| Video |
| Construction |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
| About Maison Idekit |
| Architect and Owner | Bernard Morin |
| Design | Maison Idekit |
| Area | 3,000 square feet |
| Containers | 7 |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Year | 2008 |
| Location | St. Adele, Quebec, Canada |
| Project cost | $175,000 |
This 3,000 square feet cargo container home in Quebec has four bedrooms. In the seven cargo units home the container walls are exposed on the inside. On the outside, the container home walls have five inches of thermoinsulation that is topped by wood siding. This energy-efficient, durable and bright inside home cost about $175,000 to build.
A Quebec architect and his wife have transformed seven old steel shipping containers into a contemporary architectural gem in Ste. Adele, Quebec, Canada.
Rather than spend about $400,000 to build their 3,000-square-foot dream home out of wood, the couple decided to use an eco-friendly alternative at the bargain price of $175,000.
The home is the first project of Joyce Labelle and Bernard Morin's company Maison Idekit Home, and the first of its kind in Quebec.
Labelle and Morin began building their three-bedroom house in 2007, and the next year they moved in with their six children.
The main pieces of the house were the steel shipping containers, six metres high and 2.5 metres wide.
The containers have been arranged in an unconventional Cubist design, taking advantage of the natural slope setting -- nestled in the woods of St. Adele, northwest of Montreal. Some containers are stacked upright, others on their sides or stacked on top of each other.
The master bedroom departs from the main portion of the house and a large balcony encircles the back supported by stilts. It's like a big Lego project.
Widows of different sizes and shapes have been cut into the containers. Five inches of urethane insulation have been added to outer layer, and then finally protected by brown wood siding.
Indoors, many of the walls retain the corrugated look of the standard shipping containers. The original dents and serial numbers add to the character of the home.
The container concept has been a dream of Morin's for years, Labelle said.
"He used to be an architect for many years. He had this dream to transform containers, but it wasn't the proper time," she told.
But these days, building environmentally-friendly housing is also a good business proposition, and this was an ideal time for the couple to build their first prototype.
For the past years architects thinking green have used shipping containers to provide affordable housing. They've also been used for shelters in hurricane-prone areas in the United States, for student housing in Holland and for a residential development in London, England called "Container City."
After withstanding the punishing weather of the high seas, the containers make for durable homes. The hurricane-proof containers are resistant to rust, mould, termites and fire.
The constructive concept developed by Bernard Morin is simple but innovative. At the start there are shipping containers and, on arrival, a contemporary detached house. The Quebec architect has been convinced, for nearly twenty-five years, that steel caissons can be as useful in the field of construction as in that of transport. To inhabit them, he explains that it is enough simply "to transform them then to juxtapose them or to superimpose them". Only here it is: despite the ingenuity of the system, its customers have never dared to go beyond the conceptual stage. To convince them, Bernard Morin had to set an example ...
A house assembled in 3 hours
First step of the project: find land. Wishing to live in harmony with nature, the architect finally opted - after two years of research - for a wooded plot located in Sainte-Adèle, north of Montreal.
As the plans for the house were complex, it was necessary to have seven sea containers delivered by truck. A singular moment of which Jocelyne Labelle, the architect's companion, keeps a strong memory: "of all the stages of the site, the arrival of sea containers on the ground is the one that impressed me the most", says -she. The containers, which serve as the load-bearing structure for the house, were installed on the foundation in just half a day. "You just had to fit the pieces together like in a lego game", laughs Bernard Morin. The rest of the work was spread over ten months. A period of time during which the couple got down to transforming the containers: integrating openings and insulating them, preferably from the outside in order to conserve as much living space as possible.
The end result is stunning since, thanks to the presence of an exterior facing, the existence of the containers is completely erased. For the architect, the use of end-of-life shipping containers in construction is above all of ecological interest. Instead of being abandoned in ports, steel boxes are indeed recycled. The shipping container house also wins because it is assembled quickly, has good mechanical resistance and, above all, is scalable.
To expand it, you just need to add a container or two, as needed. A practical solution already implemented in existing homes on the outskirts of Montreal. This is undoubtedly a first step before moving on to the construction of individual houses exclusively made up of containers. Moreover, according to the market study carried out by Bernard Morin, self-builders in North America and Europe could well be the first to get started!
