It is becoming increasingly common to hear stories of used shipping containers being repurposed for all sorts of interesting new uses, not least when they are converted into homes.
However, one British family has done something truly extraordinary in a project that has seen them build their own home from used containers. This has taken place not in Coventry, Colchester, Cardiff or Cumbernauld, but Colombia.
The project was the brainchild of Surrey-born actress Fiona Rivadeneira, who planned with her husband Juan Carlos to create a home that would be very different to the Home Counties suburb she grew up in.
They did not just seek one used shipping container for sale but several, with the further challenge of hauling them halfway up a mountain in the South American country.
Working on the site of a previous home that had collapsed in a flood, they set to work in 2020 and have now finished it all at a cost of just £52,000, a fraction of the cost of buying a home back in Surrey or London.
“I have always had a fascination for containers and would look at pictures and ideas online,” said Ms Rivadeneira.
“I love reusing and recycling, seeing something transform into something else that is useful and I love their shape and adaptability.”
She admitted to making errors that needed some adjustments, such as installation of extra supports after one of the containers buckled slightly, but is delighted with the end result.
“I love my bedroom with its big windows, light and beautiful view. I love the terraces as well,” she remarked.
Of course, novel uses for shipping containers can be found a lot nearer than Colombia, such as Cambridgeshire.
Architects Proctor & Matthews has just gained planning permission to use recycled containers to host a heritage centre at the 10,000-home new town of Northstowe, which is built on a former airfield,
The centre will highlight a number of archaeological finds discovered during the clearance of the site for the new housing.
留言