Ever since shipping containers became a prominent alternative to pre-fabricated homes, people have become more open and welcoming to exploring various other uses for it. No longer is the shipping container simply for sending cargo overseas or by train—now it can also be a home, an office, or even a cool pop-up shop.
Of course, the first thing you have to do is to determine what type you will use for your project, and then seek out a reputable supplier that will guide you through the process. Here are some of the more creative endeavours you can take on using shipping containers.
Indoor Gym/Obstacle Course/Playground
If you have a big enough backyard to fit a 20-foot container, you can have your own indoor playground, perfect for you and the kids. Monkey bars and slides can also be incorporated, which will be perfect for little kids. You can also customize it for more specific needs, such as for obstacle course training in case you’d like to put some variation into your workouts.
The vertical space is perfect because there is a clear perception of progress. It’s just a matter of prioritizing what kind of equipment you’ll have as you move forward. You can add in windows for better ventilation, too, or even add a sunroof for better lighting. The important thing is that you can have a space for your workout in case there’s no room for a private gym right inside your own home.
Urban Garden
Going organic and subscribing to Farm to Table practices is so popular nowadays, but can be very expensive for those living in the city. This is mostly due to the fact that there is hardly any space for any real agricultural endeavour. Not everyone has the luxury of having a patch of garden at the back of the house where they can grow their own herbs and other organics. Folks living in apartments or condominiums are also less likely to afford a patch of green space for their green thumbs.
Recently, though, there’s been a growing movement of container farms, or shipping containers converted into greenhouses. It’s perfect for those in the city because they just need a lot where they can park the container and they can already enjoy their very own urban garden. Certain modifications will have to be made to the unit, of course, such as on the insulation, greenhouse lighting, and watering system. Those who have already done it, though, are true testaments to this alternative’s viability.
Swimming Pool
Dreaming of having your own swimming pool but balking at the costs entailed? What if you could cut that cost significantly by using alternative materials? You wouldn’t pass up on that option, definitely. Fortunately, it’s all very possible now to repurpose shipping containers into swimming pools.
Whether you get the standard 20 feet or massive 53 feet, you can rest assured that there’s a lot of room for creativity in having your own shipping container pool. You can put in in-ground or aboveground; the important thing is that the structure is sturdy enough to hold the massive amount of water that will be put in it.
More households have been leaning towards using shipping containers as swimming pools because for one, it’s a whole lot cheaper to have that pool form ready-made. Then, there’s also the fact that it makes for a much easier development and construction because the shipping container already takes on the shape of a regular lap pool. The walls will have to be optimized for pool use, of course, but generally, labor is already cut down significantly.
There are plenty more ideas you can enjoy playing around with when it comes to repurposing shipping containers. Just make sure that you get them from reputable sources serving Houston, Dallas, and Seattle, among others, such as Equipment Management Services.
Sources:
15 Well-Designed Shipping Container Homes for Life Inside the Box. Freshome.com.
15 Awesome Ways to Reuse Shipping Container. WebEcoist.com.
