However whilst the roof of an unmodified container is perfectly designed to completely enclose its cargo in its original role as a shipping container – we need to remember it was designed around the premise of creating the lowest cost, lightest weight, highest strength, weather-tight, highly portable enclosure possible and that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a great design for a fixed structure roof.

for added privacy and security, the outdoor terrace can easily be folded to close the container using the winch.One of the perceived advantages of using a shipping container as a building element is that the raw ISBU modules already come with a floor, four walls and a roof. pin-up houses always feature smart storage space, a convertible sofa-bed, compact stools, and tables. a higher voltage of 110 v to 230 v can be generated using an inverter. it comes with a refrigerator, water heater, and other 12 v and 24 v appliances according to the person’s needs. ‘gaia’ is also equipped to retain rainwater, which is filtered and distributed to the bathroom and kitchen. for an added protection to this experimental house, the container roof is covered with a galvanized corrugated metal sheet, which cleverly extends out beyond the structure to increase the rainwater catchment area that is ultimately collected in a 1,000-IBC tank. wooden studs and spruce plywood create the entire interior where the inner walls are sprayed with thermal insulation, ensuring a cozy home.

The house is made up of a marine HC 6 m container. battery levels are monitored through a remote, mobile app, so one can always check their battery consumption and charging while away. it is equipped with solar panels, as well as a wind turbine, ensuring that batteries can be charged at all times of the day and all seasons.

one of its main features is that it harnesses solar and wind energy and therefore doesn’t rely on external sources of energy or water. The shipping container ‘gaia’ is an experimental off-the-grid housing project by pin-up houses. it was designed as a response to the difficult challenges that the planet is facing and as an alternative housing that will have a less negative impact on the environment. Designers at pin-up houses repurposed a discarded shipping container and fit it out with the most available building materials and latest technology to design a unique build your own self-sufficient housing unit.

Shipping container roof construction