Shipping container architecture is popping up all around around the world—and for good reason! Several factors make these modular boxes intriguing candidates for adaptive reuse: They’re watertight, sturdy, readily available, and they can be stacked together to create backyard studios, ADUs, and even full-size houses. Read on for a look at some of the best shipping container homes that you can purchase today.

Empty Nester by Custom Container Living

Container Size: One 40-foot container

Features: This container home has a ground-level bedroom, a living/dining area, a galley kitchen with full-size appliances, a five-foot bathtub, and it can be built with or without a loft.

Container Size: Four 40-foot containers

Features: This three-bedroom, two bathroom home with an en suite bathroom includes a large living room, a dining room, and a full kitchen finished with one or two walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. A highly efficient air source heat pump helps to heat and cool the space, and buyers can also spring for optional solar panels.

The MicroCube by Rhino Cubed

Container Size: One 20-foot container 

Features: The MicroCube has a kitchen with a microwave and minifridge; a bathroom with a shower, sink, and low-flow toilet; a queen-sized Murphy bed, a 30" closet, and low-e coated windows.

Happy Twogether by Custom Container Living

Container Size: Two 20-foot containers

Features: A bedroom and living room are located in one container, while the entryway, kitchen, and bathroom are in the other. The interior features hardware and faucets with a chrome finish, three three-by-four single-hung white vinyl windows, one three-by-three window over the kitchen sink, and two 12,000-BTU air conditioners with 10,600 BTU heating combo units. There’s closed-cell spray foam R-14 insulation in interior walls and R-28 insulation in the roof.

The 160-square-foot model by Montainer Homes

Container Size: One 20-foot container

Features: Montainer Homes’s 160 SF model features recessed LED Lighting, an under-counter refrigerator, electric baseboards and an electric water heater, and TR and GFCI electrical outlets throughout. The bathroom has a sink, shower/bath and toilet, and the kitchen has a cooktop and range hood.

Workshop and Golf Tees by Back Country Containers

Container Size: Two 20-foot containers

Features: The Workshop and Golf Tees model from Back Country Containers has a custom interior with wood paneling, a stainless-steel farmhouse sink, a lofted bed, and an under-the-counter fridge.

Container Size: 34-feet wide by 14-feet deep 

Features: HONOMOBO’s M01 model is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom home, with 31 feet of floor-to-ceiling glass windows and an open kitchen/living area.

Alt 30' Model by Alternate Living Spaces

Container Size: One 30-foot shipping container

Features: The Alt 30' model by Alternative Living Spaces has a full bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room with a six-foot sliding-glass entry door. Add-ons include a fold-out, full-sized Murphy bed, an appliance package, and more.

Price: Available on request 

Container Size: Two 20-foot shipping containers 

Features: The G320 is a CSC-certified, storm-proof one-bedroom studio with one bathroom.

Container Size: Four 40-foot shipping containers

Features: The Insta-House has two bedrooms, two baths, a full kitchen, and a living room with a double-height workspace and second-floor mezzanine. Smart technology, a ductless air conditioning and heating system, marine-grade paint, and floor-t0-ceiling windows complete the package. The container model can be fabricated in eight weeks and installed in a single day.

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