Ballard biz transforms old cargo containers into living spaces
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SEATTLE -- Some may seen them as nothing more than old steel boxes. But for Kai Schwarz, they are perfect packages of opportunity.
"They're basically adult-sized Legos. You can stack 'em different ways. You can punch holes in them," says the Ballard businessman. "I see them basically as bricks that you can live inside of."
What Schwarz first envisioned years ago while working at Starbucks is now a reality. During those days, Schwarz would look out onto the Port of Seattle and fantasize about hiding away in a cargo container and hitching a ride to visit relatives in Germany.
About a decade later, the "Cargo Cottage" was born.
"I love that we are taking something out of the industrial waste stream and re-purposing it in a creative way," said Schwarz's business partner, Anne Corning. "The thing that people say most often when they see this is, 'Oh wow. This is so cute! I was thinking about a steel box.'"
Corning and Schwarz, co-owners of ShelterKraft Werks in Ballard, transform old cargo containers into living spaces by gutting the inside and renovating them into ultra-compact, earth-friendly homes.
On display at their Shilshole Avenue office is a container they affectionately call "Kermit:" a lime green, 20-foot cargo container remodeled into a 160-square foot living space.
"He's seen quite a lot of miles out on the open ocean. Who knows what kinds of cargo he carried, from tennis shoes to teddy bears?" Corning quipped. "He's got a few dings and dents on the outside, but now he's a nice cozy little space."
Inside, the container is outfitted with a refrigerator, stove top, couch, and kitchen table, in addition to a queen-sized bed. A shower and toilet share tight quarters (but don't worry; the toilet paper holder has been outfitted with a waterproof case). An energy-efficient toilet even uses runoff from the sink to reduce the amount of water per flush.
"Kermit" retails for about $35,000, with larger homes selling for up to about $65,000. Two similar homes are currently under construction for sites up on Whidbey Island.
Schwarz, an architect with 20 years of experience, says on-site set-up typically only takes about two to three hours once the container home is shipped.
"Your imagination is somewhat the limit when it comes to what you can do," added Corning.
So is home where the cargo once was for these two business partners?
"We have our little vision of our own little container house on a piece of land somewhere with a dock and a boat," Corning said, laughing. "That's where we're headed someday."
"They're basically adult-sized Legos. You can stack 'em different ways. You can punch holes in them," says the Ballard businessman. "I see them basically as bricks that you can live inside of."
What Schwarz first envisioned years ago while working at Starbucks is now a reality. During those days, Schwarz would look out onto the Port of Seattle and fantasize about hiding away in a cargo container and hitching a ride to visit relatives in Germany.
About a decade later, the "Cargo Cottage" was born.
"I love that we are taking something out of the industrial waste stream and re-purposing it in a creative way," said Schwarz's business partner, Anne Corning. "The thing that people say most often when they see this is, 'Oh wow. This is so cute! I was thinking about a steel box.'"
Corning and Schwarz, co-owners of ShelterKraft Werks in Ballard, transform old cargo containers into living spaces by gutting the inside and renovating them into ultra-compact, earth-friendly homes.
On display at their Shilshole Avenue office is a container they affectionately call "Kermit:" a lime green, 20-foot cargo container remodeled into a 160-square foot living space.
"He's seen quite a lot of miles out on the open ocean. Who knows what kinds of cargo he carried, from tennis shoes to teddy bears?" Corning quipped. "He's got a few dings and dents on the outside, but now he's a nice cozy little space."
Inside, the container is outfitted with a refrigerator, stove top, couch, and kitchen table, in addition to a queen-sized bed. A shower and toilet share tight quarters (but don't worry; the toilet paper holder has been outfitted with a waterproof case). An energy-efficient toilet even uses runoff from the sink to reduce the amount of water per flush.
"Kermit" retails for about $35,000, with larger homes selling for up to about $65,000. Two similar homes are currently under construction for sites up on Whidbey Island.
Schwarz, an architect with 20 years of experience, says on-site set-up typically only takes about two to three hours once the container home is shipped.
"Your imagination is somewhat the limit when it comes to what you can do," added Corning.
So is home where the cargo once was for these two business partners?
"We have our little vision of our own little container house on a piece of land somewhere with a dock and a boat," Corning said, laughing. "That's where we're headed someday."
