Some things, Warren McLaren writes, are so ubiquitous we rarely give them a second thought. Yet their impact transforms the way our world turns. Take the big boxy shipping container, for example.
One of the primary drivers of globalisation, it allows products to be transported around the world, at a mere fraction of what freight used to cost. Back in 1955, when the modern shipping container was invented by a US trucking magnate and an engineer, it was worth almost $6 per tonne to load a ship using burly wharfies. Use of intermodal containers, which travel from shipper to buyer secure and unopened, via train, ship and truck, reduced that figure to just over 15 cents per tonne.
With such radically improved transport efficiencies it is little wonder that the United Nations now believes there are 420 million containers wandering the globe every year, moving roughly 90 per cent of humankind's non-bulk cargo.
Yet, with manufacturing industries on the decline in western countries, there's little incentive to ship empty containers back to ports near Asian factories. Hence their creative re-use into all manner of things, including buildings.
Whilst there's not a lot of room inside either a standard 20 foot (6.1 metre) container, or even its big brother, the 40-footer, there are attractions to building with shipping containers.
They can be easily transported to site - on the back of a train and truck. They're inherently robust, able to repel the ingress of foul weather, rodents, termites, and the like. Are modular, designed to be stacked on top of one another. Insulated versions are available. Of particular interest, from a green design perspective, creating buildings from containers is often reusing an otherwise neglected resource, plus they're generally low maintenance. Importantly they can also be fitted-out almost completely offsite reducing the scope of trades needed on-site. This, in turn, as with most prefabricated designs, reduces resource intensive travel to-and-from building sites, limits land disturbance on site and significantly decreases construction waste.
Benefits such as these have seen 'container construction' emerge as a small, but fast growing trend, straddling the full spectrum, from owner builders enthusiastically spraying sparks about from angle grinders, to award-winning architects like Sean Godsell creating emergency relief housing.
However shipping containers are not solely the domain of DIY back blocks, nor one-off concept designs.
In Christchurch, 27 retailers are back in business, after the 2011 earthquakes ravaged the New Zealand city, thanks to a colourful shopping centre crafted from shipping containers. Re:START, the new shopping and hospitality precinct has pumped much needed life into the heart of Christchurch's central business district. Designed by The Buchan Group, Re:START opened for trade in late October 2011, just months after conception, and is expected to serve its function for at least a couple of years. Re:START observes that project architect, Anton Tritt, is of the view that should landowners decide to put up more permanent buildings, the containers could be reused at a new site.
Still in the land of Long White Cloud can be found the Port-a-Bach, a.k.a. portable bachelor pad, a modern take on the weekender or granny flat. Created by Atelier Workshop of Wellington, the Port-a-Bach retains its original strong, full steel exterior shell. Yet can be folded open, once on site, to reveal a sharp looking dwelling. It caters for two adults and two children, with kitchen, bathroom and toilet facilities built in, plus a timber deck with a canvas screened outside living area.
Mainstream container constructions are to be found in Australia too, for example, housing students at Canberra's Australian National University campus. Quicksmart Homes provided 186 studio and one bed apartments, allowing Hutchinson Builders to complete construction in about nine months. Ranging from 22 to 35sqm, the student apartments form the six storey Ursula Hall accommodation at ANU, one of Australia's first such multi-storey projects to comply with all relevant local and national building standards. The Australian Capital Territory recognised the structure innovation with its Sustainable Cities Award for commercial buildings.
The ANU project no doubt drew inspiration from the work of Tempohousing's massive Keetwonen 1,000 student unit development in Amsterdam. Originally intended as temporary accommodation, Keetwonen has become the city's second most popular student hall of residence.
However such delight might not be uniformly shared. South Australia's Mount Gambier Prison is controversially adding 112 beds to their jail, using modified shipping containers. Although part of a $22.9 million upgrade, SA's Correctional Services Minister Tom Koutsantonis believes the use of containers will save 25 per cent in construction costs compared with the use of pre-cast concrete. Following a trial at Cadel prison farm, Correctional Services have described the process as, "the cheaper and faster 'modular construction' method", with the minister saying the cells represent a cost saving, being less than one fifth for a traditionally built cell, and able to be installed in a quarter of the time.
Due for completion in 2013 the use of containers for prison accommodation is considered by some to be substandard housing. Which probably comes as a complete surprise to paying guests at Travelodge's Uxbridge hotel in the United Kingdom. Opened in 2008, the 120 room hotel was assembled from 86 modified steel containers. Construction crews had the containers all stacked in just 20 days. Verbus Systems, Travelodge's' design partner, then built a 307 bed hotel at Heathrow Airport in a mere 58 weeks from go to whoa, suggesting this was 16 weeks faster than a conventional build. Apparently a complete floor of 60 rooms can be stacked in three hours.
Speed of build benefits the newcomer just as it does the experienced. During 2011, Masters students from the University of Melbourne and the uni's Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning helped build a childhood learning centre (infants to age five) for an indigenous community at Wakathuni in Western Australia's Pilbara region. Comprising four reused shipping containers, the centre went up in just 10 days. One of the containers arrived on site carrying the project's tools, prefabbed windows and roof.
This isn't the first time containers have factored in the creation of children's facilities. There's the much lauded Skinners Adventure Playground designed by Phooey Architects, attracting 2,300 youth a month. Containers were conscripted to become a multi-functional room, as well as various lounges, and decks. The project won more awards than a small child could poke a stick at.
Interest in container construction is booming.
Membership of the U.S. based ISBA, (the Inter-modal Steel Building Association), grew more than 300 per cent during 2008. Last year Jure Kotnik's Container Architecture Exhibition toured Ljubljana, Paris, Berlin and Seattle. Jamie Durie's Top Design renovator reality TV show kicked off its 2011 season with five container retrofits. Late last year Starbucks USA opened a coffee emporium made from four converted shipping containers, for which it hopes to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The aforementioned Tempohousing are spreading their wings well beyond the Netherlands. In 2011 they displayed at the HIA Sydney Home Show, and opened a Sydney office. Verbus Systems, developers behind the hotel modules for Travelodge are also exploring opportunities Downunder.
Plenty of local businesses are flexing their creative container muscles, as well. Some examples include: Architects Fulton + Salomon who are promoting their SMALLisSMART house design, amongst other related projects. Matthew Grace Architecture has their sleek ResPOD modular dwelling using a container footprint. Container Homes create fully finished 2 bedroom units from 12 metre container for under $40,000. Close to the housing shortage that comes with a mining boom is Western Australia's Modcon Building Services.
Industrial container suppliers, the ilk of Port Container Services, Sea Box International, Royal Wolf, and others, are also getting into the act, with varying degrees of prefabricated container housing.
Burgeoning enthusiasm aside, it's worth remembering that silver linings are also accompanied by clouds. Most of the containers used to the create the amazing multi-storey apartment housing discussed above were prefabricated with all their internal fixtures and fittings in China and shipped direct to sites around the globe, effectively exporting Australian and European construction jobs off-shore. One of the signs of a sustainable society is a resilient economy supported by gainfully employed members of local community.
Though with a little creative thinking, both inside and outside the box, there is no reason to believe Australia can't embrace innovative eco-variations of container construction.
