategies have been used to reduce the energy consumption of the building. The entire structure is well insulated, even though the containers appear in it’s raw form. The original container doors have been perforated and serve as external shading blinds at the sun exposed facades to minimize solar heat gain.-- ArchDaily

Source: Platoon Kunsthalle Berlin archdaily.com

Platoon Kunsthalle Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2012 designed by Platoon Cultural Development

Platoon Kunsthalle is built of 33 iso cargo containers. as icons of a flexible architecture in a globalized culture, the stacked containers form a unique construction that can be rebuilt anywhere else any time. -- ArchDaily

The Pros and Cons of Cargo Container Architecture -- ArchDaily

Source: Jens Markus Lindhe archdaily.com

WFH House, Wuxi, China, 2012 designed by Arcgency

The WFH concept is a modular concept, based on a design principle, using 40 feet high cube standard modules as structural system. The structure can be adapted to local challenges such as climatic or earthquake issues. Online customization-tools give clients the possibility to decide their own version of the house concerning layout, size, facade, interior etc. The configuration happens within a predefined framework that will ensure high architectural value and quality of materials. Building-components are prefabricated and on site construction can be limited. -- ArchDaily

Source: jetsongreen.com

The recycled shipping container stage, Over het IJ theatre Festival, Amsterdam, the Netherlands designed by O+A Architecture

This recycled shipping container stage was created by architecture studio O+A in celebration of Amsterdam’s Over het IJ theatre festival’s 20th anniversary. Made of locally sourced materials, the containers have been retrofitted to create a temporary space designed for live artistic performances. -- Jetson Green

Source: Sergio Pirrone archdaily.com

Caterpillar House, Lo Barnechea, Santiago de Chile, 2012 designed by Sebastián Irarrázaval

This prefabricated house for an art collector and his family was built in the outskirts of Santiago in a new suburban residential area. In order to reduce construction time and costs, second hand shipping containers were used as follow: Five 40 “standard containers, Six 20“ standard containers and one 40“ open top container for the swimming pool. -- ArchDaily

Source: Bof Architekten archdaily.com

Indian Research Base, Jablonec nad Nisou Mšeno, Czech Republic, 2013 designed by Bof Architekten

Cen­tral as­pects in re­gards to the pro­ject in­clu­de the fol­lo­wing: re­dun­dan­cy, su­stainabi­li­ty and mo­bi­li­ty. Due to the re­stric­ted ac­ces­si­bi­li­ty to the re­gi­on and con­si­de­ring the sti­pu­la­tions of the Antarc­tic Trea­ty, the sta­ti­on must be com­ple­te­ly self-suf­fi­ci­ent and con­struc­ted in a man­ner that al­lows for a com­ple­te di­sas­sem­bly. The buil­ding con­sists of 134 stan­dard ship­ping con­tai­ners that not only de­fi­ne the in­di­vi­du­al spa­ces, but which also ac­count for the struc­tu­ral sy­stem. The high de­gree of mo­bi­li­ty and fle­xi­bi­li­ty as­so­cia­ted with such con­tai­ners pro­vi­des for an op­ti­mal me­ans of trans­port and ex­tre­me­ly short as­sem­bly pe­ri­ods. -- ArchDaily

Source: Bart van Hoek archdaily.com

Barneveld Noord, Harselaar, The Netherlands, 2013 designed by NL Architects

Three containers are ‘suspended’ in the air. Together they form a ‘roof’. One contains the installations, the other storage. The third will be opened at the bottom. It forms the headroom for the enclosed but fully transparent waiting area, creating a double high space. The fourth container is flipped to an upright position. It makes an instant tower. The tower contains a clock. And a wind vane. -- ArchDaily

Source: Ben Hosking archdaily.com

Royal Wolf, Sunshine VIC 3020, Australia, 2013 designed by Room11

Royal Wolf is a specialist in the hire, sale & modification of new & refurbished shipping containers.  Utilising the steel fabrication skill sets of this company, Room11 take the  claustrophobic volume within a regular shipping container and transform it into a spacious light filled work environment with planted internal courtyards. -- ArchDaily

Source: Ooze Architects archdaily.com

Visitor Center Emscher Village, Oberhausen, Germany, 2013 designed by Ooze Architects

The temporary Visitors Center for Emscherkunst.2013 and the Art Camp for local art associations are made from re-used oversea containers which house the different programs. -- ArchDaily

Source: Jennifer Ha archdaily.com

Shanghai Community Cubes, Gucun Road, Chongming, Shanghai, China, 2013 designed by INCLUDED

INCLUDED’s Shanghai Gucun community center is the latest attempt to create an affordable, mobile, scalable, and highly flexible center to serve the marginalized migrants of Shanghai. It can be moved with the community if they are forced to move. The shipping container model was first conceived because of the high availability of used shipping containers in China.  The used containers, donated by OOCL, have been individually renovated and are meant to be detachable and transportable if the need arises. -- ArchDaily

Source: Jesús Granada archdaily.com

Cruise Ship Terminal in the Port of Seville, Seville, Sevilla, Spain, 2013 designed by Hombre de Piedra + Buró4

The “high cube” containers are placed in parallel separated one-container distance, and over these spaces between them, the standard containers are placed. -- ArchDaily

Source: DO architects + Aketuri Architektai archdaily.com

Svencelė Kiteboarding and Windsurfing Centre, Svencelė 96241, Lithuania, 2014 designed by DO architects + Aketuri Architektai

The complex was built from 37 portable containers as a means of testing the planned urban structure and accelerating the future development of the area without enormous investments, critical at a time when the world financial crisis led to a lack of optimism about the ambitious projects that had been proposed. -- ArchDaily

Source: Francisco Ibañez archdaily.com

ZX FLUX Adidas Gallery, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile, 2014 designed by Arquitectos Asociados.lo

....to build a gallery by using four 20-foot containers. The idea was to install, during 3 days, an exhibition in front of an iconic building from the city of Santiago in Chile. -- ArchDaily

Source: Manuel Ciarlotti archdaily.com

La Plata, Calle 12 1148, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2014 designed by Bielsa-Breide-Ciarlotti Bidinost Arquitectos

....work inside with an ephemeral installation using four shipping containers as work pieces, that responds to the subsidiary needs of the store but can adapt to any activity. -- ArchDaily