Provided the container could be retrofitted for all safety requirements, this would make an awesome playhouse for children with good imaginations.Â
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 I grew up in Kansas, and we lived in an old house that had a former stable/carriage house behind it. The loft (about the same size space) was turned over to my sisters and myself, as a playhouse. Depending on what our current interests were, that old loft was anything from a playhouse, or fortress, a spaceship, and a neighborhood Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.Â
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One of these containers would have made for a vast number of 'adventures.'Â Of course, this was in the 50's-60's, and there was no such thing as Pong, Super Mario Brothers, or avatars.Â
"I love that we are taking something out of the industrial waste stream and re-purposing it in a creative way,"...
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Waste stream? If they're not sold they can be recycled steel.
@jimbob - Yes, they can be melted down and recycled, however this is not done as often as one might hope. The containers are made out of a unique steel alloy known as Cor-ten, or "weathering steel" that includes other elements such as nickel and chromium.  Cor-ten steel will form a thin layer of rust at the surface, which then acts as a protective barrier so the steel will not rust further. This makes Cor-ten particularly durable and well suited to outdoor use for things like bridges and containers which are exposed to the elements. However, these components also make it more difficult and expensive to melt down the containers. Typically if there is a large quantity (e.g.,  a 1,000 containers at a time) steel recycling plants may go ahead and do that, turning the steel into other products.  But in smaller quantities it doesn't make sense economically, which is why so many of the containers end up sitting in piles.
How did they come up with taht price !?! YOW ! Looks a little tired.
hunting cabin or a bunker
You could have a purpose-built wooden weatherized house that size for half the cost. A plain shed of that size is only $5000 from Home Depot. The only benefit in the cargo containers is when you stack them more than two high since they are structurally strong - less than that and you are paying for a gimmick.
A lot of negitive comments this morning, surprised nobody is blaming Obama or Bush. This idea has been around a long time and if you Google cargo containers you get several sites and existing homes.
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www.shippingcontainers24.com is one.click on the homes link
@whitewings2003 Its the fault of the NRA, I mean the gun control people. No no no.....wait a minute, its the gay marriage people..... or is it the anti gay people? Oooh, I know now, we can blame it on the bicyclists.
By the time these containers are offered to the public they are contaminated by chemicals, heavily used and structurally past their prime. The one shown is not particularly well planned or executed,  appearing more like an Ikea dorm room thrown together inside a construction dumpster. RVâs  and sailboats  mastered this tight design long ago,  perhaps a bit more research  and a professionally executed   interior is needed before moving to market. Â
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@Design Consultant PNW - To address the structural issue you bring up, it is true that when we purchase containers to use in housing they are no longer certified for use in shipping ("past their prime" if you will). However, the requirements for shipping use are quite stringent: to be used by the shipping companies each container must be able to hold ~50,000-60,000 pounds of cargo and sit at the bottom of  a stack of containers each loaded with up to 50,000-60,000 pounds of cargo. After about 8-12 years the containers no longer handle this type of load and are surplused. However, they are still much stronger than wood frame construction, if used correctly.  Sure, we've all seen containers in bad shape, really banged up - but it's like buying a used car; you get what you pay for. ShelterKraft is quite selective and we work with our container supplier to obtain only those containers that, even after their shipping life is over, are structurally sound, clean and suitable for residential use. Â
Glorified dumpster. Perfect for you Seattlites.
 @Gene Stephens Ha ha
@Gene Stephens Ironic, someone who has nothing positive to say about Seattlites is reading a Seattle news website. You sound like a real happy go-lucky guy.
I hope someday these can be recycled to be homes or places for the homeless to stay. This seems like a good way to help people get off the street and have somewhere safe to sleep.. hmm..
 @SLR I had the same thought - can stack them up and they don't take much room. But give homeless a place away from the elements and safe to sleep.
"On display at their Shilshole Avenue office is a container they affectionately call "Kermit:" a lime green, 20-foot cargo container remodeled into a 160-square foot living space."
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My bedroom is about 160 square feet and I have a fairly modest home.
 @Furd Probably cost more than $35k and can't be easily moved?
