Shipping Containers as Homes, say what?

OK, I know I may be a bit late with the idea of turning a shipping container into a livable, workable space, but I think it's a grand idea. My husband James (he's recently jumped on the sustainable lifestyle bandwagon, so you'll be hearing more of him), recently started reading about shipping containers being made into homes and presented me with the idea for us to consider this for ourselves. We have been doing some house shopping, and liking not loving what we have been seeing, have decided that maybe for folks like ourselves, it would be best to start thinking outside of the box.

1.

The Manifesto House by Infiniski. Made of shipping
containers and pallets.

These days the housing market seems to be headed in the direction of less is more. So the idea of purchasing a lot of land and building what we can handle sounds more feasible than jumping into something that could eventually get out of hand. What is attractive about these shipping container homes is that you can start off small and then eventually add on without it being a huge cost or a big deal. Also you can custom design what fits your needs, again, without spending the big bucks.

People are doing this all over the world. Chile, Amsterdam, Texas, California just to name a few. However, when I mentioned this idea to some local friends, I was told people around here would laugh at us. Laugh at us? Are you kidding me? How cool would it be to have something that no one else has around here yet. Some people seem to misunderstand the types we are. I believe it's OK to set an example that I know others will eventually follow.

2.

Delicatessen by Infiniski.

Some of these houses are just simply beautiful. They don't just have to be homes. They can be work spaces, art studios that are added to a property. The things that can be done are limitless.


 3.                                                         


Tempo Housing.

4.

So now, we are definitely looking for an architect nearby who we can talk to and see if it's even feasible to build a prefab home here in NJ. I hope so. Wish us luck!