In the historic coastal town of Paraty, Brazil, a striking example of minimalist architecture has taken shape: a fully functional home built from a 20-foot shipping container. This compact dwelling demonstrates how thoughtful design, sustainable materials, and careful spatial planning can transform a small footprint into a meaningful living environment—perfectly suited to both its tropical surroundings and contemporary lifestyles.
Shigeru Ban Breaks Ground on Shipping Container Resilience Center in Altadena, California
Shigeru Ban Architects has broken ground on a 1,600-square-foot Center for Community in Altadena, commissioned by Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) as part of Los Angeles’ long-term wildfire recovery strategy. Framed by a vaulted timber structure and supported by repurposed shipping containers, the project emphasizes speed, cost efficiency, and minimal waste. Designed to house mental health services, workshops, and neighborhood programming, the center is expected to be completed within two to three months at an estimated cost of $300,000.
A new community landmark is taking shape in Altadena. Designed by Shigeru Ban Architects, the forthcoming Center for Community has officially broken ground along Lincoln Avenue. The 1,600-square-foot facility is envisioned as a hub for healing, learning, and gathering in the wake of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
Commissioned by the humanitarian organization Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), the project forms a central piece of the group’s long-term wildfire recovery initiative. Once completed, the center will host mental health services, educational workshops, and neighborhood programming—providing both practical support and a renewed sense of belonging for residents rebuilding their lives.
Teeny Tiny Haus - This 20-Foot Shipping Container Holds a Complete Home for Two, Stonewall, Texas
Location
| Project | Teeny Tiny Haus |
| Designer and Builder | Backcountry Containers |
| Containers | 1x 20ft HC |
| Bedrooms | 1 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Location | Stonewall, Texas |
Set in the Texas Hill Country, Backcountry Containers’ Teeny Tiny Haus transforms a single 20-foot shipping container into a refined retreat for two. With carefully placed windows, a compact kitchen, full bathroom, and an outdoor porch that extends the living space, the project shows how light, proportion, and thoughtful planning can make just 130 square feet feel calm, functional, and unexpectedly spacious. It’s a quiet example of how industrial materials can support warm, intentional living.
Shipp’s Creek - What It’s Like to Spend 48 Hours in a Laurel Highlands Shipping Container Home, Pennsylvania
Construction
| Project | Shipp’s Creek |
| Designer | Babb & Mack Design Co. |
| Containers | 4x 40ft HC |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Contractor | J Brown Services |
| Structural Engineer | Arrow Structural Engineering |
| Survey | On-Point Survey & Mapping, LLC |
| Shipping Containers | VersaVault Mobile Storage |
| Year | 2025 |
| Location | Pennsylvania |
A 48-hour stay in a shipping container home tucked into Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands reveals how thoughtful design can deepen a connection to place. Built from four repurposed containers and surrounded by forest and flowing water, the Shipp’s Creek retreat balances sustainability, comfort, and playful detail while serving as an ideal base for exploring Frank Lloyd Wright’s nearby architectural landmarks, local cafés, and outdoor landscapes. The experience is less about novelty and more about slowing down—showing how adaptive architecture and nature-driven settings can quietly restore both body and attention.
Couple Trades Renting for a Shipping Container Home — Saving $400,000 Along the Way
A couple has dramatically reduced their living costs by leaving behind rental life and moving into a shipping container home, saving an estimated $400,000 in the process.
Miriam, 31, and her husband Eric Gutierrez, 32, were previously based in Las Vegas, where they were paying close to $2,000 per month in rent. Over time, the rising cost of living began to feel unsustainable, and the couple longed to live closer to family.
FLEXhab: A Prefab Shipping Container Home Preparing Astronauts for Lunar Living
Drawings
Construction
Video
About SAGA
| Project | FLEXhab |
| Designer and Builder | SAGA |
| Containers | 1x 40ft HC |
| Area | 28 sqm (300 sqft) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Location | Denmark |
Set to operate fully in 2026, LUNA — the European Space Agency’s lunar training facility at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany — will simulate the harsh and unfamiliar conditions of the Moon here on Earth. Alongside it will stand a unique and fitting companion: the FLEXhab, a mobile, prefabricated living habitat designed to mimic what astronauts will experience during multi-day missions on the lunar surface.
