Projects for Shipping Container Houses and Community Buildings

Below is a list of projects for shipping container houses and other buildings such as community centers, schools, and medical centers.

Project name: Peace Containers

Quote from their website: "Peace Containers is a not-for-profit organization that has perfected a method and system to economically convert retired international shipping containers into sustainable housing and community buildings such as medical facilities, schools and neighborhood centers. 

rustic container houseShipping container home.




The proven system is based on matching a team of our experts with local citizens to create needed structures, to teach skills to local team members and to aid local economic development. This training and knowledge will better prepare the residents to help the advancement of their own communities and raise their own personal standard of living."

Project name: Gloucester Green

Other articles about this project: http://www.enr.com/news/buildings/archives/031117.asp

This is a project of Fox & Fowle architects. The project utilizes about 3000 shipping containers, stacked eight high on a 345,000 square feet footprint for commerce and for building of shipping container houses. The project is a winner of the Boston Society of Architects 2003 "Density: Myth and Reality" competition.

container community drawingFox & Fowle project.

Project name: Container City

This project was devised by the London based real estate development and urban management firm Urban Space Management. By building the Container City on Trintity Wharf in the Docklands, they have demonstrated the practical and urban potential of container houses and community buildings.


Container City 1Container City 1.


  • Container City 2 was built as an extension of the first project and was completed in 2002.
Container City 2Container City 2.


Tower hamlets container classroomsTower Hamlets container classrooms.


  • Cove Park is set on Scotland's west coast and was built for established artists of all disciplines.


  • Travelodge Hotels UK built a hotel made out of shipping containers in Uxbridge, UK, the Uxbridge Central Hotel, pictured here.
Container hotel UKContainer Hotel UK.


  • Starbucks is now operating out of a shipping container building in Tukwila, Washington as of January, 2012.
Starbucks made out of shipping containersShipping Container Starbucks.
  • The BBC built their Olympic Park Studios out of shipping containers as an example of sustainable production in the UK. Such facilities are ideal for film and entertainment production facilities, here is a picture of the studios.
BBC Olympic StudiosBBC Olympic Studios.

Useful Resources

EscapeArtist.com - articles on nomadic housing for expatriates, shipping container house on the New Zealand Coast and other unique living structures 


Books on Shipping Container Houses





Converted shipping containers


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