New Converted Shipping Container Project For Detroit In 2013

The Rosa Parks development in Detroit will get underway in early 2013, this affordable housing project will create family homes from shipping containers stacked 4 high for each unit.

The artists drawings of the condos show communal gardens and balconies for each home. With a host of energy saving features the architect Steven Flum has aimed for an 80% reduction in energy consumption for the container homes compared to a standard construction home of the same size.

America is home to a growing number of container conversions, Aprisa in Portland the disaster housing in New York and the Home in Florida we talked about in a previous post.

To read more on the story click here

3 Tips to Protect Shipping Containers Against Frost Damage

As winter is now upon us, frost is inevitable and there are steps you need to take to ensure that your shipping containers are protected through the winter.

This is especially true for those who are hiring containers as your source company may well add additional damage charges at the end of the hire agreement.

Just a few simple steps can protect you from unwanted additional costs and your shipping containers from winter / frost damage.

  • Please ensure that heaters are left on a low setting at all times.
  • All water pipes in Kitchen/Canteen units should be insulated against frost and water should be drained and switched off when not in use.
  • It is a good idea to put a small amount of grease or oil on the door locks, padlocks and any other moving part to help stop the mechanism freezing up.

If you find these tips useful, please pass them to your sites carrying our units and continue to enjoy a problem free winter.

If you have specific questions about shipping container maintenance once they are on site and in use feel free to get in touch.

Shipping Container Conversion News

Great story from the BBC yesterday, a new bar and restaurant is being built from 100 containers. Portishead Marina is located on the Bristol Channel in the south west of the U.K.

The BBC picked up on this commercial shipping container conversion yesterday but there is a full story from the local Bristol Press about the restaurant from a few days earlier.

Really looking forward to seeing the project completed, the plans sound great. So far 28 of the 100 containers are in place.

Shipping Container Conversions For Housing

We love the ingenuity of using shipping containers for housing, this video show the story of a man from Gainsville Florida who created a home from 12 shipping containers, the build took nine months to complete, the really interesting part is note how energy efficient the house is.

 

The View Tube London Olympic Park

When you are lucky enough to get involved in such an amazing project like View Tube it is hard to say no!

What started out as a simple enquiry into buying some shipping containers turned into a great project when London shipping containers helped to play a pivotal role.

Back in April 2012 we were contacted by Mark Ashworth the project director of the View Tube. The request was simple for two 20ft containers to be painted and adapted to serve as a viewing point over the Olympic park whilst the games were on.

As we have a history of working with conversions of shipping containers it was not a surprise that Mark approached us to quote for the project. However the project was set up as a social enterprise and community venue.

After discussing the initial requirements with Mark it was clear that we could help The view tube grow into something much more. We agreed to take part in the project and quickly put Mark in touch with the engineers we use for container conversion designs.

The original plans grew to be something else, something much larger and more exciting than was first envisaged.

The expanded design includes a Cafe, bike hire facility and a community garden alongside a classroom for an arts education programme.

The View Tube closed shortly after the Games this summer but will reopen in December with a large event where we will be present.

We are very proud to have been part of such an amazing project and to have played a part in helping it grow into something larger and hopefully a sustainable business which benefits the local community.

The View Tube

The Upcycled viewing platform and education centre in the Olympic Park London

The Greenway Marshgate Lane
E15 2PJ,
London

Phone: 020 3130 0469

Shipping Containers Lost At Sea Each Year

Right now with anywhere between 5 – 6 million shipping containers in transit across the globe it is sobering to think of what the attrition rate of lost containers is per journey.

Back in 2011 it was reported that close to 10,000 containers are lost in transit each year. While this may seem like a small overall number think about the cargo value of those containers and the scale of the problem comes into focus.

Though transporting vast numbers of containers by sea means dealing with the unpredictability of the elements, so some loss is to be expected.

You can read the full story here