Wind River Patio Home - 2 Bedrooms 800 sqft H-Shape Shipping Container Home, Boulder, Wyoming
Floor Plan
Video
Location
About Pivot Structures - Designer and Builder
| Project | Wind River Patio Home |
| Designer and Builder | Pivot Structures |
| Containers | 3 containers |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 1.5 |
| Estimated property price | $439,500 (2025) |
| Area | 800 sq ft (74 sqm) |
| Location | Boulder, Wyoming |
| Year | 2023 |
Pivot Structures is redefining modern living with the Wind River Patio Home, an 800-square-foot modular residence designed for efficiency, durability, and low-maintenance comfort. Built with closed-cell foam insulation, LED lighting, and cove heating, this home balances sustainability with style. Inside, residents enjoy high-end finishes including quartz countertops, alder cabinetry, shiplap accents, luxury vinyl plank flooring, and premium appliances.
Understanding 2019 ICC G5 Guideline for the Safe Use of ISO Intermodal Shipping Containers Repurposed as Buildings and Building Components
This is a description, not an exact copy. If you would like an exact copy of the Guideline, you can purchase it here.
What is 2019 ICC G5 Guideline for the Safe Use of ISO Containers?
What is International Code Council (ICC)?
Introduction
Current Regulatory Environment
National Level
State Level
Local Level
Industry Segments
State Level
Local Level
Single-Unit vs. Multi-Unit
Temporary vs. Permanent
Temporary Single Unit
Permanent Single Unit
Temporary Multi-Unit
Permanent Multi-Unit
Current Code Requirements
Temporary vs. Permanent
Temporary Single Unit
Permanent Single Unit
Temporary Multi-Unit
Permanent Multi-Unit
Nonstructural Aspects of a Shipping Container Building Project
General Nonstructural Information
Use and Occupancy Classification
Type of Construction
Fire Protection System
Means of Egress
Interior Environment
Structural Aspects of a Shipping Container Building Project
Use and Occupancy Classification
Type of Construction
Fire Protection System
Means of Egress
Interior Environment
General Structural
Structural Design
Special Inspections and Tests
Soils and Foundations
Steel
Referenced Standards
CSC Safety Approval Placard
Structural Design
Special Inspections and Tests
Soils and Foundations
Steel
Referenced Standards
Addressing the Interior of the Container and the Wood Floor
FAQ’s and Best Practices
Over 30 million ISO intermodal shipping containers are currently in service worldwide. Each one is manufactured in accordance with ISO specifications and maintained under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Convention for Safe Containers.
Both new and previously used containers are increasingly being repurposed, fueling a global, multi-billion-dollar industry. Many of these containers are transformed into structures that fall under the International Residential Code (IRC) or the International Building Code (IBC). Their use as a building material varies greatly—ranging from full structural components to smaller architectural elements.
As the trend of converting shipping containers into buildings accelerates, many local and state regulatory bodies are working to catch up with appropriate codes and compliance measures. The ICC Guideline was developed to assist jurisdictions, as well as designers, builders, engineers, and property owners, in understanding how to properly design, evaluate, and approve shipping containers when used as part of a building structure.
From Empty Block to Passivhaus Premium Including a Shipping-Container-Turned Pool House: A Builder’s Personal Journey, Melbourne, Australia
As the founder of the Sustainable Builders Alliance and director of G-LUX Builders, Jesse Glascott has turned his own family home into a showcase of what sustainable construction can achieve.
On a vacant parcel of land in Melbourne’s outer northeast, Jesse built a striking residence that has been awarded Passivhaus Premium certification — a recognition achieved by only a select few homes in Australia.
Asian-Inspired 4 Bedroom 4,000 sqft Shipping Container Home, Vancouver, Washington
Video
Location
| Containers | 11 containers |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 3.5 |
| Estimated property price | $1,242,000 (2025) |
| Area | 4,000 sq ft (370 sqm) |
| Location | Vancouver, Washington |
| Year | 2015 |
Near the Washington–Oregon border, one man’s bold vision has transformed an ordinary idea into a remarkable home. Located on S.E. 164th Avenue in Vancouver, WA, the residence is built from 11 multicolored shipping containers, assembled into a truly unique architectural statement.
“The owner built it himself, and everything is executed perfectly,” says listing agent Louise James. She explains that the owner—who works in the import and export industry—sketched out his concept after friends told him it couldn’t be done. “He put it on paper and said, ‘This is what I want.’ The result is an incredible masterpiece.”
