Cargotecture – a form of architecture where shipping containers or intermodal freight containers, are used to create houses.
What is cargotecture
Cargo transportation has been a primary mode of transportation of goods over high seas.
The world has moved away from larger dwellings to smaller family homes. This movement has been triggered by smaller family sizes, convenience, and reduced expense. Empty containers coming into the USA go out of circulation quickly. This is because it’s cheaper to buy new containers than ship out empty containers back to their source port halfway across the world. It turned out that the most effective way to repurpose these containers is to make alternative uses of these containers, most commonly as housing units.
When it comes to size, the most common types of shipping containers are:
20 feet and 40 feet containers with 8 feet depth.
History of shipping container homes
The Gulf War of the 1900s saw a hitherto unconventional use of shipping containers. They were, for the first time, used as safe-houses for prisoners and as emergency shelters during an enemy attack.
The global financial crisis of 2008 saw an increase in the number of shipping containers that could potentially provide affordable housing. The tiny home revolution took off during the early 2010s and shipping container homes became really interesting to Americans, particularly the younger generation.
Since 2010, companies have begun to provide customized solutions to container homes. They provide guidance, build, and maintenance support for interested families who want to try out container homes for the first time.
COVID19 of 2019-20 only cemented the emergence of smaller homes away from larger communities and economies. Small sustainable farms have started to show up all over the country where container homes provide affordable homes for inhabitants.
Even though now in 2022, the tiny home revolution is ongoing, container homes are being used in a variety of ways, not only for housing. Containers have found their way into shopping complexes, parks, and community housing.
Future of container homes
Container homes are stable in high winds, as they weigh about 8 thousand pounds. They come in a couple of different sizes. Customized container homes come with all sorts of alterations to make them habitable; from insulation for heat, air vents, and even solar panels. There are some limitations of container homes. Nevertheless, they look more and more interesting as an alternative housing option for the new generation of homeowners.
