You’ve probably seen shipping containers stacked up at a port or loaded on a truck. These are huge, corrugated metal boxes that carry goods or other products usually from the port to inland cities. They have a label on their doors, which indicates the type of product they are carrying, and some other codes.
Did you know that apart from transporting cargo, these metal boxes have other uses, too? Innovation has led to the explosion of creative ideas on how to turn shipping containers into popular amenities. Following are some of the things you can transform shipping containers into:
Home
A lot of people these days are building their homes with shipping containers, and for good reasons. It has sufficient space and there’s no need to build the walls and frame from scratch. Depending on the size and number of levels the homeowner wants, they can be held and welded side by side or heaped up. Then the interior can be insulated and equipped with all basic amenities, including plumbing, heating, and cooling systems.
Business Premise
Building a commercial facility using traditional materials and methods can be downright expensive. Concrete and reinforcing bars alone could suck up your savings. If you are looking to save on your pop-up business construction project, consider using shipping containers as alternative. Not only will this option save you huge sums of money but the construction project can last more shortly, which means you can open your business and start making profit much earlier.
Toilet
Shipping containers can also be engineered into classy washrooms. Having just the right size and shape required for a multi-user toilet, these metal boxes can easily be set up and refurbished inside. If you want a single-user toilet for your home instead, you can consider using a conex box, which is much smaller than a typical shipping container.
Garage
With few modifications, you can turn one or two shipping containers into a fitting garage. You can add more units if you have more cars to stash or if you want more space for storage. What’s interesting about this option is that you can conveniently build this either attached or detached from your house.
Greenhouse
Are you planning to grow plants on your property but there’s just no enough space? Perhaps you should consider building a greenhouse out of a used shipping container, preferably an open-top one. It will not only allow you to grow plants that can freshen up your home, but you can also turn it into an additional source of income. Grow plants that most pop-up restaurants need for their cooking. They’d definitely prefer you to suburb suppliers because your products are much more accessible, and fresher too because they don’t have to be transported for hours on end.
Music Studio
One of the most common problems of many musicians, especially in urban areas, is the lack of place where they can practice or record with little to no cost. Surely they can do that in their homes but they will have to hold back a bit to avoid disturbing their neighbors. A music studio made from a shipping container can be their best escape plan. It can easily be soundproofed to provide them with the freedom they need.
Changing Room
A modified shipping container can work as a good dressing room for schools, too. Although naturally functional, dressing rooms are usually not a priority structure in many schools, as there can be alternative facilities the students and employees can use. If only there’s a way to cut building costs, it will be easy for schools to invest in this valuable amenity. Thankfully, they now have the option to build one with used shipping containers. Not only are these metal boxes sturdy, but they are also easy to modify and install.
Party Space
Do you love hosting parties but you don’t want your home or lawn thrashed? Why not build a place on your property that is dedicated for gatherings and events? Putting up a couple or more shipping containers and modifying their interior can be your best solution. You can even install party-exclusive features inside this new facility that you cannot install inside your home.
Portable Clinic
Every community needs to have an accessible medical facility. If you want to build one that can serve even the constituents from the far corners of your neighborhood, why not make it mobile instead? Shipping containers can be the perfect building material for this kind of project. A mobile clinic can easily be moved to places where it’s needed most. It can even serve as an ambulance if intensive care and hospitalization are required.
Used shipping containers are undoubtedly versatile. You just have to liaise with an excellent company and purchase or rent units that can work for your design. Equipment Management Services is one of a local container sales company that can help you out. They operate off-dock container storage and maintenance facilities in Houston, Seattle, and Dallas.
Sources:
Top 26 Innovative Uses of Shipping Containers, MarineInsight.com
