Shipping Containers Filled with Life
Written by Jennifer Heyns
While you're sitting at the railroad tracks waiting for the three-mile long train to pass by so you can get on with your drive, do you ever wonder what’s in all of those shipping containers chugging along? I can’t tell you what’s whizzing by on the tracks, but French architectural firm CG Architectes can take a handful of those containers and fill them with life.
One of their most recent projects was a home in the northwest of France. It may look a bit out of place in an area where only traditional housing graces the landscape, but its uniqueness and creativity make this home more of a wonder than an eyesore.
The house is known simply as Crossbox, and it is, quite simply, shipping containers placed in a crisscross shape. The idea behind the shipping containers is to create something architecturally interesting and inexpensive, as well as keep the needs of the planet and immediate environment in mind.
CGA decided to take something modular and industrial, and turn it into a unique and functional home. The ease of construction reduced the amount of fuel, equipment, labor and financial resources needed, all without sacrificing function and beauty.
The entire home consists of four 40-foot shipping containers, two for the ground floor and two for the upper level. Both pairs of pods are connected side-by-side to give each floor twice the width of a single container. But you wouldn’t know it looking at it – the exteriors have been paneled to hide the junctions.
By placing the top containers crosswise above the first floor, the home is instantly granted a covered patio/entrance and carport on either side.
The interior is quite graceful and striking. The clean lines lend themselves to the character of the décor and contrasting colors.
Cutting-edge and yet still applicable to average home lifestyles, the Crossbox is a unique solution to the growing concerns of our planet.
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