Container House Santiago
Chicureo
Sebastián Irarrázaval
DESIGNER: Sebastián Irarrázaval BUILDER: Cristian Irarrázaval & Ricardo Carril BUILD DATE: 2009
LOCATION: Chicureo, Colina, Chile PHOTO CREDITS: Cristóbal Palma RATING: 4 Stars
Casa Container 1 is a compact prefabricated home in Chicureo, on the northern edge of Santiago in Chile's Colina district. Chilean architect Sebastián Irarrázaval, working with associate architect Cristian Irarrázaval Andrews, designed it in 2009 as a 93 square metre home that could be built quickly and, if the owner ever wants, picked up and moved to a new site.
The house is made from four shipping containers, two 20ft and two 40ft. The plan is split into two zones you can read from the outside: two containers are wrapped in 3mm steel plate and the other two in dark-stained impregnated pine. Inside, the light-coloured zone holds the bedrooms and bathrooms, while the darker zone takes in the living area, entry and storage, with room to add a kitchen. The dark interior works like the inside of a camera, framing the views and putting the landscape front and centre.
Build Method
The home was built in two stages. The containers were first fitted out on a dedicated prefabrication site, then trucked to Chicureo about 90% finished, where they were simply coupled together and connected to services. The whole project took around three months, which kept costs well down.
To make the steel boxes comfortable, the shell was insulated with sprayed polyurethane and fitted with double glazing. Windows open high and low to create cross ventilation, and ventilated facades help keep the interior cool through the Santiago summer. An acoustic ceiling in the shared living space soaks up the echo that long rectangular rooms tend to create.
Rather than a conventional slab, the containers sit on a raised terrace plinth made from precast concrete road barriers, fixed with steel plates. The plinth was backfilled and compacted, then finished with a deck of recycled railway sleepers.
Interbode Thoughts
We love how simple and honest this one is. Four containers, two cladding materials and a clear split between sleeping and living, all put together in a matter of months and still able to move if life changes. The sleeper terrace and pine cladding soften the steel beautifully, and letting the dark living zone frame the view is a clever way to make any site the hero. If this layout appeals, our STACK2 design uses the same mix of two 40ft and two 20ft containers, and we can tweak it to suit your block.
Great job Sebastián and Cristian!
Container House Santiago Designs
Build or Buy
Guides
NEST Design & Build Plans
2 BED | 1 KIT | 1 BATH - Dimensions: W x D x H
NEST is a double unit 2X 20M (40ft) High Cube Shipping container design suitable for a small house/ holiday apartment use complete with regular kitchen and bathroom in both Grid and Off Grid configurations and with 1 Solar roof option.
Download detailed plans for NEST which include the following drawings in A3:
DRAWINGS SCHEDULES
PROJECT NOTES
FLOOR PLAN
REFLECTED CEILING
ROOF PLAN
ELEVATIONS
SECTIONS
INTERNAL ELEVATIONS
TYPICAL DETAILS
KITCHEN DRAWINGS
JOINERY DRAWINGS
BATHROOM DRAWINGS
ASSEMBLY DRAWINGS
WINDOW SCHEDULES
LIGHTING PLAN
POWER & SWITCHES PLAN
ELECTRICAL SCHEMATICS
FIXTURES & FINISHES SCHEDULE
Bespoke plans or amendments are also available from Interbode’s Design Studio. Contact Us: https://www.interbode.com
Notes:
Whilst detailed, this document is not for construction and is not intended to be compliant with all council or building regulations in your country or state. Prior to commencing build you should engage a suitable architect/drafts person and a qualified engineer.
All plans are copyright of Interbode Pty Ltd and Boxwood Construction Pty Ltd.