Construction on the 4,000-square-foot home began in 2015 and wrapped up two years later. During the build, HGTV featured the project on the first season of “Container Homes.” The finished property includes four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, with design inspirations from around the world.
4 Bedrooms Shipping Container Home with Two-Story Atrium in the Middle of the Home, Waterloo, New York
How the Shipping Container Home Was Built
Location
| Containers | 4 containers (4x 40ft) |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Sold price | $335,000 (2025) |
| Area | 1,760 sq ft (160 sqm) |
| Location | Waterloo, New York |
| Year | 2020 |
This 1,760-square-foot residence rests on a five-acre parcel along Caroline Road in the Town of Waterloo, just a mile north of the New York State Thruway and within the Waterloo Central School District.
Completed in 2020, the one-of-a-kind home is built from shipping containers and features a dramatic two-story atrium at its center, a floating staircase, and a striking second-floor bridge. Its vivid blue exterior is complemented by floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, flooding the interior with natural light.
Eikonic Box - Shipping Container Airbnb Home in the Catskills, Smallwood, New York
Location
| Project | Eikonic Box |
| Containers | 3 containers (3x 40ft) |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Location | Smallwood, New York |
Step into a truly distinctive architectural hideaway—where striking “floating” container boxes frame sweeping views of the surrounding forest.
Break away from the everyday and enjoy the contemporary comforts of this stylish three-bedroom escape. Conceived with sustainability and imagination at its core, the Eikonic Box container home delivers an unforgettable stay for guests seeking both innovation and relaxation.
Isla Intersections - Modular Shipping Container Affordable Housing, Los Angeles, California
Location
| Project | Isla Intersections |
| Architect | Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) |
| Builder | Clifford Beers Housing |
| Area | 35,000 sf |
| Units | 54 |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Year | 2024 |
In 2018, Los Angeles opened more than 1,700 of its city-owned parcels to affordable housing developers in a bid to address the housing crisis. Much like other infrastructural zones, this particular plot is ringed by high-traffic corridors, freeways, derelict industrial buildings, and a disused railway line—conditions that make it difficult to weave into the surrounding city and raise urgent questions about how to design livable, well-connected communities in such in-between settings.
Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) takes on these challenges with non-profit developer Clifford Beers Housing in a 35,000-square-foot (3,250-square-meter), 54-unit housing complex and accompanying pedestrian paseo known as Isla Intersection. The project, which won the Architizer Jury Prize in the Concepts + Prefab and Modular category, occupies a 19,814-square-foot (1,840-square-meter) triangular site and unfolds along Broadway Street as a procession of sixteen staggered volumes.
2 Bedroom 45 sqm Shipping Container Home, Auckland, New Zealand
Location
| Builder and Owner | Brenda Kelly, IQ Container Homes |
| Containers | 2 containers (1x 40ft, 1x 20ft) |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Estimated property price | $635,000 (2025) |
| Area | 45 sqm (485 sq ft) |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Year | 2017 |
This eye-catching compact dwelling, fashioned from two shipping containers, was the first of its kind to achieve an 8 Homestar sustainability rating.
Originally built as a prototype by Brenda Kelly—the founder of IQ Container Homes—it served as her eco show home for three years before being successfully rented out for the past seven. Now, as Kelly winds down her Taupō-based business, the Titirangi, Auckland property is being offered for sale.
Set high on a steep, bush-covered 2,427 m² (26,124 ft²) section to take advantage of the views, the 45m² house reflects Kelly’s long-standing fascination with small spaces—something she says began as a teenager sketching tiny rooms and furniture layouts. She spent considerable time perfecting the plan, which combines a 40ft and a 20ft container placed at right angles on deep piles.
Camp Cargo - Artistic Retreat Constructed From Shipping Containers, Tennessee
Location
| Project | Camp Cargo |
| Containers | 9 containers (9x 40ft) |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 4 |
| Estimated property price | $560,000 (2025) |
| Area | 1,600 sq ft (150 sqm) |
| Location | Sewanee, Tennessee |
| Year | 2020 |
Welcome to Camp Cargo, a distinctive retreat set on five wooded acres in the mountains near Sewanee, Tennessee.
