There’s been a lot of talk about shipping containers being used as a residence, but not nearly enough about shipping containers being used as offices. I came across this project in Rhode Island that is apparently soon to be built. More examples of this type of approach are Puma City and Container City.
The only things offices and retails spaces need are space to construct the building and space for parking. Both of these are an ample supply thanks to the antiquated zoning ordinances that determine the amount of parking for retail developments and soon-to-be closing car dealerships. Of course there are also the empty lots that are prevalent in most cities as well. These shipping container offices provide a quick means of infilling the no-man’s land we call the asphalt parking lot and begin to create an exterior space more inviting for people.
I know most people are not exactly attracted to the modern industrial aesthetics of the shipping containers, and truthfully I don’t think the aesthetic is appropriate for all applications. I think it works great for Puma City in that it allows the retail function to be cleverly advertised on the exterior facade, but for some of these offices I think it would be perfectly fine to provide an additional layer to allow more insulation in the exterior wall as well as provide a screen so that the sun is beating down on all of that steel.
Despite your stance on the issue of creating buildings with shipping containers, the truth is these containers are an abundant resource in this country. What else are we going to create with them?
Blue Architecture 