Houses made of iron containers are two-story. A house made of containers in the “jazz style” or a modular house with your own hands. How to build: step-by-step instructions

What does your imagination picture when you hear – container house? Many, obviously, imagine a change house - a simple, inexpensive, small-sized country house.

This is partly true, housing is indeed relatively inexpensive, but the rest is debatable.

From containers you can build a multi-room, multi-story, comfortable residential or office building.

This type of construction has long become popular in many countries of Europe and America, and is now gaining momentum in the CIS.

We invite you to consider the topic in more detail, perhaps in the near future you will become the owner of budget housing, thereby solving the housing problem, or you will arrange a summer cottage by building a cozy modular house on it.

The history of container houses

Perhaps the idea of ​​building a house from an ordinary sea container belongs to an unknown author, but the American architect Kalkin Adam actively popularized this type of construction. The first widely known residential building made from containers appeared thanks to this man. It was created from three shipping containers as a creative experiment.

Purchasing used, decommissioned shipping containers turned out to be easy and cheap. Building a house did not require large financial investments, and in areas with frequent tornadoes, container houses have become in demand.

Today, many architects and designers continue to create structures from shipping containers, realizing their creative ambitions in residential and public buildings.

There are buildings made from containers that serve not only as residential buildings, but also as hotel complexes, office and retail buildings, and restaurants. Such a structure is not difficult to dismantle and transport to another place, which is also not unimportant.

There are many known buildings in the world made from used sea containers that are environmentally friendly, simple, but not without comfort and attractiveness. The design of the buildings is creative and attracts visitors.

Building a house from containers

Where to start construction? Anyone can build a house from containers with their own hands. The construction time for such a house is reduced significantly compared to traditional construction methods, and the savings are significant.

A standard 40-foot cargo sea container has the following internal dimensions:

• length 12,032 mm;
• width 2,352 mm;
• height 2,393 mm.

Cargo 20ft:

• length 5,898 mm;
• width 2,352 mm;
• height 2,393 mm.

The height of the High Cube container is 2,698 mm.

You can buy a 20-foot cargo container at a price of 47 thousand rubles, a 40-foot container from 70 thousand rubles.

Building an inexpensive country house from containers is not difficult. Buy one or two blocks. Place two containers side by side or at an angle to each other, such as an "L" or "T", or stacked on top of each other.

The facade will be more complex and interesting if the two containers are moved relative to each other. Or you can move the containers apart, creating a spacious living room with maximum glazing between them.

In one of the blocks there are two bedrooms, and in the other, opposite, there is a kitchen and a bathroom. The entire structure will be combined with a pitched roof, while the height of the ceilings in the living room area will be higher due to the roof slopes.

If your family consists of several generations and you like to gather together at the dacha, then the dacha house can consist of two or three containers installed in a circle, united in the center by a covered terrace where family dinners and various holidays will take place.

The glazed ceiling in the form of a dome will resemble a tent and will protect from bad weather. Build pergolas between the block containers and plant climbing plants. Vertical gardening will add elegance to the entire structure.

Due to the fact that the weight of the containers is only 2.3 - 4.0 tons, the load on the foundation is not great. A columnar foundation is suitable for a container house. By the way, this is the most acceptable option for building a house on heaving soils.

If you plan to live in the house permanently, then the walls must be insulated. Insulation can be done with any thermal insulation material (expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, basalt wool, etc.).

If desired, the outer walls are sheathed with siding. Or you can simply paint them with metal paint in a rich, bright or discreet color using a spray gun, or paint the facade.

Interior decoration depends on your taste and preferences. The walls can be covered with plasterboard or clapboard. But avoid dark shades, since the dimensions of the rooms are not large. White color and light pastel shades will visually expand the space.

In order to expand the space, designers often use mirrors in interior decoration. Use already known techniques, create a pleasant, cozy atmosphere of a country home, then your stay at the dacha will be pleasant and desirable.

The design of the container is quite rigid, this allows you to cut windows in the walls where necessary. One of the end walls can be made completely glazed.

What else is convenient for a country house made of containers? One of the walls of the box can be folding. When closed, the entire wall glazing of the house protects from vandals, and when folded back it serves as a terrace. The floor of the terrace is covered with boards. On the terrace you can install portable garden furniture and flower pots, which will give it coziness.

Due to the large glass area, your home will seem to merge with the surrounding nature, and the house will be filled with light and fresh air. The terrace can also be attached, covered with a common roof with the house.

