When shipping containers were invented to provide a more efficient and economical means of transporting goods, no one realized there would shortly be a buildup of excess containers.
This was caused by trade imbalances and led to the interest in transforming containers into useful buildings. Since the 1980’s, professional designers and regular people have utilized shipping containers in new and ingenious ways. The category of buildings that are considered shipping container construction is quite expansive. There are examples of container tiny-houses on wheels, container cabins, student apartments and large homes. There are hybrid buildings that incorporate containers with traditional construction. Traditional buildings are sometimes built on top of containers or the other way around. Containers are often placed inside traditional buildings. Newer container buildings can now include exterior coverings and interior walls that make it impossible to identify the container after the construction process is complete. People have even experimented with turning, twisting and stacking containers in organic ways to create truly original and beautiful structures. At this point, containers are no longer limited to a narrow building category because they can be transformed into limitless possibilities for form and function. Container buildings are defined by square footage, how they look or their exact purpose. If a container was used in the building process, then it falls into the category of a shipping container building or home. This broad term leaves plenty of room for people to push the limits and take innovation to the next level. Because shipping containers are relatively inexpensive, standard, available and able to be transported nearly anywhere, they make for an extremely convenient building option.