Video
Construction
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of using a MAISONIDEKIT HOME recycled steel structure?
There are many advantages:
- Up to 50% savings, if you compare with a wooden home.
- Strength above norms, which permits a vegetal roof without any reinforcement.
- Rapidly erected.
- Home that respects environment and durable development.
- Storm protection construction.
- Against insects, rodents, mildew, etc.
Why building a recycled steel structure?
This recycled steel structure gives you more strength when you compare it with a standard wooden house; the building will never move or work.
Is the shipping container home very well insulated for our cold season?
Insulation is exterior, just like a winter overcoat; made of soya urethane, you may choose the “R” value you want: this technology allows an envelope with zero thermal bridge; our standard is an average of R-28 for the walls and R-40 for the ceilings; regarding the vegetal roofing, the “R” value is 53.
Do city regulations accept shipping container homes?
Cities have different rules; MAISONIDEKITHOME is a steel structure construction respecting the NBC (National Building Code) and the exterior coating is still respecting city regulations.
How do I save money with shipping container home?
Builder transforms all containers in a factory; the customer approves and profits from this efficiency; using last-trip maritime containers permits savings when compared to new material.
Do MAISONIDEKITHOME homes give an increase in value when I will sell the house?
The steel structure includes a lower cost. Whatever the evaluation, the steel structure will always offer a increase in value to your house.
Will I be cramped for room living in a shipping container?
Most of people think that we are confined to live in a space that measures 20 X 8 or 40 X 8. This is completely false! We can make total or partial openings to the steel containers. Some reinforcements are installed around the openings. A width of 40 feet is possible, without any columns.
Can I set up a vegetal roof and is it more expensive?
The reinforcements needed in a regular house are usually very expensive. When reversing upside down the container, the strong structure and its rigidity make the vegetable roof almost costless.
Do I have to keep the container steel appearance indoors?
Absolutely no! The steel appearance is only for design. The steel structure house may look like any other house.
Can I use a regular foundation for a shipping container home?
Yes. The type of foundation depends on your needs, the type of ground and land, the chosen design, etc.. The foundation may be regular with basement, galvanised screwed in piles.
Can I choose the architect or the technologist to realise my house plan, and after use your services?
Yes. This professional can contact us. We will give him ( her) all the technical information and support ( technical devices, etc.) Can I adapt a regular plan to a “ container plan”?
Yes. Your plan will be modified to the container sizes. All the process to satisfy your needs is already done. So, you get a really fast service and a new plan is created for you.
Do mortgage loaners consider shipping container homes?
Just bring your construction plan, the loaners will evaluate the project, the steps to be done , like any other project.
Can I use shipping container home concept on a steep slope?
Yes. The shipping container home concept allows to work with the topography of the ground. With piles, the task becomes easy on a mountain side. Builders pile on the containers on a steep slope.
Do you accept the “new home warranty”?
We are product suppliers. So we offer manufacturer’s warranty. The “new home warranty” is respected by the constructors.
Will I get technical support from MAISONIDEKITHOME while setting up the modified containers on construction site?
Yes! The technical support is offered all along the project. Do you refer some professionals to complete the construction after erecting the containers?
In the factory, the containers get a major transformation.If you built your home by yourself, the containers will get basic transformation ( if you want to) and delivered to on your building site.If you hire a professional, yes, we will refer experienced people; here, workers will not need much time to finish the job.
About Maison Idekit
- Green building made mainly of recycled steel structures (last voyage sea containers)
- Increased strength
- Healthy and sustainable building / LEED certification on request
- Time saving (erection in less than a week)
- Cost savings of up to 50%
- Structures available (all over the world)
- Unlimited architectural creativity
- Structure allowing a green roof
| Address | 3998 Bd de Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Adèle, QC J8B 3G8, Canada |
| Phone | +1 450-745-3053 |
| Website | https://www.maisonidekithome.com/ |
| info@maisonidekithome.com |
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- Cozy and Affordable Modular Sea Can Home, Alberta, Canada
- Brock Development Group Shipping Container Head Office, Ontario, Canada
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