With proper finishing, it will be difficult to distinguish a house made from containers from a structure made from conventional materials if the appearance of the cargo boxes is not very pleasant to you.

You can build a fairly large, comfortable house from containers. True, there are not very many such daredevils in our country yet. The mentality of our people makes it difficult to move away from the prevailing stereotypes that a residential building is a solid building made of wood, stone or concrete, although at all times there were “Kulibins” who were not afraid of experiments.

And if you decide to move away from the prevailing stereotypes in the field of house construction, save on construction, and surprise your friends, then this option for a residential building is quite suitable for you. Go for it!

People live in a variety of homes that best suit their needs. Some people buy large structures made from concrete, become And glass to strengthen their social positions, while others choose something else. Either way, it's whatever suits their needs. Not everyone has the opportunity to build their own home, but we have a crazy idea for you - live in a container. Yes, you heard me. Old shipping containers can now be used as a home itself. Don't believe me? Then take a look at our selection of projects.

What containers should you use to build your home?

Houses made from shipping containers are most interesting to those who want to build a large and spacious home. It’s just that sea containers are the largest and most common. Below is a table of sea container sizes 40ft And 20ft:

Cost of a container house:

As we have already said, the price of a container home is perhaps the biggest argument in favor of choosing containers as a building material. Below are the INTERNAL dimensions and cost of one of the types of sea containers:

Container 40 feet high (40′ HC):

• Length = 12.05 m.,
• Width = 2.34 m.,
• Height = 2.68 m.

The average cost of a sea container is 2000 $ .

Therefore, by simply placing 3 of these containers side by side and planning a house out of them, you get a house with internal dimensions 12 meters on 7.1 meters, which in area is 85.2 m2. In this case, the price of 3 containers will be approximately 6000 $ .

Take a look at 25 shipping container home designs:

Eco-house in China

More and more people care about the environment. Architects and designers have come up with numerous original ideas for houses using environmentally friendly materials. One such example is this house. It is made from shipping containers and is a very nice functional single family home.

Located in China, this house has a modern design and is impressive in its simplicity of execution. The eco-friendly home is made from reclaimed shipping containers, bamboo cladding and a grassy roof.

Additionally, it has solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems, all of which have been incorporated into the simple and chic Scandinavian design. The house area is approximately 2000 square feet. It has three bedrooms, a nursery, an office and a huge living room.

Bright guest house

One of the most interesting projects I have seen of all time. The guest house is made from a previously used shipping container. The container was painted blue and some of the walls were removed to accommodate large windows. A bold combination of colors and materials makes this an ideal place to relax.

Large structure made of colored containers

An impressive project from a Brazilian architect - MarcioKogan.

Architectural solution from Partouche

Now take a look at a more complex project from Partouche. The area of ​​this modern house is 680 square meters, the cost is 220,000 euros. What I love most are the container doors that act as shutters, creating a moment of privacy.

Elegant house made from two shipping containers

Who said a container home has to look like a boring box? This project shows that it can be quite elegant.

Floating holiday homes

Would you like to spend your holidays in a house like this? I wish I could!

Modern minimalism

This unique house, made from four shipping containers, looks like a full-fledged home.

Lake house

Made from 4 shipping containers, it has 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms. A perfect nest by the lake.

Transportable structure from a sea container

The main advantage of sea containers is its transportability. You can create a cozy space in a container and transport it anywhere.

Cozy home in Millbrook

Fascinating buildings from Thomas Phifer.

Functional coffee shop

This is how a portable coffee shop can be created from a sea container and transported to anywhere in the city.

Trading platform made from shipping containers

The world's first store Hayes Valley, which was built only from shipping containers.

Another retail space option

The first retail space made from shipping containers opened in London. Commercial premises come in different shapes and types to attract more buyers. Boxpark Shoreditch- London's first shopping center made from shipping containers.

Miniature houses

Company Add a Room specializes in creating unique miniature houses, which are made to order from shipping containers.

Modular houses

Company Honomobo based in the Canadian province Alberta, builds modern homes, offices, studios, apartment complexes and more from modular shipping containers. And they do it well.

Another option for a compact house

Everything in one container. Bedroom, bath, full kitchen, hardwood floors, furniture and more.

A loan to purchase real estate is becoming unaffordable for many families. With this option, houses made from shipping containers are the most optimal solution to the housing problem. In addition, purchasing a house like this is a great way to exchange an apartment for a small, but your own home.

American architect Adam Culkin originally built such a house as an experiment, which later became a reality for many families around the world.

