Sure would like to know where to get these at a reasonable price. I have a perfect piece of property they would look great on.

These containers can be bought or ordered in most states. Any coastal state that has access to a shipping port will have yards where you can go buy them. Otherwise, you can order them and have them shipped to you. Google "Shipping Containers for sale in [your town, state]" and you will find the nearest selling point. A concrete pad, fully vented, plumbed and wired foundation, tie downs, purchase, shipping and installation on a property can run about $12,000 fully completed. Most web sites offer quotes.

There is nothing new about this 45 years ago my company tried to sell 40 foot containers fully kitted out with electrics, plumbing, windows,door and even aircon to third world countries to help third world get rid of the shanty towns and shipped anywhere worldwide free for the sum of £450 BUT the third world countries did not want them unless they were totally free and the corrupt puppet governments at that time even wanted us to give them a back hand to allow them to be delivered to there countries!!

Slight correction... The Travelodge in Uxbridge, Middlesex, was built in 2008. I was working in downtown Uxbridge at the time... saw the building (container stack) go up from my office window. Travelodge claimed that they save 500,000 GBP by going this route.

WOW! I was homeless and living in shelters.........WOW! I have been very lucky and now have an apartment for the last 7 years. THIS would be great to build apartments out o! GO!

This would be great for the homeless in our own country...rather than kicking them out of around the rivers etc.

This seem s like they can use this idea in Haiti if it is cheaper than supplying mobil homes.Ship supplies in them and have contractors ready to make instant homes for people that have nothing!!Ship the building supplies for each one in the container!But do not let the crooked government near the project becasue they would take them and use them for warehouses for themselves...or homes for their maids!

While deployed in Iraq, we had barracks constructed from shipping containers (aka, connex boxes). Not really that awesome...

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/525/1105081054.jpg

This must be the inspiration for Bill Clinton's presidential library.

Hi Matt, Thanks so much for posting this. I love reading stories about reuse and posting them on our website. And this container cum house one is a perfect example. On top of it, I am a builder so love these green building solutions. If you have more reuse examples (or if you've written more articles on them), I would love to hear about them and post to our FB page which will provide a global platform for idea exchange on reuse - e.g. e.g. how do we reuse CDs in Finland, or bicycle tires in Lesotho?

This is genius! Creating a supply of affordable housing is a major challenge and as we add another couple hundred million citizens in the coming decades it could get worse. That's why we need a housing policy that includes "outside of the box" ideas, so to speak. (No pun intended!) I wonder if Michael Kelly, General Manager of the New York City Housing Authority, knows about this. He'll be speaking on the Radical Housing panel at Innovation & the American Metropolis, April 16 in New York.

why not turn the containers (shipping) of food and medicine in to homes for the haitians? Just include in the 'package', modest plumbing and electrical assets, and maybe a solar panel and some batteries, maybe some bedding and 'poof!' instant home....maybe Mr. Babbit could contribute...copyright 2010. Bob Titus, Atlanta, GA.

What could be cheaper, more effective and welcomed than a secure home. These dear people are being exposed to the elements and disease. This could be done quickly. What would it take to get this started. I'm one of the many unemployed but would indeed do what I could. Except give money.