NW firm turns old cargo containers into living spaces
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SEATTLE -- Some may seen them as nothing more than old steel boxes. But for Kai Schwarz, they are perfect packages of opportunity.
"They're basically adult-sized Legos. You can stack 'em different ways. You can punch holes in them," says the Ballard businessman. "I see them basically as bricks that you can live inside of."
What Schwarz first envisioned years ago while working at Starbucks is now a reality. During those days, Schwarz would look out onto the Port of Seattle and fantasize about hiding away in a cargo container and hitching a ride to visit relatives in Germany.
About a decade later, the "Cargo Cottage" was born.
"I love that we are taking something out of the industrial waste stream and re-purposing it in a creative way," said Schwarz's business partner, Anne Corning. "The thing that people say most often when they see this is, 'Oh wow. This is so cute! I was thinking about a steel box.'"
Corning and Schwarz, co-owners of ShelterKraft Werks in Ballard, transform old cargo containers into living spaces by gutting the inside and renovating them into ultra-compact, earth-friendly homes.
On display at their Shilshole Avenue office is a container they affectionately call "Kermit:" a lime green, 20-foot cargo container remodeled into a 160-square foot living space.
"He's seen quite a lot of miles out on the open ocean. Who knows what kinds of cargo he carried, from tennis shoes to teddy bears?" Corning quipped. "He's got a few dings and dents on the outside, but now he's a nice cozy little space."
Inside, the container is outfitted with a refrigerator, stove top, couch, and kitchen table, in addition to a queen-sized bed. A shower and toilet share tight quarters (but don't worry; the toilet paper holder has been outfitted with a waterproof case). An energy-efficient toilet even uses runoff from the sink to reduce the amount of water per flush.
"Kermit" retails for about $35,000, with larger homes selling for up to about $65,000. Two similar homes are currently under construction for sites up on Whidbey Island.
Schwarz, an architect with 20 years of experience, says on-site set-up typically only takes about two to three hours once the container home is shipped.
"Your imagination is somewhat the limit when it comes to what you can do," added Corning.
So is home where the cargo once was for these two business partners?
"We have our little vision of our own little container house on a piece of land somewhere with a dock and a boat," Corning said, laughing. "That's where we're headed someday."
"They're basically adult-sized Legos. You can stack 'em different ways. You can punch holes in them," says the Ballard businessman. "I see them basically as bricks that you can live inside of."
What Schwarz first envisioned years ago while working at Starbucks is now a reality. During those days, Schwarz would look out onto the Port of Seattle and fantasize about hiding away in a cargo container and hitching a ride to visit relatives in Germany.
About a decade later, the "Cargo Cottage" was born.
"I love that we are taking something out of the industrial waste stream and re-purposing it in a creative way," said Schwarz's business partner, Anne Corning. "The thing that people say most often when they see this is, 'Oh wow. This is so cute! I was thinking about a steel box.'"
Corning and Schwarz, co-owners of ShelterKraft Werks in Ballard, transform old cargo containers into living spaces by gutting the inside and renovating them into ultra-compact, earth-friendly homes.
On display at their Shilshole Avenue office is a container they affectionately call "Kermit:" a lime green, 20-foot cargo container remodeled into a 160-square foot living space.
"He's seen quite a lot of miles out on the open ocean. Who knows what kinds of cargo he carried, from tennis shoes to teddy bears?" Corning quipped. "He's got a few dings and dents on the outside, but now he's a nice cozy little space."
Inside, the container is outfitted with a refrigerator, stove top, couch, and kitchen table, in addition to a queen-sized bed. A shower and toilet share tight quarters (but don't worry; the toilet paper holder has been outfitted with a waterproof case). An energy-efficient toilet even uses runoff from the sink to reduce the amount of water per flush.
"Kermit" retails for about $35,000, with larger homes selling for up to about $65,000. Two similar homes are currently under construction for sites up on Whidbey Island.
Schwarz, an architect with 20 years of experience, says on-site set-up typically only takes about two to three hours once the container home is shipped.
"Your imagination is somewhat the limit when it comes to what you can do," added Corning.
So is home where the cargo once was for these two business partners?
"We have our little vision of our own little container house on a piece of land somewhere with a dock and a boat," Corning said, laughing. "That's where we're headed someday."
How cool. We are a family of 6 in a 900 sq foot home, I sure could use one of these for our back yard! :)
We already have these...they are called trailer homes. Single wide. Vulnerable to floods, hurricanes and tornados. Reinvent the wheel!
Housing for the overworked peasants.
But I do think there are a lot of people over-analyzing the concept. What's wrong with people simply taking a container, a volume of space, and converting it into living quarters? I think it's a damn cool idea and there's no reason to shout "Agenda 21!" And this is coming from a conspiracy "nut" like myself. So lighten up, it's a cool idea.