Characteristics of sea containers

Containers for maritime transport are standardized according to the international ISO classification and have code 8301981. Initially, containers were produced according to US standards, but later amendments were adopted and containers adopted approved dimensions. This is due to the need to comply with European road transport regulations.

There are two main modifications of containers: 20 and 40 feet. Their mass is 2.3 and 3.9 tons, respectively.

Another container option that has become widespread in recent years is the 45-foot design. The main advantages of such a container are its size, which provides more working space, and the ability to be transported on standard-sized trailers. The advent of 45-foot containers has led to increased competition between cargo carriers, as the standard semi-trailer has become less popular.

The material from which the container is made is a durable steel alloy. High-quality design makes it possible to install containers in several rows, the number of which reaches thirteen or more. The containers are secured with twistlocks.

Options for standard sizes of sea containers are not limited to the indicated 20, 40 and 45 feet. Depending on the characteristics of the cargo being transported, specialized containers can be used. These include refrigerated containers, tanks for liquids and gases, containers for transporting animals.

Sea container sizes 20ft, 40ft, 45ft

Projects of houses from sea containers

The undoubted advantage of a container house is its ability to be placed on a site of small size and non-standard shape. In addition, the container can be upgraded to a state suitable for permanent residence in various climatic conditions.

Nevertheless, in Russia such houses are quite rare, while overseas and in Europe such structures are widely used.

House projects from 1 high 40 foot container

The most affordable and prefabricated house consists of a single 40-foot-long container. As a rule, you need to pay from 2 to 2.5 thousand dollars for a container of this size. Therefore, if you want to increase the area of ​​your home, and your financial capabilities allow it, then installing 2-3 containers nearby will not be difficult.

The purchase of three containers will cost from 6 to 7 thousand dollars, and the usable area of ​​the house will reach 85.2 square meters with a length of 12 and a width of 7.1 meters.

When planning a structure consisting of several floors, the savings compared to other types of buildings increase even more.

Project of a house from two adjacent containers

To design and install a country house that does not require a large area, it is enough to purchase a couple of containers. There are several options for their layout.

As an example, let's look at the following containers:

Two-story version of a country house made of containers

This option is most suitable for use on a site with limited area. In this case, the containers are installed one on top of the other; the high-quality material from which the containers are made provides the necessary strength and rigidity of the structure. Depending on the owner’s wishes, the floors are connected by stairs, or part of the floor of one container and part of the ceiling of another are eliminated. This achieves a two-level structure.

Prefabricated project from several blocks

In the conditions of the Russian real estate market, a house made of containers can become optimal for many categories of the population. For example, for families for whom purchasing an apartment seems too expensive a purchase, or for those wishing to move from an apartment to their own home.

Drafting

Foundation for container houses

Since the container is made of durable, often alloyed, steel, its weight can be quite large. Therefore, a house made from a sea container should be mounted on a high-quality strip.

The foundation design does not differ from a standard strip monolith. Metal reinforcement is installed in the prepared ditch. Formwork made of boards is installed along the perimeter, which is necessary to raise the foundation above ground level.

Sea containers are made of durable steel, so the most acceptable way to connect them together is welding. During the assembly process of a multi-container structure, metal fasteners such as angles or channels are used.

During the process of assembling the house, window and door openings are cut out using a grinder. After the operation, the edge of the cut should be carefully treated with special means.

How to insulate a container house?

Insulate from the outside or from the inside?

How to properly insulate from the inside?

The third layer is decorative. The walls are covered with clapboard, chipboard, and other types of coverings.

Floor insulation is practically no different from similar operations with walls. As an addition, the floor is sometimes covered with screed. Polystyrene foam boards are suitable for insulation, which, unlike mineral wool, do not have the ability to retain moisture.

External and internal finishing

All work to give the walls a finished appearance should be carried out only after removing rust stains and applying an anti-corrosion coating. The walls are insulated by stuffing the sheathing and then applying a thermal insulation coating. At the end of the insulation process, the surface is covered with plywood or OSB.

The final stage of exterior finishing is the application of one of the following types of coatings:

• Natural or artificial stone;
• Plaster decorative mixture;
• Block house;
• or siding.

Each of the materials mentioned has a right to exist and is good in a certain situation. The installation of such structures is not very difficult; with a little experience, anyone can handle it.

How much does a container house cost?

In order to estimate the cost of constructing a container house, it is necessary to determine the required area and, based on this data, the number of containers used. As an example of costing of work, we can consider a one-story house, for the manufacture of which two 40-foot containers are used.

