Prefab Homes Shipping container

Though ugly on the docks, shipping containers can be turned into something beautiful. The SG Blocks Harbinger Prefab is constructed of five containers. That means the steel frame can withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Its also eco-friendly with FSC-certified woods, solar panels, rainwater recycling and a resource monitoring system from Agilewaves. Best of all, this funky home took under five hours to assemble after a month of fabrication, and it doesn’t look too much like the raw materials. To call one of these your home, it would take a day and a crane to install up to 12 containers, and the Lawrence Group, who designed the SG Blocks home, says it costs 15 percent less than a typical home constructed of wood.

School gets a shipping container sports hall

Sports hall for a school made from recycled shipping containers.

Using old shipping containers as bones for a new building isn’t a new idea in construction, as the advantages of the structure are many. Apart from being easy to construct and maintain, the structure developed is also cost-effective and has a lower carbon footprint than buildings made from conventional materials.


Dunraven School in London saw the advantages of shipping containers and utilized the same to build a new sports hall and gymnasium for the students in just three days. The building was constructed by SCABEL Architects and Urban Space Management.

The recycled shipping container gym was developed at the cost of only £1.5 million, which is about half the cost of a traditional gym. The shipping containers make three sides of the building and the fourth side, which is the entrance, features a translucent polycarbonate construction.

Container homes

Homes made from recycled shipping containers.

California-based IC Green Inc. has designed a range of housing units that could well be the next breakthrough in sustainable green structures. The company reuses trashed shipping containers and converts them into a wide range of structures, from 320 square foot studios to 2400 square foot homes.



The company claims that the homes are designed to be architecturally pleasing and affordable at the same time. The structures are prefabricated and include all modern amenities and finishes that can be compared to many high-end custom home designs.

Apart from the shipping container bones, the dwellings are well insulated with radiant floor system, which minimize the energy required by the home. If you need much better systems, the company will also install green roofs, solar and geothermal energy systems for an additional charge.