It does not take a housing crisis to realize the importance of cost in construction at home and abroad alike. A 40,000-dollar, two-shipping-container house that is not just livable but lovely is itself impressive, but has particular global appeal to those who cannot afford more.
Benjamin Garcia Saxe is a Costa Rican architect with a new take on recycled cargo container residences that mixes classic Modernist approaches, used materials and sustainable strategies.
The core two containers are staggered along the East/West access, providing selective access to natural sunlight and natural cross-ventilation.
In the center, a raised and tilted scrap-metal roof angles up to catch additional indirect daylight and  further facilitate passive cooling.
The entire structure is lofted on stilts – a subtle tribute to structural simplicity, regional climate and perhaps to the Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier era of traditional Modernism as well.
The drawings are likewise unpretentious and straightforward renderings of uncomplicated spaces – neither minimalist nor over-designed.
The result is something that (to some of us at least) is more attractive than prefab suburban mega-homes could hope to be, and certainly much cheaper to create. (Photos by Andres Garcia Lachner)
1 comment:
Kudos to Benjamin Garcia Sax for this brilliant idea! Who could have thought cargo containers can be made into a modernistic home. He planned this out so well. But did he install insulation all over the container? This can turn extremely hot during the summer and too cold in winter.
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