Expandable Container Home: The Modern Alternative to Building a House
With the rapid growth of urban areas, city dwellers have found themselves in need of smaller, more efficient homes. However, many people are unwilling to sacrifice their love for nature and opt for living in remote locations. To address this problem, modern architects and engineers invented expandable container homes as a cheap, efficient alternative to building a regular home. To build an expandable container home means combining two very different things — an industrial shipping container and a cozy cottage. But how do you combine something as bulky as a shipping container with something so small and delicate? The answer is simple — with clever engineering! Let’s take a look at how an expandable container home can be built!
What is an Expandable Container Home?
An expandable container home is a modern house that uses an expandable shipping container as its structural foundation. The interior of the shipping container is stripped out to make space for walls, floors and a roof, allowing the container to be easily transformed into a small home. The shipping container can be modified to include the basic amenities of a home, such as plumbing, electricity and insulation. It can be outfitted with a door, windows and a roof, as well as a foundation and other elements necessary for a stable building. Expandable container homes can be built in a number of different configurations, ranging from single containers to stacked containers. They can also be built to meet different needs, including as vacation homes, offices, guest houses and more.
Why Build an Expandable Container Home?
There are quite a few advantages to building an expandable container home, including: — A smaller ecological footprint: Building with expandable shipping containers cuts down on waste, water use and energy consumption. This is because shipping containers are made of lightweight materials that use less energy to produce than traditional building materials, and they can be easily repurposed. — A lower cost of construction: Because shipping containers are readily available and cheap, you can use them in place of more expensive building materials. You can also use recycled materials to make them, further lowering costs. — Quicker construction: Compared to traditional building methods, expandable container home construction can be quicker, since the containers are already assembled and ready for customization.
How Does an Expandable Container Home Work?
The expandable container home works in the same way as a regular house — with the same foundation, walls, and roof. The only difference is that the expandable container home is designed to be built with intermodal containers — large steel boxes that are used for shipping goods around the world. These containers are converted into the walls of the house itself, which can add a unique aesthetic to the building. When you’re ready to move, you can simply disassemble your expandable container home, load it onto a truck, and take it with you wherever you go. This makes them an excellent option if you’re looking to move often — whether it’s across the country or across the world.
3D Printing in Building an Expandable Container Home
One of the most futuristic elements of the expandable container home is the 3D printer. This massive printer can be programmed to build the walls, roof, and other parts of the building, layer by layer. The 3D printer spools out a steel mesh that is eventually transformed into a sturdy steel wall. The printer can be programmed with CAD software, allowing architects and engineers to easily design their expandable container home. The only challenge with 3D printing a shipping container home is that the steel mesh used in the printing process will rust away in the elements, so it has to be encased in a protective layer, such as fiberglass. The fiberglass can be peeled off once the wall is sturdy enough and replaced with a more durable coating, such as paint or rust-proof paint. 3D printing is an excellent choice for expanding an existing expandable container home.
2. The Self-Erecting Container House
The self-erecting container house is one of the most expensive and extravagant expandable container home designs. With this design, the containers are designed to be erected on site, and the crane lifts the containers into place. With this design, you can expect to pay about $15 million for a two-story container home, but it will be worth it! The containers are built with a crane inside, and a crane operator lifts each container into place. This container home can have an elevator that goes between the first and second floor and lush landscaping on the roof. However, the self-erecting container home is one of the most expensive expandable container home designs. The crane operator’s fee alone is approximately $3,500 per hour, plus additional costs for fuel and wear and tear on the crane. Since the containers must be welded together to fit inside the crane’s hoisting mechanism, welders will also have to be paid.
3. Conclusion
Expandable container homes are an excellent choice for homebuyers who want luxury living on a budget. The large steel shipping containers are easily repurposed into stylish homes with modern amenities. They are also eco-friendly and cost-efficient, making them a great option for those who want to live sustainably. While expandable container home designs vary, most use a combination of these three elements to create a seamless transition from container to home. While these homes are not for everyone, they represent a new way of building that is efficient, cost-effective, and forward-thinking.