With a little bit of imagination (and a lot work), some talented architects have succeeded in designing dwellings made of shipping containers, ranging from off-the-grid guest homes to full time single family homes.

Shipping Container homes have their pros and cons: they are durable and eco-friendly, usually more cost-effective to build than conventional construction, and pre-fab modules can be easily transported by truck. But they also must be well insulated and sealed, as the steel conducts heat and can easily rust.

Here are 22 of the best modern shipping container houses built around the world to consider...

Via Lauren Moss

The WFH House in China, designed by Copenhagen-based studio, Arcgency is a contemporary design, constructed of three stacked shipping containers.

The house surrounded by lush vegetation  ”was designed to produce more energy than it consumes through the use of upcycled shipping containers as a steel frame, a sustainable bamboo facade, a rainwater collection system, solar cell-clad green roof and permeable paving.”

The interior is neat, dressed up in impeccable white, yet with splashes of color here and there. The main floor is envisioned as one singular space that accommodates the kitchen, dining area and the living room. The main advantage is that, this type of space delimitation allows a seamless transition between the indoor environments...

Via Lauren Moss

One man’s trash is said to be another man’s treasure, and now old cargo shipping containers are rapidly becoming sought-after treasure in the architecture industry.

The term cargotecture, coined in 2005 by HyBrid Architecture, is used to describe any building partially or entirely built from recycled ISO shipping containers. It may seem strange that such a simple, aesthetically-unappealing box could be so loved by modern architects, but the increased use of reclaimed materials in architecture is starting to show no bounds.

In a world dominated by mass production, architects are being forced to find alternative ways of designing buildings that will make the smallest impact on the earth. Extending the life of discarded materials and saving salvageable items from landfill is a completely viable approach.

Shipping containers are resistant to fire, termites, hurricanes and earthquakes, proving themselves to be extremely resilient.

Somewhat like stacking blocks of Lego, steel or aluminum shipping containers are a perfectly strong building block...

Via Lauren Moss

Shipping containers are low-cost, stackable building blocks ideal for incorporating into all kinds of architecture including homes, stores and restaurants.

Portable, durable, stackable and readily available all over the world, shipping containers are the ideal building blocks for smart structures of practically every variety. Some require just a little bit of renovation to transform into tiny houses or mobile offices, and others are barely recognizable. Often left with their exteriors as-is to pay tribute to their industrial origins, shipping containers can be used to form exterior walls and integrated into other types of building materials. Here are 23 examples of shipping container architecture in the form of homes, schools, offices, retail stores, hotels and restaurants...

Via Lauren Moss