Affordable Shipping Container Tiny Homes Get the Green Light in the UK

Eight shipping containers will be recycled into green-roofed homes for low-income residents in Aylesbury, England.

Designed for young, low-income individuals, the green-roofed container homes will be painted a variety of colors to complement local architecture, including the neighboring Serpentine project.

London-based Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects (FBM Architects) recently secured planning permission to build eco-friendly social housing from recycled secondhand shipping containers in Aylesbury, a Buckinghamshire town located an hour northwest of London.

The project is the latest effort by the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust to provide “quality affordable homes” to people in need. So far the nonprofit has developed over 7,000 affordable homes, and it hopes the green-roofed cargotecture homes will serve as an inspiring and replicable model for future development.

Designed for young, low-income individuals, the green-roofed container homes will be painted a variety of colors to complement local architecture, including the neighboring Serpentine project.

Designed for young, low-income individuals, the green-roofed container homes will be painted a variety of colors to complement local architecture, including the neighboring Serpentine project.

FBM Architects

“The Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust have a rolling program of regenerating problematic garage-sites within their portfolio and were interested in the use of off-site construction to accelerate the program and to reduce costs,” says FBM Architects. “They also have a shared interest with us in the environmental benefits of reusing/upcycling existing structures.”

The architects drew design inspiration from Container City, a colorful cargotecture complex of affordable live/work spaces that were first installed in the heart of London’s Docklands in 2001.

The architects drew design inspiration from Container City, a colorful cargotecture complex of affordable live/work spaces that were first installed in the heart of London’s Docklands in 2001.

Wikimedia Commons

Container housing offers a suitable solution given the site’s severely constrained developable area, which is located behind The Serpentine, a flagship affordable housing development in Aylesbury. “Standard-size flats would not have fit onto the site, rendering it undevelopable,” adds the firm. “We took the view that it was better to innovate on a brownfield site than propose standard solutions on a greenfield site.”

Asked about cost and installation times, FBM Architects turned to Henry Fraser, director of the shipping container design company Container City, who says: “Conversion times are naturally variable. We can do about 20,000 soft every six months including installation with a cost of approximately £120-150 per square foot.”

The containers will be aligned on a north-south axis and staggered to create privacy between units and to avoid a major sewer that runs through the site. The placement also retains access to existing parking and the Serpentine homes’ back gardens.

The containers will be aligned on a north-south axis and staggered to create privacy between units and to avoid a major sewer that runs through the site. The placement also retains access to existing parking and the Serpentine homes’ back gardens.

FBM Architects

See the full story on Dwell.com: Affordable Shipping Container Tiny Homes Get the Green Light in the UK
Related stories:

  • Now There’s Proof That Tiny Homes Are Better Homes
  • This Newlywed Couple’s 100-Square-Foot Cabin Is the Island Hideaway of Our Dreams
  • Here's Your Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Sleep Inside a Giant Avocado

Similar Posts

  • Space in the Wall

    Space in the Wall The thought process regarding the challenging tall and narrow structure centers around a space that flows through the building and functions as a light cone that allows daylight to pierce through all the way to the basement and a joint wall, made of exposed concrete in “board” configuration, divided into squares, separated from the exterior wall of the house, which is made of glass, and acts as an artistic, somewhat “Brutalistic” element the house, one half of a two-family dwelling on a 220 square meters lot, and 360 square meters built, is designed for 2 young families with 2 children each, each family has 2 floors, the first family has the ground floor (living room, kitchen, dining room and garden) and basement (bedrooms and pool). The second family has the first floor (bedrooms) and the top floor (living room, dining room and a garden balcony)
    The front of the building that faces the street is made with a combination of concrete, steel and wood. We’ve used these natural materials throughout the building. Stairs and banister from steel plates on the ground floor and a banister and counter-top with a sink out of steel grid on the first floor.
    the flooring is out of concrete, with the concrete wall “accompanying” the entire house. Wood beams in the kitchen, the ceiling, a vertical shading and the floor.
    The challenge to create a living space while using every available inch and maintaining privacy, while communicating with the residents who are design enthusiasts was completed with 2 modern villas, each with its own connection to the outside and with a unique and fashionable living space in the dense urban surrounding. Architect: Yulie Wollman
    Photography: Shai Gil

  • Blackened Wood Apartment

    Taiwanese architecture studio CTT Architects designed this interior project for a doctor in Taipei City. The apartment is located on the 21st floor of the residential tower nestled in the mountains surrounding the Taipei Basin. The design concept places emphasis on the connection to the surrounding vistas. In contrast with the original layout, the living area has been rearranged such that one can enjoy the amazing urban night views whilst introducing the external greenery inside during the day. We have also tailored the layout to meet the requirements of the client’s modern life. Following a busy day at work, he can completely unwind in the living room in the midst of the mesmerising urban night views; and be awoken by the dappled morning sunlight reflecting off the surrounding green mountains. We believed that every aspect of an interior design requires a bespoke response to its own contextual surrounding as well as to the individual needs of the occupants. The different spatial functions such as bedroom and bathroom are seen as different grey units in the public space. However, homely styling is found inside the master bedroom. Wooden finishings are used to complement subtle light grey walls allowing the stunning views to be the main element – lush green mountain landscapes. At the entrance to the apartment, the simple grey wall with a small bench gives an air of simplicity in complete contrast with the mountain views seen through the expanse of the three window units, which speak for themselves. In the kitchen and dining area, the open plan provides ample space that can be adapted flexibly to suit the changing needs of the modern city dweller. In terms of material selection, fine textured black charred timber panels are deliberately chosen to frame the surrounding mountain and city views. The design strategy is to use the black charred wall to contrast with the green and sky during the day; at night, the blackened panels blend seamlessly into the night view. The custom-made black island comes with black taps to contrast with the white kitchen joinery behind. When it comes to detailing, our approach is to delineate different architectural elements through shadow gaps. For example the walls and ceilings are detached using shadows gaps which are also accentuated by indirect lighting after sunset. Every architectural element has been detached including the ceiling, beams, and walls to showcase themselves as individual elements and avoiding detractive decorations.