At the top, a high angled roof and clerestory windows create a passive, cross ventilation system to cool the house, which is in a tropical climate. Garcia Saxe used steel removed from the sides (to make room for windows) to build an insert between the two containers. The metals used in containers are very durable and hard to buy off the shelf.” Reusing a material that has been discarded is really great and cost-effective. “They found a couple of very cheap, almost destroyed, banged-up, and rusted shipping containers for a very low price and bought them. The idea of using shipping containers came from Benjamin Garcia Saxe’s clients. Here’s what you need to know about building a container dream home. Their six container home in the Wairarapa (see pages 15-17) was a huge learning curve, and also the inspiration for their business where they now help others who have the same goal. They’re also a tantalising proposition for a lot of would-be owner-builders, such as Mireille and David Hicks. They’re designed to sail the high seas for up to 25 years, although most ‘retire’ from travelling at around the 10-15 year mark, and are used for on-ground storage. They’re immensely strong, weigh about four tonnes, and can be stacked up to eight levels high. Use screws to attach the sides to the frame.Designer: Benjamin Garcia Saxe, Design Studio Saxe, Then sink 2 x 4s through the plywood and into the floor joists. Install floors using 1/4-inch plywood Set the top floor in place and fasten it down with nails.

Add room to top and bottom floors with plywood so you can stand them firmly.Anchor the container to the chassis with a wooden post or metal bracket and bolt through the chassis and the posts.Install insulation (fiberglass or repurposed denim reused denim ) on all containers and cut windows into walls.Deconstruct the shipping container to 20 feet x 8 feet x 8 feet to fit into the chassis of a car or small truck.The unusual shape of some shipping containers makes them useful as additional rooms in multi-story homes. Stacked container homes are a popular choice among overseas shipping companies, and may be available to overseas workers seeking permanent housing in countries where landlords are unwilling to rent to foreigners.

Constructing a shipping container house