The total area of ​​the structure is about 55 square meters. Three square windows with a side of one meter and one large window 2.5 by 1 meter were cut into the walls. A standard entrance door has dimensions of 2.1 by 1 meter.

Foundation

Option 1. A columnar structure made of ceramic bricks consists of 23 pillars. This is quite enough to provide reliable support for the house. The pillars are located at a distance of two meters from each other and rise four rows above the ground. The masonry goes underground in five rows. To build such a foundation, 359 bricks are required for a total cost of $130.

Wooden frame on external walls

To make the frame, timber with a cross-section of 100x50 mm is used. The slats are packed at intervals of one meter from each other and subsequently covered with clapboard. The total amount of material is 34 bars, each 2.6 meters long (0.442 m3) and 240 lining boards measuring 12.5x96x3000 millimeters (69 m2). The cost for cladding the exterior walls is $290.

Wooden ceiling

The same timber is used as a frame as for the walls in the amount of 26 pieces. The assembled frame is sheathed with fiberboard measuring 1700x2745x3.2 millimeters. The total cost of the material is $140.

Roof insulation

A mineral slab with a thickness of 10 cm and an area of ​​55 square meters will be quite enough to insulate the roof. You will need to pay $330 for the material.

Wooden floor

The design of the floor frame does not differ from the ceiling and wall frames. For a floor area of ​​55 m2, 26 slats are required. A board measuring 100x40x2500 millimeters is laid on the floor. Total cost for flooring is $513.

Floor insulation

The mineral plate used as a heat insulator is absolutely identical to the ceiling one. The cost is also the same and is $330.

As a result, the total cost of materials needed to build a small house with an area of ​​55 square meters is $6,346, which is a fairly budget option. When using hired force, costs will increase approximately 2 times. If the owner wishes, the house can be improved and made more convenient and comfortable. The costs will increase even more.

It is worth noting that the cost of a house made from shipping containers is given as an example and may vary depending on the price of the material and the region where the house was built.

In modern realities, the cost of housing is unaffordable for many people. In this regard, each person is looking for different ways to minimize the cost of purchasing their personal home.

PHOTO

Now container house projects are becoming increasingly popular. A house made from such a sea container can be used for both seasonal and permanent residence. Price The cost of such houses is an order of magnitude lower than those made of brick or wood or blocks.

PRICES

Positive aspects of container houses

• Price The cost of such a house is one of the lowest on the construction market. The area of ​​such a dwelling from a standard container is about 30 square meters.
• Such a dwelling has a fairly strong structure, which prevents “unwanted guests” from entering the house. But do not forget that the number of windows affects the degree of security. The more there are, the lower the percentage of housing safety becomes.
• The construction of such a house takes much less time than from any other building material.
• The foundation can be either strip or columnar. You can also find container houses where a screw foundation is used.
• They have a high degree of protection against external influences. In other words, while a standard house might fall apart during an earthquake, this structure will remain intact.
• You can create a custom container house project, which will be strikingly different from other buildings.
• Installation work can be carried out at any time of the year.
• If desired, you can build such a house consisting of several floors.
• It can be installed even on a site where there is a significant horizontal slope.
• Can easily be combined with structures that are built using other building materials.

Disadvantages of container houses

Like any building, container houses have not only their positive, but also negative sides. Among them:

• Toxicity. Due to the fact that the main purpose of containers is to transport goods, their surface is treated with a special compound that is toxic. Therefore, before using such a house for housing, the protective coating will need to be removed from its surface.
• Metal walls heat up quickly and cool down just as quickly. To use a container house for permanent residence, you will need to thoroughly insulate it.
• Due to the fact that the metal is susceptible to corrosion, it will be necessary to periodically carry out special care.
• Low ceiling height, only 2.35 meters.

AurumV group of construction companies specializes in turnkey construction and finishing

Therefore, the main needs of our clients are quality, .

AurumV is a symbol of impeccability for several generations of Customers. We have been working since 1983 in Austria and since 1990 in Moscow. We simply cannot build low-quality, economy-class houses.

Miracles do not happen and we are unlikely to ever be able to offer our Customers a house for pennies. No matter what technology it was built using.

Is a container house a “mess from an axe”?

And the price of building houses made of stone. For example:, ), starts from 25,000 rubles per 1 m2. This is a box (foundation, walls, ceilings, roofing, facade and glazing).

So is it worth it to “fence the garden” and “cook porridge from an ax, that is, a container?

