Projects

Welcome to our curated collection of real-world shipping container home projects from around the globe. Each project tells a unique story—designed by architects, builders, or passionate homeowners who embraced modular, eco-conscious living. From remote off-grid cabins in New Zealand to striking two-storey homes in suburban Australia, these builds showcase the versatility, beauty, and innovation possible with repurposed shipping containers.

Whether you’re an architect looking for case study inspiration, a developer exploring modular construction, or a future homeowner considering a container build of your own, this is where practical design meets sustainable ambition. Every home featured here includes key project details: site location, number of containers used, layout considerations, sustainable features, and insights into construction methods and builder vision.

Dive in to discover how people are rethinking traditional housing by turning steel boxes into warm, functional, and future-forward homes. Use these examples to shape your own ideas, refine your plans, or simply enjoy the creativity of container architecture.

Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Scout Camp on Catalina Island, California

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An Eco-Friendly Vision for Modular Scout Cabins. In 2010, Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island, located 19 miles off the Southern California coast, underwent a significant transformation. Gensler, a Los Angeles-based architecture firm, reimagined the 85-year-old Scout campground into a sustainable outdoor learning center. Central to this redevelopment was a shipping container camp built around eco-friendly container cabins.

The Boy Scouts of America commissioned the project in alignment with their “leave no trace” philosophy. They sought an off-grid solution that embraced environmental responsibility and suited the island’s protected wilderness. The modular scout cabins delivered this vision—designed for minimal environmental impact and maximum outdoor education benefit.

eCORRE Complex: Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Environmental Center in Long Beach

The eCORRE Complex, or Environmental Center of Regenerative Research & Education, is a bold conceptual proposal by Los Angeles design group APHIDoIDEA. Submitted as a finalist in the AIA-LA / USGBC Emerging Talent Design Competition, the project reimagines eco-friendly container architecture by using repurposed shipping containers as the foundation for an environmentally conscious public center in Long Beach, California. Drawing inspiration from the nearby Port of Long Beach—one of the world’s busiest—eCORRE transforms industrial waste into a modular building system. The plan features around 65 reused ISO containers, arranged to support environmental education, community learning, and sustainable living.
Read More »eCORRE Complex: Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Environmental Center in Long Beach

The Box Office: Sustainable Shipping Container Office in Providence, RI

Introduction to a Landmark in Container Commercial Architecture. Completed in 2010, the Box Office container project in Providence, Rhode Island, redefined sustainable office design using shipping container architecture. Located on the former Harris Lumber site, this shipping container office building was developed by Truth Box, Inc. and designed by architect Joe Haskett of Distill Studio. The development transformed a vacant urban brownfield into a pioneering example of container commercial architecture.

A Recycled Shipping Container Multi-Purpose Building – Guimarães, Portugal

Quinta da Cancela: Sustainable Shipping Container Facility in Guimarães, Portugal

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A Vision for Modular Container Structures in Rural Europe. Located on a historic estate in Guimarães, Portugal, this innovative recycled shipping container building showcases rural container architecture in Europe. Real estate manager Arthur Carvalho led the project at Quinta da Cancela 1720, transforming recycled containers into a highly functional, modular container structure.

Arthur originally sought to expand storage for the estate’s operations. However, his concept evolved into a more ambitious plan: to create a recycled shipping container building that could serve as a flexible, sustainable facility. The result now supports events, tourism, and agriculture while blending into the wooded landscape.

A Timber Beach House Design in Auroville, India – Eco-Friendly Coastal Home

The Timber Beach House: Eco-Friendly Architecture in Auroville, India

Nestled in Srima, Auroville, the timber beach house design in Auroville India offers a remarkable example of tropical timber architecture. Designed by Castelino & Marchese Architects, this eco-friendly coastal home stands just a stroll from the eastern shoreline between Chennai and Pondicherry. With a compact 60m² footprint and a budget of around 10 lakhs INR (approximately USD $22,000), the project responds thoughtfully to its climate, coastal zoning restrictions, and post-tsunami rebuilding needs. Design Approach and Layout The timber beach house design integrates a minimalistic structure across three levels. The design prioritizes passive cooling, spatial simplicity, and resilience. Set atop an… Read More »The Timber Beach House: Eco-Friendly Architecture in Auroville, India

2+ Weekend House: Innovative Shipping Container Home in Trebnje, Slovenia

The 2+ Weekend House in Trebnje, Slovenia, boldly redefined container-based architecture in 2008. As one of the earliest examples of a commercial based residential shipping container house project, it combined minimalism, modularity, and sustainability. Designed by Arhitektura Jure Kotnik, this modular weekend home delivered a visionary concept years ahead of the mainstream container home trend. Instead of repurposing leftover cargo units, the project introduced purpose-built containers specifically for residential use, marking a pivotal shift in modular housing design.

Glassberg Container House: Innovative Shipping Container Home in Kansas City, Missouri

Transforming Industrial Materials into Sustainable Living. Debbie Glassberg, founder of Home Contained, partnered with BNIM Architects to design a groundbreaking shipping container home in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. Known as the Debbie Glassberg container house, this project showcases the potential of sustainable container architecture. Built from five modified shipping containers, the 2,600-square-foot residence represents one of the most iconic examples of a shipping container home in Missouri.

Glassberg aimed to demonstrate that a Kansas City container home could be both eco-friendly and comfortable. Her vision included creating a prototype that would serve not only as a private residence but also as a model for future sustainable housing developments.

Emporio The Recycled Shipping Container Deli

Emporio Deli: Sustainable Shipping Container Architecture by Infiniski in Chile

Sustainable Commercial Design by James & Mau and Infiniski. Completed in 2011, the Emporio shipping container deli in Talca showcases sustainable shipping container architecture. James & Mau designed the project, and Infiniski built it using five recycled shipping containers. The team prioritized strong visual identity and high energy efficiency. Renowned for shipping container architecture projects like the Manifesto House, Infiniski proved that recycled shipping container buildings can blend innovation with environmental responsibility. Located in Talca, Chile, the deli helped represent the Campo Noble brand and advanced the popularity of modular shipping container commercial buildings worldwide.

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