 @Reflect ~  I agree with you, Reflect... I think these would be great for single people who have very little personal property...  Some people really do prefer to live that kind of a simple, uncluttered lifestyle, and these "mini-homes" would be perfect for that..!   :-)
....with room for a bicycle!
room for car'
I think you could buy one of these boxes, have fun fixing it up yourself, and spend FAR less than they're asking. A little lime green paint, basic interior walls and floors, and a couple viewports should not cost $35,000 - $65,000.
I'm sure it's not that simple. Services have to be to code.Insulation has to be done etc.
Gotta love the paranoia in some of these posts! Â If anything, this article comes across more as a gentrified way to revamp the trailer parks.
But in  response to how these could be of benefit, what about housing for those living in places like Nebraska, where all of the oil rigging jobs are?  The housing is so scarce there for employees.  But on the other hand, the average homeowner renting their 1 bedroom house for $3,000 a month to these guys, might not be in support of them.
include the oil field cities in North Dakota also!
I've always wanted to get one to bury as an emergency shelter (think tornadoes, not zombies) and food/water/fuel storage. Â One that's already fixed up like a home would be awesome.
Two of my weblogs I wrote about containers when I sold them, http://ellis08.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/ocean-container-second-looks/ http://ellis08.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/seattle-cargo-containers/ And another site showing more photos of container homes :) http://www.dwell.com/house-tours/article/five-inspirational-shipping-container-homes
I worked for a container company in Portland that sold containers...20' all the way up to the 54' units and I did this for almost 5 years. The containers that you're seeing for around $3,000...those are used containers. They're supposd to be "retired" after a certain length of time...but many in that price range are well over 20 years old. For a residence...you'd want a new container with only miles on it that it gained from coming across the ocean...pristine, beautiful paint and a great unit. Those are anywhere from $4,500 to over $6,000. You also want all the legitimate papers on that unit you can get (referring to used). Many MANY containers carry hazardous materials and bugs. Don't assume that the port will go over everything with a fine tooth comb. We once purchased a group of containers that stank so bad, you could smell them within a mile of the yard :( No matter how many times we fumigated, the smell just never left. They always carried a hint of the "aroma". There's nothing nicer though then a spotless new unit. We only kept a few because of cost. But the used ones (and I'm talking about the ones with minimal rust holes and still solid floors) were often bought for use as duck blinds, hunting and fishing shacks...all sorts of things. All I can say is...be SUPER careful if you buy a used one. I could tell stories lol
I want everyone to be aware of the new promotions going on in the media where they talk about 200 sq. foot apartments, 300 sq. ft. apartments, 500 sq. foot houses, etc. What this movement is, is an extension of agenda 21 where they want all of us to live in these tiny "cells" with the goal of saving the environment. The poor gets placed in buildings such as these while the rich get their megahouses. This is also called "sustainability."Â
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The only problem with sustainability is that this movement causes factories to shut down, cities to rot, and everything is reduced in size including your paycheck. As you can see, they have implemented phase 1 of the plan by introducing obamacare which reduces the number of hours most people work...this is all apart of a greater plan to get us to consume less, to live on less, and to gain greater subsidies (handouts) from the government.
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This movement also promotes economic development to occur in other countries that don't have our strict environmental laws such as china. They are already living in this 1984 type world, living in these cells, getting paid poorly with bad working conditions, and being spied on and tracked throughout their lives.Â
This is how they want everyone to live:
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http://www.wired.com/design/2012/11/san-francisco-micro-apartments/
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and
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http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2013/01/25/tsr-snow-new-york-tiny-apartment.cnn?iref=videosearch
These would be good for homeless shelters as well. Nice and cheap, would be a good way to help those on the streets.
these should be mandatory living facilities for all people. they would make great dormitories for work communities. imagine a whistle blowing and you're only a few minutes walk away from the factory. and if you get a work relocation they can easily put your container house on a train to transport it.
These containers are pretty inexpensive. We've been pricing them to put a few on a piece of property. With a little ingenuity, you could make additional living or storage space for less than $8k per box. You can pick them up for about $3k each.Â
Cut out a couple of holes, install a pair of Diatone D-160's and crank er' up. There goes the neighborhood.
You could call these things "OccuPods".
 @jpk ~  Oh PERFECT..!  :-)
So how's the cell phone reception in one of these things?
 @JohnQ.Public I play on my phone at work while loading some of these containers.... lol
turn up the heat, the walls are freezing
And you could stack them next to most of the new housing structures on SE Division st. or Clinton st. below 82nd ave, and you couldn't tell them apart. Nice styling.
 @last boyscout They are located at 43rd and Division or there abouts on the north side.
