Shipping Container Homes & Buildings: Headwaters Eco Retreat Shipping Container House Meets County Hurricane Codes, Florida

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Floor plans
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Containers	3 of 40 ft
Area	960 sq ft
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
Location	Jupiter Outdoor Center at Riverbend Park, Jupiter, Florida, USA
Year	2015

Nestled at the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River and across from Riverbend Park, Headwaters Jupiter is an eco-retreat unlike any other. The Shipping Container House is encased in organic gardens, Florida-native plant life, biking and hiking trails, and most importantly the Loxahatchee river itself. The main space is a 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom prefab home with living room and kitchen, constructed using up-cycled shipping containers.

You can walk in to a comfortable and spacious entry way that opens into a dining room, living room, and kitchen. There is a spacious bathroom that can be accessed by the master bedroom or the main space. Upstairs you can find an incredible view of the Loxahatchee river and over a 1,000 acres at beautiful Riverbend Park and there are 3rd and 4th bedrooms. Bedrooms upstairs are large comfortable rooms both with small compact refrigerators and Moka coffee pots so you can enjoy your morning coffee with biscuits sitting out on the spacious patio on the deck / second floor. Both bedrooms are joined by a full bathroom. This shipping container house in Jupiter, Florida, currently is the only house constructed from shipping containers in the nearby area. Thoughtful design and unique construction allow you be amazed with the sense of well-being and welcoming feeling you can find during your stay in this beautiful shipping container house in Florida.

In a feat he calls a first for Palm Beach County, Jupiter entrepreneur Rick Clegg has built a house from old shipping containers.

The utilitarian structure in Jupiter Farms, located just across the Loxahatchee River from Riverbend Park, is a vacation rental for ecotourists.

Containers, a symbol of consumer culture and global trade, have gained hipster cred as an alternative building material.

“I like the compactness, the low carbon footprint, the simplicity of it,” Clegg said.

Clegg spent $3,000 apiece for three shipping containers. He placed two side by side for the home’s main living area, then fashioned a second story by stacking the third metal box atop the two ground-floor containers.

Private entrance to Upper Level with Patio.

The first floor includes a kitchen, a bathroom and two bedrooms divided by a curtain. The space is cooled by portable air conditioners.

Clegg markets the vacation rental on Airbnb, the Internet lodging service, for $224 a night. Since he finished the house early in 2015, 30 guests have stayed in the container house in 2015, some from as near as Miami, others from as far as Europe and South America.

Birds eye view from the upper level patio.

Most guests gave glowing reviews.

“The convenience of the river and bike trails make this home ideal for outdoor activities,” one wrote on Airbnb.

“I would recommend buying lots of bug spray,” said another, who liked the house nonetheless.

The only thumbs-down came from the first guest, who panned the vibe as “Goodwill meets Green Acres.”

The shipping container house had to meet county hurricane codes, so the containers include impact-resistant windows and doors. For extra protection, he could close the cargo doors on the ground-floor boxes.

“I live at the beach,” he said. “If there’s a hurricane, I’m coming here.”

Container construction carries its challenges, especially for novices, Clegg said. He poured a heftier slab than he needed, for instance, and blundered when deciding whether to put insulation inside or outside the structure.

“We made a lot of mistakes because we didn’t know what we were doing,” Clegg said.

Palm Beach County would seem to offer limited opportunities for container construction. Clegg built in Jupiter Farms because the area has no deed restrictions, but most neighborhoods wouldn’t allow the construction style.

Containers could offer a way to build affordable homes, Clegg said. He didn’t divulge how much he spent to build his container house, but he said container structures could be built for $60 a square foot.

For the 960-square-foot house in Jupiter Farms, that equates to a cost of about $58,000, not including land costs.

“It’s definitely a viable alternative for affordable housing,” Clegg said.

Clegg, a longtime real estate broker who also owns Jupiter Outdoor Center, acknowledges that his container house isn’t the Four Seasons. But, he said, that’s part of the appeal.

“People are looking for an alternative to traditional hotels,” Clegg said.

Airy kitchen and living area overlooking the river.

Open concept kitchen and living room.

King size bed.

Everything you need for a weekend in the woods. Stove but no oven.

Bunk/Futon in upper level. Private entrance with Pocket Door.

Upstairs Jack&Jill bath and Queen Bed with Pocket Doors.

Upcycled Pallet Patio Furniture.

Floor plans

Video

Contact info

Jupiter is a quaint beach town located 30 minutes north of Palm Beach International Airport. It is surrounded by crystal blue water and has 6 miles of undeveloped beaches where the sea turtles nest. This shipping container home is minutes away from Bush Wildlife Sanctuary, 12 golf courses, The Gardens Mall, Riverbend Park, the new Outlet Mall and Jonathan Dickson State Park. You can walk from the front door to award winning restaurants, kayaking and paddleboard, movie and live theaters, Juno Beach Pier, six miles of beach, the Heart Trail and Carlin Park, grocery stores, tide pools, and Harbourside Development.

Address	16514 Robin Way, Jupiter, FL 33478, United States
Phone	+15613460844
Website	https://headwatersjupiter.business.site/
Jupiter Outdoor Center
Address	9060 W Indiantown Rd, Jupiter, FL 33478, United States
Phone 1	+15612858992
Phone 2	+15612867062
Email	info@jupiteroutdoorcenter.com/
Website	https://www.jupiteroutdoorcenter.com/