Living in a shipping container

My dad told me about an article on treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/shipping-container-houses.php) about people converting large shipping containers into housing units. The idea seemed crazy at first, but after reading a few articles online these things are actually really cool. The best part about them is they are sustainable - reusing old steel shipping containers! One source (http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/02/want-to-live-in-a-shipping-crate/) estimated that an old container (40'x8'x8') costs between $1500 and $3000! Talk about a cheap 320 s.f. structure.. not to mention they are designed to be stacked! People across the globe (maybe more so outside of the U.S. at this point) are converting these things into farmer's markets, schools, get-away homes, and even communities! One group in London, Container City, has actually created an entire community of these things. Check out their YouTube video:







Talk about an affordable lake house! If you look closely, this one's even got a green roof!

Image source: http://www.containercity.com

Would you live in one? I would...