3 Incredible Container Homes on A Budget

These days it seems that if you want to realize your dream home, much less create something with the environment in mind, you must be willing to spend a life’s fortune. Yet here are 3 lavish homes that were constructed with extremely low budgets that turned out incredible. Let’s have a look:

Containers of Hope

Gabriela Calvo and Marco Peralta dreamed of living out in the country on a piece of property they bought just 20 minutes outside San Jose, Costa Rica; where they could be with their horses and enjoy the beautiful landscape. The sunrise and spectacular views were important to them, as well as creating a feeling of comfort and home.

Together with architect Benjamin Garcia, they explored the possibility of creating a home from disregarded shipping containers that would allow them to be debt free and live the life they had imagined.

A roof connecting the two containers, made from scrap pieces of metal, not only creates an internal sensation of openness but also provides a cross ventilation which is surprisingly cool enough to never need air conditioning.

The final cost of the house ($40,000) is lower than the cost of government-assisted housing provided for the poor in Costa Rica. Perhaps this project goes to show that there are viable, low cost, passive alternatives of temperature control for very intense tropical climate.

Casa El Tiemblo

From the outside it may not look as ornate as some of the others, but a quick look inside this house will certainly impress. This home, located in Ila Spain, was built utilizing four 40-foot containers for about $190,000. It includes a lavish kitchen, two bedrooms, a massive open living space with large, picturesque windows throughout. Even the landscaping is top-notch.

The home was designed to face the south and the imposing view of the valley and nearby mountains, while also receiving the direct heat of the sun in winter to heat the home. Large trees around the exterior provide cooling shade during the summer. Given the family’s low budget and taking advantage of the brutalist beauty of the containers, this home uses this aesthetic to maximize this natural heating system.

The construction was based on a modular concept, with all prefabrication done in a workshop that allowed limited pollution on site. The design also allows for extensions in case the space needs of the client change over time.

Container Studio

An art studio made of recycled shipping containers in Amagansett New York was built on a budget of just $60,000. This homeowner needed a space close to her home that would be both inviting and reflective.

MB Architects’ solution was to use two 40-foot shipping containers perched over a 9’ foundation wall/cellar. By cutting 75% of one of the container’s floor, they were able to move the painting studio to a lower level via a wide staircase, while a high ceiling gives a deceivingly spacious feel. The staircase also serves as a transitional space for viewing artwork, while the upper floor provides a more intimate work and sitting area.

The containers were painted dark charcoal to maintain continuity with the original house and to recede in the shadows of a densely wooded site.