I would totally live there! so awesome!

I want one!

I like the idea of using existing materials, but those walkways would not be good for a pet at all.

I am smack dab in the gray area on this one. It's cooler than Carrot Top, but nowhere near the level of awesomeness of prop comics. O.o I like the idea. I like the sustainability. I like the light. But I don't like the industrial feel, and I'm wondering if there's a way to soften the whole look of the place up.

I love container houses, this is an interesting expression of what can be done with them.

Concept: LOVE. Interior: LOVE. Exterior:...not so much. It literally looks thrown together, and the banged-up steel makes it look rough and cheap. But the interior is gorgous and looks so polished.

I find this to be a super cool home however I do agree with BRIEBRIE about having pets with that type of walkway and I don't care for 'exposed' piping of any kind.

Love the interior, not crazy about the exterior. I think it would be great as a vacation home, I couldn't use as my permanent home though.

Awesome, if you live in a mild climate. Northeast, maybe not that brilliant of an idea. I have no idea how you'd increase the R-value of a structure like this.

I love the idea that these were shipping containers. Very cool, but include some prices!

I love the interior spaces, and the grate flooring is easy enough to change, I'm really not loving the exterior. I want to see one of these truly done in an aesthetically-pleasing way on the outside (and my brain's already ticking off ideas). Hasn't anyone challenged architectural students to make these more 'beautiful' as a class assignment?

I love traditional architecture but, looking at shipping container homes I realize the big bucks I'm paying for it, it seems like I'm wasting time & money. So I would absolutely consider living in a container home because it would mean - for me - retiring well ahead of schedule and getting to do exactly what I want to do with my time.

Architecture smarchitecture!

It looks really cool, but how well insulated is it?

I love these houses, but it seems to me that the joy of them is working with the existing block structures and embracing that rather than just cutting all the sides out and making them open plan. I think you lose what it is that makes them great in the first place, ready-made, structural, building blocks. I think if I were to live in one, I'd want it to look more unashamedly container like, you know? Also I think it would be criminal not to have a shipping themed room, please tell me they have one somewhere.

That aside, it's great that people are building with them and making them into proper homes. And it would be so easy to add an extension, or lose a room when you don't need it anymore. Great.

To jennysilentg: here's one that's been built north of the border (they used spray insulation) http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2009/07/07/affordable-shipping-container-house-in-quebec/
It's a sustainable and less expensive way to build a house - very tempting!

Judging by the finishes shown of the interiors it probably ended up costing as much to construct this home as one would spend building a conventional structure. I think it would be better just to recycle the metal shipping containers by melting them down rather trying to build ugly houses out of them. They don't work and you have to add so much to them to make them habitable that there really is no net gain here.

Besides the cost of the property, how much does it cost to make this happen. I've heard the containers themselves are fairly inexpensive, is this true?

does anyone have a guess what type of flooring was used?

Love! i would definitely put some more rugs on the walkways though..make it a bit more warmer and more easy to walk on.

Unfortunately, this looks like 8 shipping containers stacked on top of each other. The idea is pretty cool, but the result usually ends up looking contrived and the cost not so affordable.

I'd like to see an example of a shipping container home that actually makes sense (i.e. form follows function). Maybe an affordable housing infill project where the containers are arranged in such a way as to afford privacy in a small footprint using cheaper materials. Or maybe a glorified shed that is more cost effective than the modern sheds you see available online. I remember seeing one example where shipping containers were used to fill in a narrow space between buildings. That made sense.

As it is, the interior space is pretty nice. Airy and loft/office building/modern like. The bedrooms a bit claustrophobic. The exterior not so attractive. I feel bad for the neighbors.

Yeah, I hate the exterior - those original doors from the shipping container - why?

There are several already built "container" houses in the Southern California area. Logical Homes and De Maria Designs are the go to companies for building them here in SoCal.

http://logicalhomes.com/1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=113

http://demariadesign.com/2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=29

Such a great idea and I could totally live in one of them.

