When the coronavirus was peaking in May, Cornwall Council decided to provide shipping containers as temporary homes for those living on the streets. It is the latest use of containers, which is a market that has grown to become popular for many various purposes.
Locations for the Homeless to Enter Lockdown
The coronavirus has spread true the world, forcing half of the population to go into lockdown. However, there are people with no place to quarantine, and it is for them that Julian German, council leader in Cornwall, announced in early May that it would set-up modular housing to accommodate those in need. The ten houses are located on council-owned land and act as self-contained units. An eleventh one was placed on-site, to be used by the manager of the temporary development.
A modular prefab shelter made of containers like the one you can check out on this site has become common in many industries to serve various purposes. Unlike those who will be used in Cornwall, they are new and created specifically to cater to certain needs. But they do have the same qualities as the shipping containers in terms of the facility to be moved, durability, and is easy to use rapidly, among others.
In Cornwall, the units will be provided with all the utilities needed. Electricity will be available so that the people living inside them have all they need to become self-reliant, and they can isolate and keep their social distance like all other citizens. Before that, the council had already opened houses to citizens in need. They were affordable homes that the council had not yet rented or sold.
Containers as Prefabricated Technical Room
Many different industries today use containers as prefabricated technical rooms. Because it is easy to move and assemble (it comes in a kit) and you can put them up rapidly, many managers choose to place them on their site when they have to move rapidly. Since they can come fully equipped with whatever is required, it becomes only a question of having the right person to keep it working.
These technical rooms are insulated containers, which can be manufactured precisely to cover the needs of a company. Inside, you can find a complete electricity circuit and all accessories to go along with it. Once completed, it can become a data center, or used for electrical or water treatment-related purposes. It also comes with over-roof and flooring.
Other Uses
One of the containers’ most common uses is to serve as a work camp. Once the go-ahead is given on a construction site, it is easy to install a group of prefabricated bungalows rapidly. It’s a reliable and inexpensive solution for temporary sites like this, as well as for the movie industry. It can also be turned into an office or even a small restaurant for the workers to go to one location.
But they can also be used on a more permanent basis to serve as a house to live in or an office in the backyard. Because they come fully equipped with insulated windows and with a complete bathroom, including a sink, shower, and toilet, they are convenient and at a low cost in comparison to building a house. It can even be completed with air conditioning, staircase, and over-roof.
Storage Containers
In many cities, storage space rentals have made use of containers for their clients. Since they come in different sizes and they are easy to position side by side, they became a favorite for this industry. But not everyone knows that you can actually own a personal storage container on your own property.
It is the perfect replacement for a house that doesn’t have a garage. You can put all the tools you work with for the house and garden, and you can even insert a car in some of them, when large enough. It also serves as an attic to put away, temporarily, anything that you do not use inside the house, but still want to keep. It can be very useful when kids go away to school, and you need to clear their room temporarily. Some even use them as a large walk-in closet!
Because it comes with electricity, you can install lights inside to make it easier to walk and find things, and you can also work inside, plugging any tool you want on an electrical socket. Thanks to the windows, it is easy to ventilate the place and to keep away humidity. Insulations inside the panel will also help to keep it from getting too hot or too cold inside.
Mixing old containers with pre-fab shelters to create a unique home
We live in a time where it has become important for most to recycle and be aware of our impact on the environment. One of the most common uses of second-hand shipping containers is to build a home. It is not only quite stylish but also cheap and convenient.
If you mix an old container with pre-fabricated ones, you can create the home of your dreams rapidly and at a reduced cost compared to a regular house. You’ll have all the convenience you need with the new containers (as we indicated before) from a complete bathroom and kitchen, to insulated walls, flooring, and an over-roof.
Meanwhile, you’ll be able to adapt the old containers to the style you want so that your home as a particular look and you can tell all your friends how eco-friendly you have been by choosing to build your house partially by recycling an old piece of stainless steel, which may have traveled around the world.
But before you start this project, you should make sure that your future home will comply with local planning regulations. Otherwise, you could spend a lot of time and money, and still end up losing it all on technicalities. To do so, contact the building division of your public administration and get them to approve your project. That way, there can be no going back on their part afterward. Every city and state has a different building code. Just make sure you are in compliance and then start putting-up the home of your dream.
