As you mentioned, it is so much cheaper to repurpose these ISBU’s than to ship them back empty or melt them, that I feel people who use these for construction are doing a great service environmentally. I hope you don’t mind too much if I touch on some things Fanie mentioned in her post.

If these ISBU’s were simply steel boxes, decent temperatures would be a tough issue. However, they are constructed of Corten steel which can rust on the surface, but not through the depth of the steel. They are (or can be) painted on the outside using a ceramic paint that has an equivalent of R19 insulation. R19 is the value of a 6″ wall properly filled with fiberglass batting. If the ISBU is sprayed inside as well with the same ceramic paint, the equivalent insulating value increases to R28.5. I believe this is equal to 10″ of fiberglass insulation. All this is attained using only the ceramic paint, which means you gain that space 6-10″ walls would absorb in standard construction. (free space?). For those interested in being very green, they could look to geothermal to maintain temps., & solar/wind power to power the air handler.

The standard sizes of ISBU’s are (approx.) 8′Wx8’6″H x 20 or 40′ long. This lack of height means air ducts have to be carefully placed to avoid too-low ceilings. However, another variable is the HQ (high cube) ISBU which is 9’6″H, giving the extra space for air ducts.

As to building permission difficulties, that seems to vary greatly within each municipality. The ISBA has recently submitted information to the federal government regarding various aspects of concern that building inspectors would need to know to assure that a building is safe & healthy for those who use it. All building/zoning inspection departments have access to this information for evaluating design & implementation approvals. In reality, I wouldn’t expect alot of knowledge or interest on a government level until such time as a citizen in their area becomes a trailblazer for this kind of endeavor.

What a great idea to recycle containers!
I’ve recently seen dwellings constructed from old shipping containers and find the idea facinating, however, I can’t help thinking that such an endevour would have it’s fair share of problems. How to maintain decent air temperature inside a steel box?, How difficult is it to get building permission? to name a few.

Regards
Fanie

I think that there are good examples of shipping container buildings out there ranging from modern to traditional. We hope to further the discussion.

Check it out and let us know what you think:
Shipping Containers and Alpacas

Andy
[1016] Architecture Inc.

Inside the Brackets