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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.

Alterra Pinamar – The Beach Resort Built With Shipping Containers, Argentina.

Alterra Pinamar: Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Glamping Resort in Argentina

    Alterra Pinamar: Pioneering Shipping Container Beach Resort in Argentina Redefines Coastal Eco-Tourism. Along Argentina’s picturesque coastline, approximately 250 miles south of Buenos Aires, an innovative shipping container hotel has redefined sustainable hospitality. Alterra Pinamar Container Glamping stands as a testament to thoughtful design and environmental stewardship. This unique container resort blends harmoniously with its surroundings while offering an exceptional visitor experience. Additionally, it represents the evolving story of Pinamar—a region with a remarkable environmental transformation spanning over eight decades.Read More »Alterra Pinamar: Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Glamping Resort in Argentina

    Quiksilver Pro NY 2011: REBÉ Design's Shipping Container Event Structures – 426089 290583937670379 681596714 n

    Quiksilver Pro NY 2011: REBÉ Design’s Shipping Container Event Structures

      Surf Culture Meets Urban Design. In 2011, the Quiksilver Pro New York surfing competition brought more than just waves to Long Beach, New York. It also introduced a bold experiment in shipping container architecture. RE:BE Design, led by production designer Stefan Beese, created striking pop-up shipping container structures. These temporary buildings transformed the beachfront into a blend of modern urbanism and coastal aesthetics. Beese moved away from traditional white tents and Tiki-style decor. Instead, his vision brought the raw edge of the New York City streetscape to the serenity of the beach. He collaborated with general contractor Kosmo Studios, 3D designer Seyavash Zohoorie, and graphic designers Daniela Nelke and Jensen Killen.

      Read More »Quiksilver Pro NY 2011: REBÉ Design’s Shipping Container Event Structures

      Maison Container Lille: Innovative Shipping Container Home in France

      Maison Container Lille: Patrick Partouche’s Modern Shipping Container Home in France

        Maison Container Lille: A Bold Statement in Sustainable Living. A Modern Shipping Container Home in France by Patrick Partouche. In the heart of northern France, the Maison Container Lille redefines residential design. Located near Lille, this innovative dwelling was created by architect Patrick Partouche. Completed in 2010, it shows how recycled materials and modular construction can form a fully functional family home.Read More »Maison Container Lille: Patrick Partouche’s Modern Shipping Container Home in France

        MUVBOX: Innovative Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant in Montreal

        MUVBOX: Montreal’s Solar-Powered Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant

          MUVBOX: A Shipping Container Restaurant That Pops Up in 90 Seconds. Transforming a Shipping Container Into a Pop-Up Restaurant. MUVBOX is a solar-powered, eco-friendly pop-up restaurant built from a recycled shipping container. It opens in just 90 seconds at the push of a button. Montreal entrepreneur Daniel Noiseux created MUVBOX to combine fast food with sleek design. With a background in architecture and graphic design, he shaped the concept to deliver sustainable, shareable dining experiences. Inspired by Adam Kalkin’s Push-Button House and Illy Café’s modular structures, MUVBOX reimagines mobile dining. It uses modular restaurant design to serve premium fast food—like lobster rolls and Quebec specialties—in bold, portable spaces

          Read More »MUVBOX: Montreal’s Solar-Powered Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant

          Burk’s Falls Shipping Container Housing: Modular Affordable Living in Ontario – BEFORE CLEAN UP

          Burk’s Falls Shipping Container Housing: Modular Affordable Living in Ontario

            A New Model for Shipping Container Housing in Ontario. In the quiet town of Burk’s Falls, Ontario, a forward-thinking housing initiative has taken shape. Developer InvestorCentric Inc. is transforming recycled shipping containers into functional, code-compliant residences. The project aims to demonstrate how steel containers can deliver affordable housing while addressing the rental shortage in rural communities. As a standout example of shipping container housing in Ontario, this development merges cost-efficiency, durability, and sustainability.

            Read More »Burk’s Falls Shipping Container Housing: Modular Affordable Living in Ontario

            Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Scout Camp on Catalina Island, California – 6a00d8341c67ce53ef0120a85e0fa4970b 800wi

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

            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.

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

            eCORRE Complex: Eco-Friendly Shipping Container Environmental Center in Long Beach – 7ab4313d

            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 – 2

              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.

                Read More »The Box Office: Sustainable Shipping Container Office in Providence, RI

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

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

                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.

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

                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… Read More »The Timber Beach House: Eco-Friendly Architecture in Auroville, India