When we think of homes, our first thoughts go to finding a piece of land, hiring an architect, deciding on a design and getting a contractor to get the work done. This, of course, comes with adjustments in time, materials and sometimes, design. While these are often the greatest criteria for building the house of one’s dreams, few care to consider the impacts of their homes on sustainability which not only affects them but generations to come.
Thankfully, this is an area gaining traction globally not just because of sustainability factors but several benefits that people can now achieve through using alternative methods of constructing homes. We dive into one of those alternative methods, containers.
“Sustainability is a term that rolls off the tongue nicely but how does that benefit the customer? That is the question at the heart of every potential customer that considers new ways of building homes such as container homes. What are these benefits one may ask? Why choose the alternative? Why containers?”
Containers are mostly associated with the logistics industry, more so, shipping, since 1956. In the numbers? About 36 million containers exist worldwide to bring that fashion brand you have in your wardrobe to your doorstep or shop step. Look around you, in the retail stores, car Showgrounds, fashion stores, furniture stores and several other imported merchandise around us. Containers most likely had something to do with their availability to you. Additionally, different businesses and governments export several commodities from agricultural produce to manufactured items loaded onto ships in containers. They are the primary way of movement to different destinations across the globe making them extremely core to trade and commerce. So why are they gaining traction in another sector namely construction? Is there any value-added? Why change the status quo? Weren’t we already doing fine with conventional housing? If it is not broken, why fix it?\
When people think of containers, their most familiar thoughts relate to cafes, small shops and restaurants and most obviously, shipping, but rarely, if ever, homes. The reason for that is most people are familiar and comfortable with conventional home constructed of brick and mortar but also, are unaware of the value container homes provide them. Sustainability is a term that rolls off the tongue nicely but how does that benefit the customer? That is the question at the heart of every potential customer that considers new ways of building homes such as container homes. What are these benefits one may ask? Why choose the alternative? Why containers?
The shipping industry moves several goods in containers to different destinations across the globe but little consideration is taken for the return leg of these containers. Several ports are congested with unused and degrading containers that have not been repurposed for the return leg of shipping after the goods are offloaded. Importantly, it is not cost-effective for shipping companies to carry empty containers on a return leg. Additionally, it is extremely energy wasteful to melt containers, about 8000kWh of energy, for a 40ft container.In order to solve this, creativity is the solution through container homes. Rather than destroying 3500kg of steel which increases CO2 emissions, why not create a habitable home?
Building the house of our dreams is no cheap task and often, people have to wait into their older years to save up enough money to undertake the project. Some never realise this dream, a sad experience. Any home builder has to take into account the bricks, cement, labour and several other details that go into constructing the house which all comes at a not often friendly fee for most. An outstanding benefit of container homes is the more affordable cost of buying one and customising the design and functionality. Containers cost up to 30 percent less than conventional housing. That dream house does not need to look so distant anymore, does it?
“Building the house of our dreams is no cheap task and often, people have to wait in to their older years to save up enough money to undertake the project. Some never realise this dream, a sad experience. Any home builder has to take into account the bricks, cement, labour and several other details that go into constructing the house which all comes at a not often friendly fee for most.”
So, you have stacked up enough money for your dream house? How about the time? Are you ready to wait a year or two or more for that dream to come to fruition? While time heals all wounds, it is of the essence when it comes to construction. Container housing is not only sustainable in material but in time as well. Some container homes take about 2-3 weeks to construct while some may take a few months depending on the configurations a customer wants. Modifications to the house like cutting openings and insulating the container takes a short time and less effort than conventional housing. When time is of the essence in situations including disaster relief, look no further than container housing.
Structurally, container homes are durable enough to withstand harsh conditions, portable and save space. A 40ft container can fit within 300 sq feet of space which means customers can say goodbye to looking for and purchasing large portions of land to have a sizeable house. More so, containers allow for easy stacking to add more space vertically. Do you want your house to be double-storied or more? No problem with container housing.
Besides the benefits, container homes have some limitations including heat control, health hazards and the impact of sandblasting. Despite these limitations, contractors can mitigate them through insulation, purchasing containers with lower chemical footprints and managing to sandblast. Overall, container homes provide a sustainable way to live comfortably at an affordable cost especially considering budget constraints.
With container homes, sustainability is no longer a catchphrase that rolls off the tongue nicely but a lifestyle brought home your home.