18 Dec 2021

Shipping containers have become a shining star in the world of construction and design over the past few years. For many, a shipping container is a building block, and the possibilities are endless for what can be done with them.

From homes to stores to outdoor pools, shipping containers are being used to create various unique spaces across the country.

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Three companies are taking the construction world by storm by literally thinking outside of the box and using shipping containers for a range of projects. Let us introduce you to some of the movers and shakers in this world.

Shipping Container Innovators

Shipping containers are being used in a range of design and build projects across the country. Many companies are opening up to the possibilities that this material can provide, but we want to introduce you to some of the most innovative out there.

The following companies have been working with shipping containers for a long time and have created some of the best structures in the country using this sustainable method. 

If you want to see what is possible with shipping containers and learn more about sustainable design, check out the following companies: 

  • Rhino Cubed

This Boulder, Colorado-based company uses art as inspiration for its work with shipping containers. They transform shipping containers into artistic and sustainable dwellings, which can be used as a tiny home, rental income, or holiday rental.

Jan Burton and Sam Austin are the founders of Rhino Cubed. They use shipping containers to develop sustainable homes ranging from 160 to 800 square feet, ensuring flexibility in all of their projects so they can reach a wide range of clients.

Their shipping container dwellings are designed to bring people back to nature, allowing them to spend more time closer to the great outdoors.

Not only does this sound idyllic and attractive, but there are also health benefits to the work of Rhino Cubed too. 

The founders claim that spending time in nature can ‘enrich the soul,’ and their work aims to lessen the stressors of modern life by bringing people back to basics, which is the inspiration behind their small shipping container homes. 

  • Boxman Studios

This company has been building shipping containers since 2008 to be used as temporary and mobile real estate across the country. 

Based out of Charlotte, NC Boxman Studios has since expanded their work and have provided shipping containers for a range of purposes. The company has provided containers for a range of purposes and venues, including:

  • brand immersion venues
  • music stages
  • Wi-Fi villages
  • mobile restaurants
  • classrooms
  • civic centers
  • pop up events and facilities
  • communication centers
  • trade show exhibition
  • vertical gardens
  • temporary and permanent housing

The company has recently partnered with Facebook and Team A2E for the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, due to their great work in the industry. 

With such a large portfolio and brand backing, Boxman Studios can create almost anything for its clients using shipping containers, and there is so much that can be done with this material. 

  • StarkJames

Many companies have worked on creating small homes using shipping containers, but StarkJames are taking things a step further with their work on apartment complexes using containers.

This Arizona-based design and build firm specializes in unique modern design and is now focusing on the material of the moment, shipping containers for their work. 

Last year, the firm worked on a sustainable housing project which was made using shipping containers. Their project now stands at Grand and 12th Avenues in Phoenix. 

This housing complex, named ‘Containers on Grand,’ has used shipping containers to create eight 740-square feet apartments. Each apartment is one bedroom, and they have used 16 shipping containers to create the entire complex.

Each container is complete with a washer and dryer, as well as a kitchen, bathroom, storage, and living space, making them excellent homes for a range of people who are looking for something different and manageable. 

 At the time, this multi-story housing project was the first of its kind, but StarkJames has not stopped yet. 

StarkJames also developed another complex, called The Oscar, where apartments are made using shipping containers. These apartments are 740-square feet also and start at $1,500 per month.

These apartments were made using five-ton shipping containers from the Port of Long Beach.

What’s Next For Shipping Containers?

When you think outside of the box, the possibilities are endless, which these companies have shown when it comes to their work with shipping containers.

In a bid to create a more sustainable future, people are looking for ways to reuse materials of all kinds and develop useful spaces for people. This is why you will see shipping containers being used for a range of projects, like those mentioned above, and there will be more small homes coming from them too.

The ‘tiny home’ movement has taken off in the past few years, alongside the demand for shipping containers, as people are searching for a simpler, cheaper way of living.

Shipping containers make a great base material for a range of structures, which is why we are seeing homes, stores, and even apartment complexes being made out of them across the country. It is clear that the more work these companies do, the more we will be seeing of shipping containers and innovative structures.