OK, especially if it were in the French countryside.

I think this is great! What is "ugly" and industrial to some people looks fantastic to others. Rude posters, you don't speak for everyone when you say this house is ugly.

Just like any home, some like cottages or farmhouses where others like to think out of the box. What I don't think people realize is that every state has a few container homes, some more than others. We are building one (cottonwoodmeadow.com) and the shipping containers are starting to arrive today. After talking to the guys that deal with the containers, these homes are EVERYWHERE!
Container homes have tons of benefits beyond recycling, fire protection, strength, cool, unusual interiors (or exteriors depending on how you insulate). They are just another fantastic way to build a house that doesn't look like your neighbor or burn to the ground in 10 minutes. I particularly love this house and I featured it on my blag last week, its brilliant.

I don't love the color, but I love the design. Many of the designs for shipping containers I've seen give me the impression of single-occupancy or for young-couples with no children. This, on the other hand, seems like it would make a good, and kind of fun, home for a small family.

I do love the whole take on shipping containers built into homes. I love this one, even though it is a bit "industrial" inside than I would personally build for myself. I really love all the modern touches.

While I like using material from the outside for other uses inside, that boys bed would hurt like a mother if you caught your shin on the edge of it.

I'd be interested to know the budget for a place like that. Is it actually cheaper?
I don't really like the exterior that much. I get the 'designy' aspect of off-setting the containers, but I would prefer a more traditional box with a roof on it, sort of shape.

Shipping containers frequently become housing for troops while on deployment. I think anyone who has had to live in one of these in the desert with no insulation would shy away from living in one at home, no matter how nicely appointed.

I'd take this home over any boring northeast Victorian any day. I think its beautiful inside and out.

I think I'd want a physical tour to decide. It looks nice inside, although more industrial than I prefer -- kind of like a loft. The exterior doesn't bother me. But I go barefoot a lot, so grate flooring wouldn't work for me, and I wonder how opaque flooring would change the interior lighting and general dynamic. I'd be concerned about acoustics and temperature control, and by adding all that glass, I can't believe there would be much ecological or cost advantage to the project. So my reaction is mixed. I like the aesthetic and the concept, but only if it really works as advertised!

I, too, would love to know about the cost. Even if the containers themselves are free (are they?), it seems like shipping them to the site, stacking them, securing them, etc. would be costly. Hopefully not, though!

This is a pretty cool application and reuse of materials. I like the red exterior and the offsetting of the containers.

This is interesting - it's not quite my style but I do love the staircase and landing. I've also seen shipping containers used as student housing on this IKEA post: http://www.ikeafamilylive.com/en/home-story/living-in-a-box-24.

My dad's best friend lived in a shipping container for awhile, needless to say it was not so fancy and was located in my great grandmothers back garden.

Ugh!
Looks like a candidate for Unhappy Hipsters (http://unhappyhipsters.com/)

My bare feet hurt just looking at those floors. Interesting concept, but I've seen more elegant expressions of the shipping-container dwelling. Personally, I'd rather live in an old boxcar, like the Boxcar Children ...

Cost of building with shipping containers - it is NOT cheaper than building the old-fashioned way. Cost of containers has increased over the past 3 years as many container mfg have closed down due to the reduction in shipping goods. If you are building in an area with little to no building codes this could be a very cheap building option but with normal regulatory oversight and building codes, most container structures require reinforcing steel placement and the interior finish work is extensive so the savings in the core are negated.

We are building with containers for other reasons than cost - most of all because we are sick of traditional homes and like the recycled aspect. Our containers are 15yo and just got off a ship bringing goods from China....its an exciting process.

cottonwoodmeadow.com

This really is different than any other shipping container house project I've seen in that it keeps the industrial look but not the hard edges. It's fun. I still like the idea of camouflaging the exterior but this is nice.

you think that's cool, you want to check out post-quake christchurch's shipping container mall! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by1B_32rkmk (look out for the very crooked hotel grand chancellor in the background, at the beginning of its deconstruction stage)