“As an agent, you usually rely on comparable sales to set a price—but when you find none, you know you’re looking at something truly special,” says Keith Killebrew of Parks Realty. “This property stands out because it’s built from nine full-size shipping containers sourced from around the globe. Designed to transport goods and stay watertight, they make an exceptional starting point for a home.”
The containers have been transformed into three separate residences:
- A two-bedroom main home called A’HO, inspired by a Navajo greeting.
- A one-bedroom guesthouse known as The Whale Song.
- A compact studio dubbed Hummingbird Hut.
Steelhaven - 3 Bedrooms 1000 sqft Shipping Container Home, Mancelona, Michigan
Building Process
Location
| Project | Steelhaven |
| Containers | 3 containers (3x 40ft) |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Estimated property price | $580,000 (2025) |
| Area | 1,000 sq ft (93 sqm) |
| Location | Mancelona, Michigan |
| Year | 2022 |
A strikingly contemporary woodland retreat crafted entirely from shipping containers has come onto the market in Northern Michigan, offering a stylish and distinctive escape for $580,000.
Situated amid mature trees in the upscale Mancelona community of Lakes of the North, the compact residence includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a bright, open-concept living area designed to bring the outdoors in.
Completed in 2022 and named “Steelhaven,” the home was built using three 40-foot shipping containers. Two containers form the spacious main level, while the third sits above, containing two of the bedrooms.
3 Bedrooms 115 sqm Sustainable Prefabricated Shipping Container Home, Victoria, Australia
Floor Plan
Video
About Manufacturer - Sonic Steel
| Architect | Rema O’Neill |
| Manufacturer | Sonic Steel |
| Builder | Owners |
| Landscape Design | Phyto Landscapes |
| Kitchen + Interior Design Support | Cantilever Interiors |
| Solar Power | RACV Solar |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Containers | 4 containers (4x 40 ft) |
| Area | 115 sqm (1,240 sq ft) |
| Location | Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia |
| Year | 2023 |
| Photography | Tess Kelly |
The new prefabricated home belongs to Green Magazine editor Tamsin O’Neill and Green Press publisher Tom Bodycomb, who assembled a team of specialists to bring their sustainable dream house to life. Their vision included a serene kitchen and flawless custom joinery crafted by Cantilever Interiors.
Having spent over 17 years writing about environmentally conscious design and housing, it’s no wonder O’Neill and Bodycomb’s own residence is both inventive and unconventional.
The couple, the driving force behind Green Magazine, had long been searching for the perfect spot along the Great Ocean Road to create a custom, eco-friendly family home. They found it when a one-hectare parcel came on the market in Aireys Inlet.
5,000 sqft 4 Bedrooms Shipping Container Home, Winchester, New Hampshire
Location
| Project | Kennedy Estate |
| Containers | 15 containers |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Bathrooms | 5.5 |
| Estimated property price | $5,200,000 (2025) |
| Area | 5,000 sq ft (460 sqm) |
| Location | Winchester, New Hampshire |
| Year | 2024 |
An extraordinary property tucked into the center of a small New Hampshire town is drawing serious attention from buyers who appreciate both luxury and originality.
Constructed entirely from 15 repurposed shipping containers, the residence at 398 Scofield Mountain Road in Winchester is listed at $5.2 million.
“It’s absolutely stunning in person,” says Susanna Corriveau, an agent with Coldwell Banker.
Described as a private escape from daily pressures, the Kennedy Estate offers a sense of peace and beauty that truly comes alive as you arrive. Guests enter through a gate lined with 63 industrial-style lights leading to the house, passing a pond with a water feature and an outdoor basketball court on the way.
Durable 3 Bedrooms 174 sqm Shipping Container Home in a Semi-Rural Area, Whanganui, New Zealand
Location
| Containers | 5 containers (4x 40 ft + 1x 20 ft) |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Estimated property price | $880,000 (2025) |
| Area | 174 sqm (1,870 sq ft) |
| Location | Whanganui, New Zealand |
| Year | 2017 |
Shipping containers, when designed and finished properly with quality insulation and reinforcement, can become striking homes. The property featured here – on the market for the first time – is a prime example.
Situated on 1.78 hectares in Durie Hill, Whanganui, this two-level residence is built from five containers: one 20-foot unit and four 40-foot units, arranged slightly askew to create architectural interest and form an upper-level deck. A smaller, separately positioned but connected container serves as a fourth (unconsented) bedroom.