Two-storey shipping container homes offer a compelling solution for sustainable living with vertical efficiency. By stacking repurposed containers, designers can deliver spacious floorplans and elevated views—without expanding the building footprint.
This section explores two-storey shipping container homes that combine smart planning with rugged aesthetics. Whether built on urban infill lots, suburban blocks, or remote countryside land, these stacked structures add functionality without sacrificing sustainability. Most designs feature open-plan ground levels, rooftop terraces, and upper-floor bedrooms—creating dynamic zones that support family living, remote work, or rental accommodation.
Engineered for modular strength, shipping containers are ideally suited for stacked configurations. Their uniform geometry allows for fast assembly, while their steel frames support solar panels, green roofs, and natural cladding. Inside, architects are transforming rigid industrial shells into warm, light-filled spaces using timber, glass, and passive cooling techniques.
As interest in multilevel prefab housing grows, two-storey container homes represent a bold step forward. They’re efficient, adaptable, and ready for every landscape—from downtown laneways to sloped bush blocks.
Scroll down to explore real-world examples of two-storey shipping container homes in action—designed for resilience, space, and sustainability.
The shipping container is the standard for shipping goods from place to place. Built to exacting specifications to withstand tremendous loads and, with refrigerated units, to maintain low internal temperatures efficiently, these vessels of commerce make excellent building blocks for architecture. Even after many trips around the globe, they still easily meet or exceed the building codes for construction. As a net importer, the US ports are filled with them.Read More »Boucher Grygier Shipping Container House
Green Frame House designed by Studio Astori De Ponti Associati was led by architects Antonia Astori, Nicola De Ponti and Ester Pirotta, who worked in collaboration with Art Container. The two story home is composed of six standard containers configured in a staggered stack to add variation to the design.Read More »Green Frame House for Sustainable Container Housing in Italy
Infiniski combined with James & Mau are amongst of our favourite shipping container home designers and builders. Casa El Tiemblo aka Casa Raulinski is another one of their creative recycled projects. Located in El Tiemblo in the province of Ávila, Spain, this shipping container home was completed within six months for a budget of 140,000 euros. Read More »Casa El Tiemblo aka Casa Rauliniski – Shipping Container Home by Infiniski and James & Mau
Devil’s Corner Cellar Door and Lookout, designed by Cumulus Studio for Brown Brothers, sits on Tasmania’s scenic East Coast and exemplifies innovative shipping container architecture in Australia. As one of the standout eco container buildings in Australia, it is nestled within one of the state’s largest vineyards and uses ten repurposed containers to shape a contemporary experience that merges landscape, architecture, and tourism. Originally opened in 2015 and expanded in 2021, the site now includes a cellar door, food market, immersive tasting rooms, and a sunken cellar for private events. Warm Tasmanian Oak interiors and timber-clad exteriors balance the raw steel construction, evoking the feel of a modern rural village. Read More »Devil’s Corner Cellar Door, Lookout & Market : A Leading Example of Eco Container Buildings in Australia
