Shipping containers are not just big boxes. Their geometry, dimensions and accessibility make it possible to improvise when creating small houses, offices, restaurants, which was used by the Spanish architect Alejandro Martin Torrente. He turned 7 containers, worn by time and service, into a comfortable neoclassical house with a non-standard layout.
Freight containers are increasingly inspiring architects to create custom designs. This is especially noticeable in the housing construction of private houses in those countries where real estate prices are off scale, and the population has limited opportunities. Spain was no exception, which recently began to pay special attention to alternative housing. Moreover, in a country with a mild climate, you can experiment with wall materials practically without restrictions.
This is exactly what the young Spanish architect Alejandro Martín Torrente did when he received an order to build an unusual house. The client wished to have a modern house for a large family in Alcala de Guadaira (Sevilla), which had to be built only from recycled materials. The old containers fit perfectly into the basic requirements of the owner.
When designing a container house, a creative architect decided to abandon the common idea of arranging rooms inside each of the 7 containers. The authors of Novate.ru have repeatedly mentioned that, thanks to their shape and rigid construction, it is possible to create special objects by folding the modules according to the principle of the LEGO constructor of different configurations, securely fastening together.
The Spanish designer also followed the path of innovation, who decided to experiment with the non-standard installation of the containers themselves, with the original use of the internal space and the spans formed between them.
Design features: In his project, Alejandro Martin Torrente used multilevel setup, volume offset, lateral placement and even the introduction of cut containers. In order to accurately navigate the placement and connection of the modules, the young man created a model of the house, thanks to which he was able to calculate everything to the smallest detail, from the entrance to the house and ending with the cantilever projections, which are canopies over the recreation area in front of the pool and over the transitions between the equipped modules.
Having decided on the distribution and transformation of containers (creation of window and door openings, reduction in size, etc.), each of them was thoroughly insulated, soundproofed and securely fixed. Only then did the finishing work begin.
Since the owners of the house wanted the house to have a traditional look, it was sheathed with snow-white panels, so much so that you can't guess what it is made of.
After fixing the insulation, the internal space was sheathed with plasterboard, creating a traditional design of a modern house. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, glass doors, white walls interspersed with original accents in the form of eccentric wallpaper or wood panels - all this made the interior space airy and especially cozy. This was facilitated by some scuffed furniture, accessories, a plank ceiling and an unexpected art object in the form of a motorcycle on the second floor.
Remarkable: Considering that the construction of houses (even of large dimensions) using shipping containers takes much less time and money, the popularity of this kind of construction has not come as a surprise. Studies show that the growth in the construction of alternative housing is increasing annually by 6.5%, and by 2025 the volume of container houses in the world market will rise to 73 million dollars. For comparison: in 2017 it was about $ 44.8 million.
As practice shows, even a couple of containers is enough to become the owner of your own home. This was proven in practice by a girl from New Zealand, who independently designed a cozy house for permanent residence.