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I wonder why they didn't borrow interior ideas from travel trailers - overhead storage, perhaps a bed that is up against the ceiling for daytime, then lowers a bit for sleeping. This is an interesting idea, but it seems they could have done more with storage...Ikea furnishings aren't right for this space - better to visit the RV manufacturers...unless they figure that someone who lives in one of these units won't have anything to store?
@Silvia Yes, we can do all of those things to maximize the use of space. We have designs for fold down beds, bunks, nested fold-down tables, storage spaces in all the nooks and crannies, etc. This unit has a large storage compartment under the bed platform, a small closet for hanging items plus shelving, and the kitchen cabinets.  The house shown in the picture is just a model and part of its purpose is just to show that a container house can be open and airy, warm and inviting like a traditional home, so we kept additional embellishments to a minimum.
 @Silvia We had one being used here in Everett last summer as an information kiosk for some event. It had an imaginative, open air design. However I was told that it was expensive to upgrade and clumsy to move but the gimmick did attract attention.
 @Design Consultant PNW Yeah, it's a gimmick. And - it might have the idea of being environmentally friendly - repurposing containers that might otherwise not have a use (could they also be reused as scrap metal?). But I think the interior of these is poorly designed. I have traveled in travel trailers and motor homes that made much better use of space and had better windows, etc. than these boxes have.
@Design Consultant PNW @Builder Rob @Silvia -  - Containers may have been treated with pesticides initially during manufacture, or if they have traveled through Australia. But we work with our container supplier to obtain containers that, based on both inspection and available data/labeling, have received as little exposure to chemicals as possible. The units are cleaned, but if there is any trace chemical residue on the walls, ceilings or cracks, it is encapsulated and sealed within the wall system (which is more than just drywall) during the building process. Second, is the matter of the wood itself. One of the reasons tropical hardwoods are used for the container floors is not just because of their strength but also because they contain natural pesticidal and fungicidal properties, so they don't have to be treated extensively with chemicals because they are already resistant to insects and pests. Additionally, because the woods are so dense and have a high oil-content, they are also fairly resistant to any substances soaking in and permeating the wood. (In fact, this impermeability was a bit of a challenge to us in figuring out the best way to stain and finish the floors!). As a first step, we sand the floors, removing the top layer of wood, which is where most if not all of the chemical residues would be, if any. We then stain the wood (with low-VOC stains) and then seal it with a low-VOC epoxy-type finish, which serves to encapsulate residual chemical content (if any) in the floor and creates a barrier.  With these steps, we are minimizing if not eliminating any risk of chemical contamination into the living space of the containers. However, if a customer has any concerns at all, we are also more than happy to provide other options. Removing the flooring and replacing it is one option, but likely to be the most expensive.  The container floor can be treated as "subfloor" which is sealed and then we lay some type of flooring material (e.g., bamboo or pergo) on top. This would likewise serve to encapsulate any trace chemical residues and create a physical barrier (just as people encapsulate old asbestos floor tiles by laying new flooring on top).  Hey, we're happy to hear about and do our best to address any product or safety concerns out there. Thanks, ~ShelterKraft
 @Builder Rob  @Silvia  @Design Consultant PNW Just hanging some drywall doesn't make it a safe space to hang in.
 @Silvia  @Design Consultant PNW You are also dealing with a biohazard with these things "According to the tags on the doors, the timber component (the floor) almost invariably is treated with serious pesticide. There are multiple purposes to the pesticide treatments - a) to prevent transplantation of harmful insects around the world, b) to protect the structure of the floor, and c) to protect the contents from infestation and damage. So care should be taken to either remove the flooring or protect it from affecting the contents of the container."
i've always loved this idea. one of my old companies offices was laid out warehouse style, with a shipping container converted into a restroom. It was pretty neat
When I was deployed to Iraq, our entire technical operating center was made out of around 8 large containers welded together, retrofitted with a frame, and then hallowed out in many areas for larger rooms, etc.. Â It was a pretty cool fortress and cheap, since the containers were originally used to ship over materials.
@31F Ah, the days of the connex boxes. I dont miss that myself.
How do you get a permit to put one of these on your property?
How do you get the electrical wirring inspected . Is it wirred with stranded wire through out ? What size RV outlet is on it .
@armchairquaterback The ShelterKraft container houses use standard residential wiring and plumbing systems and are designed for installation on a site with standard municipal stub-ups for power, water, sewer, or for septic systems. We meet international building codes and the units and electrical wiring are inspected at our work site by Washington State Dept. of L&I as Factory Assembled dwellings.  We can also modify the standard model to provide RV-style hookups.