 @my2cents Yep, that's the place:-)
Those are every bit as stylish as a lot of the new Japanese cars. Very "square" and virtually no style whatsoever. They'ed look great together. Â
@last boyscout A Scion without wheels, eh?
 @OSUx2 I'd rather drive a cargo container. That would at least show a little individuality.
Would be a great Mother in Law room for the back yard, but unfortunately the City of Gresham codes limits placement of cargo containers on private property for up to 90 days: GRC: 7.15.110 Storage Containers on Private Property. (1) Storage containers may be placed on property with a single-family dwelling for up to 90 days. The manager may grant an extension subject to criteria adopted by the manager. (2) Storage containers must be placed in the driveway of the property. Storage containers may not: (a) extend into the public right-of-way; (b) block emergency vehicle access; or (c) otherwise cause a fire or life safety
 @katufanman Since it would no longer be used for storage, but for living, I would imagine it would fall under different rules.
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@Dr. Rawdog @katufanman I happen to live in Gresham near the college...have lived here for over 30 years. You haven't a clue as to what you're talking about, and like most with a big mouth, you get Gresham mixed up with Rockwood. Get a map and do some homework.
@Dr. Rawdog, Rockwood extends from about 148th to about 190th with undefined borders. It's part of Portland just as much as it is a part of Gresham. The center of the blight, if you will, is confined to areas around the MAX line and only accounts for a small percentage of residential areas in both cities. In fact, the blight extends much further into PORTLAND than it does into GRESHAM. Come to the NADAKA COMMUNITY FESTIVAL this summer, we'll show you how GREAT Gresham and it's people are. That's if you aren't SCARED or anything...
@Dr. Rawdog @katufanman I don't understand your statement. What other concerns should I have?
 @katufanman My experience with Gresham is simple. I've gone there for the strip clubs and Dukes Country Bar. Other then that.... I stay away safe across the River. :P
@Dr. Rawdog, That is certainly not the view from my front window. But your arguement is a good one, for the areas of blight (that all cities share), maybe affordable housing like this should be considered. Accentuating the positive, you'll see Gresham is pretty darn cool. Come on out for a soda pop sometime....I'll show you around. Bring your bike, we'll go for a ride! 104,000 people can't all be bad.
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 @gunnutz You are such a sad man with apparently no life just can't seem to stop attacking the 47% of the people in this country that don't believe in being victims like he does....Only a crazy would bring guns into comments when talking about living in metal boxes.
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On the bright side you can invest in one of these and not have to worry about your crazy gun nut neighbors stray bullets hitting you...
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 @gunnutz  @FreedomRocks I don't own my 99% of my guns for security it is a hobby I have had since being 5 years old thanks to grandpa.
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So only scared person her is the one who can't make a comment without the word gun in it and seems scared to death of a tool...
 @gunnutz  @FreedomRocks Hate to burst your bubble but I would bet that 30% of those 47% have assault style weapons and most like myself and my Dr dad have had for 30+ years.
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One of my dads is actually fully auto so that really out to scare the pants of you pansy liberals...oh wait how could someone be a Dr and own an fully auto weapon that one should really blow your little liberal brain up...
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You can thank your buddy Obama though for adding millions of more assault rifles into the mix. They have sold more since he came into office then the previous 20 years I bet.
Would save HUD a lot of money for building self support houses for the poor. but, this would make to much sense.I hear the energy savings once insulated, are astronomical.
I wonder if they got this idea from the game Fallout.  Stack 'em, bold 'em, build stairways and patios and skylights...  Legos you can live in. Before you hack on them, consider the value for hunters, property owners, sadistic parents...
 @Playanekes Like those who spank?  Stay tuned, everybody.
 @Sundowner  @Playanekes I saw these on Doomsday Preppers. Some survivalist family made a story compound of these in a big square out in middle of nowhere Texas. Lol.
This is cool, you can also ad solar and wind and make it self sufficient also . they are extremely tough. a lot better then the wooden boxes.
 @lee986321 Lee, a friend of mine owns land out in rural Oregon and he's thinking about situating two of them around a concrete square, and then running roof trusses over the top so they're basically the walls of a barn, and then he can park is RV under it when he's away. I volunteered to go help him build it.
 @Playanekes yeah these things are built to last, it would protect the RV from a lot of bad weather. also they could make for great barns as well..I have seen some really nice homes made from these..My personal favorite though are geodesic domes. But I am glad that there are choices, and I am glad this is making the news. What people don't know is that they can go and buy them as well.
they are great for a DYI.
Homeless veterans are already living in cargo boxes, and have been for decades....THIS AIN'T NEW!
 @August100 They used to live in the caves and air pockets behind the old hospital on the hill in Northwest. That was the Vietnam era. You didn't go back there unless you were a -young- kid, because they ran patrols.
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@August100 @Playanekes No