If you have the opportunity to get metal containers for free, then go ahead!

Our company does not have the right to produce (build) houses from used (“used”) containers!

As a result, we will not be able to guarantee reliability and environmental safety. And the guarantee is a mandatory condition, the policy of our company. You can build these yourself, at your own risk.

Cottages and houses made from containers

The foreign fashion for container houses has reached us. Houses from containers began to be built in port cities, where a used sea container (6 or 12 meters long, i.e. 20 and 40 feet) could be found on sale for pennies (or even for nothing).

Such housing could be built in a hurry, especially if the climate is warm.

The cost of a modular building made from containers very much depends on the price of the containers themselves - the main building material.

That is, its area is 28.2 meters. This is generally not bad, just very narrow. A standard 20-foot container has a width of 2,350 m, a length of only 5,895 m. But the height of a “standard container” inside is only 2,392 m (that’s claustrophobia!), the area of ​​a regular container is 13.85 m2.

So, consider that from 10 large containers you can build a house of 282 m2, and from 10 ordinary ones - 138.5 m2.

DIY container construction

How to make a cottage out of containers? They need to be disassembled, that is, remove the side walls and connect them with sidewalls.

As a result, you get a floor with a span of 6 meters (or even 12 meters if the container is 40 feet) and of any length. The outer (outer) walls do not need to be removed.

But the question is, how to insulate the container?

Common sense and physics dictate that residential containers be placed outside. But then we are deprived of durable and moisture-resistant facades. And the roof is made of corrugated sheets from which the container is made.

But inside, it’s better to sheathe the walls and ceiling with plywood, OSB, glass-magnesium sheet or directly laminated MDF.

If you insulate from the inside, then just one layer of any insulation (for the Moscow region at least 10 cm) will eat up both the width by 20 cm, and most importantly the height! By the way, the ceiling and floor need at least 15 cm of insulation.

Imagine a house for “hobbits” with a ceiling height of 2 meters! No, this is not why we all want to go live outside the city! And so tired of 2.5 meter ceilings in panel two-room apartments and three-room apartments.

Therefore, if you use 20-foot containers, you need to try and find tall ones or HC (High Cube) - these also exist, but rarely.

As a result, the containers still need to be disassembled down to the frame, to the frame. Then the frame is insulated from the outside. And sheathe the inside with OSB or other flat sheets with subsequent finishing.

It will not be easy to attach the walls of the container and the roof back on top of the insulation. But it is imperative to use them as building materials. To save money.

Windows and an entrance door must be provided in the external walls. Two doors are even better - it’s safer in case of fire.

The advantage of containers is that they require virtually no storage. Especially if you make a one-story house out of them. You just need to level the site and provide drainage so that the house does not stand in water.

The floor of the house is almost at ground level - this is “cool” from a design point of view. Unity with nature, the lawn is an extension of the house, etc., but it is very inconvenient in winter when there is a lot of snow.

It will have to be cleaned often and a lot (as happens with garage doors in winter). Therefore, it is better to put this on screw piles, or on road slabs, or on FBS.

How much does it cost to make a house out of containers?

Depends on size and goals.

For permanent residence of a family of 4 people (husband, wife, two children of different sexes or a child and grandmother), a minimum of 3 bedrooms is needed.

Each of which can be just the size of a standard container of 13.85 m2. You need a living room (from 20 m2), a kitchen from 10 m2, a bathroom from 4 m2 and a toilet from 1.5 m2. And plus storage rooms, a vestibule at the entrance (so that heat does not escape in winter and coolness in summer), etc.

We don’t count a garage - it can be separate, or just a carport. In total, we have at least 7 standard containers or almost 97 m2.

But you also need to take into account the thickness of the internal partitions. Therefore, depending on the layout of the cottage, you need from 7 to 8 standard containers. Or better yet, 4 large and tall 40-foot ones (take the tall ones - High Cube).

If you are lucky and buy 4 pieces of 40 feet HC for 70,000 rubles, then you will be happy! Then the costs will be 280,000 rubles. But this is “raw material”, so to speak. There is still a lot of work to be done with the containers to make it look like in the photo.

In the photo: the interior of a two-story house made of containers in the USA.

Sometimes container houses don't hide their origins. But this is in America, it’s warm there and you almost need thermal insulation.

These are the types of container buildings they build in America.

Photos of container houses

In the photo below, container houses were built abroad, mainly in the USA. Local architects and contractors. The climate there is warmer, so they are not as insulated as needed for the Moscow climate.