4 May 2018
International Story - Six Small Houses Now The Future

Everyone is looking to experiment with new methods that would declutter our congested lives. The first step can be achieved by changing overall attitude, which means that you should be willing to let go of your material possessions and be ready to live the life of a minimalist! Many have decided to opt for tiny, well-planned houses that fit your every need but allows you to make easier choices.
So why is this story interesting to us? Because of the creative use of shipping containers! Let’s take a good look at the extraordinary stories regarding these tiny houses:
‘Tiny Mountain Houses’ is a great initiative, rather an out-of-the-box business venture undertaken by Lou Pereyra and his two sons – Nick and Ryan. This family business concentrates on manufacturing small-sized homes meant for those who choose this type of lifestyle. Since its inception in 2014, the Pereyra trio has been quite successful with an estimate of around 40 houses per year! This, of course, is inspired from shipping containers.
Since shipping containers are not damaged by floods or fire, they are perfect for building materials. They can even last longer than 10-15 years. One of the amazing tiny homes built by using these containers is located in Lombok, Indonesia. The Budi Pradono Architects have built this stunning ‘Seven Havens’ or ‘The Clay House’ using a set of concrete stilts and perched on a hillside. The container representing the ceiling of the larger bedroom is tilted at 60 degrees to create the illusion of the room having a wedge shape.
This innovative design technique is worthy of appreciation and has been used again in a private residence called ‘The Leaning House of Jakarta’. The tiny homes are an excellent way to avoid wastage of both money and space, which can declutter your mind while you enjoy a healthy dollop of nature’s beauty.
Another fabulous design for tiny homes can be declared as the one constructed by the world-famous architectural duo, Daniel Moreno Flores, and Sebastian Calero, which is located in Pichincha, Central Ecuador. This particular shipping container house was built with the help of seven 20-feet containers and one 40-feet container. The movable house can be disassembled in a matter of few hours if there arises a need for transportation! Unless you see it for yourself, it is difficult to believe the architectural genius involved in creating this magnificent home!
Known as the ‘Containers of Hope’, this beautiful, tiny house was constructed under the supervision of Benjamin Garcia Saxe. This box home is super cheap since it is made up of just two 40-feet shipping containers! The house was constructed for a couple keeping in mind that they were undergoing a financial crisis and couldn’t afford to spend too much. There is a slanting roof that is very efficient at allowing sunlight to enter, as well as allowing the hot air to escape from within. The house is situated in a rural setting about 20 miles away from the capital city of Costa Rica, which was preferred by the couple themselves. Indeed, there is a special thrill linked to isolation and living in the lap of nature!
There is another stunning house located in the Santa Cruz region of California that follows the principles of eco-friendly tiny homes, as well. David Fenster has designed this tiny house amidst the lovely trees on the Santa Cruz Mountains – the place is a sheer beauty! The house was built by six shipping containers that were placed skillfully at a distance of four feet, from each other. The second floor is created by piling up the shipping crates at a perpendicular angle to the bottom ones. The redwood has been sourced and recycled from the natural environment, to build the stairwell and majority of the furniture. On the other hand, the recycled plywood was both stained and sealed and contributed to strengthening the foundation for flooring.
The Container Studio home is neat, compact and built with absolute precision. It has been designed by Maziar Behrooz Architectural firm and is situated in Long Island, New York. This splendid art studio was constructed on a budget of $60,000 and painted in a charcoal colour similar to the adjacent house so that it effortlessly blends into the environment. Out of the two floors, the lower one is built into the hillside region. Such a studio in the wilderness is definitely going to stir up a lot of creativity!
Write in to us if you know any more exciting stories and we will feature them!

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