@Alert Eagle Probably like putting any other structure on your property.
 @Silvia Apparently you have never tried to get a building permit. It is very difficult to get a permit for an unconventional structure. Log homes being a good example. This would certainly be an unconventional structure.
 @Alert Eagle I was referring to your comment about how I haven't tried to get a building permit. I have. For a *log home*.
 @Silvia While I agree with your comment, I don't see how I am very incorrect. I said it is difficult, you said a bit of a pain. Which was my point. I had a customer who was building a log home, it took him 4 months to convince the County that a two foot diameter log had as great a structural integrity as a 1' x 18" beam. Also I did not have time to check, but I think the permit exemptions you list are only for structures like barns, sheds or other outbuildings, not for living space.
 @Alert I should add that I'm really not annoyed at the issues involving the actual structure. It's more the other stuff - if you might be near any kind of protected area, then you have to have studies done to prove you won't hurt the pollywogs or whatever. There are so doggoned many rules involved in the permit process - installing an unconventional structure of any kind is the smallest problem, imho.
@Alert Eagle Actually, you are very incorrect. My husband and I are building an unconventional structure right now - a log home. The permit process is a bit of a pain, especially in King County. But building or doing *anything* in King County is a nightmare. Still, if you have a bit of patience, it's doable. Although I have no experience with something that small - it isn't going to require a permit if it's under 200 square feet (under 400 square feet in Snoh County) - perhaps the county doesn't care about that size.
@Alert Eagle @Silvia I'm sure they have investigated this if they are going to front their own capital to start the company and market the product, but you have a good point
My brother used to buy these whilst he was looking for a bigger factory - they're not that expensive at all. If you want to use one as a place you can haul about when you feel like, then one is fine. If you think towards a WWlll, then you need two or three burying underground, welded together with an opening cut into the other. They're very strong, so use your imagination.
Very interesting. Â I wonder how they compare price to conventional live-in trailer, since they seem to be much sturdier versions without wheels.
There's a Starbucks in Tukwila that is built with cargo containers, haven't been there yet but maybe one day!
I hope they are well insulated. A steel box would be miserable to live in during the winter, and equally bad in the summer.Â
I lived and worked in one similar to this for a year in Afghanistan. It had a decent A/C and heater unit that worked well for where it was. Â Although mine did not have the bathroom amenities and only a twin bed, it was still better than living in a tent in the desert.Â
 @Shifty Yup, and living in a car is better than living under a bridge.
@Furd @Shifty I did that when I was 18 and my parents threw me out of the house. I lived in Scottsdale then, and it was summer time. I would go to their house after I got off work around 3pm at a golf course I worked at and go take a path in the swimming pool. Good times, but I am glad I am not in that state anymore.
Twice the tree house for one tenth of the work. This is a pretty cool idea, and I could see it take off in low income communities, and impoverished countries where their existing dwellings are already like card houses, but $35 to 65K for a steel box with a hole cut in it and some cheap Home Depot plumbing and appliances? This thing better be radiation proof, and move to nicer locations on it's own. It COULD serve a huge humanitarian purpose though.
@Harley-H.S.C.The price on the CargoCottage (our smallest model) is about $220/psf, which is comparable to conventionally built housing in this area. Itâs not just a box with a window cut out: you're getting essentially a complete house in 160 square feet including kitchen, bath/shower, queen bed, electricity, plumbing, insulation, heat, etc. Compare that with many other "tiny house" designs that can run $400-$450 psf. ShelterKraftâs larger models are a better value at as little as $100 psf. Most of the cost goes into kitchen, bath and utility infrastructure so adding more living space gets to be pretty cost effective.
 @Harley-H.S.C. Considering that retired containers sell for only slightly more than their scrap metal value (less than $1,000) the $35,000 price is ludicrous.
@Furd @Harley-H.S.C. Buying a used container is like buying a used car - you can get a clunker for $500, but if you want one that's still in good enough shape to turn into a house you'll need to pay more. ShelterKraft is very selective with the containers we purchase, ensuring they are still watertight, structurally sound, the floor is in good condition, and they have not been contaminated with any chemical spills or toxins.
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