It’s not uncommon to see tiny homes fashioned out of shipping containers, but these recycled building materials have even more to offer. Shipping container houses come in all shapes, sizes, and design styles. If you’re ready to build your own, draw inspiration from one of these sixteen container homes.

San Antonio Container Guest House

Photographs: Chris Cooper

Developed by Poteet Architects, this shipping container guest house focuses on green building products. It features a planted roof, a WC composting toilet, and a greywater system for roof irrigation. Other sustainable building materials include telephone poles for the foundation, HVAC pads for the decking, and tractor blades as light fixtures.

Industrial Style Container Home in India

Photographs: Andre J. Fanthome, Naughts & Crosses.

The need to escape the city led to the creation of these two shipping container homes on a piece of Indian farmland. Rakhee Shobhit Design Associates designed these homes to focus on nature, utilizing large windows for an indoor/outdoor connection.

The Caterpillar House in Chile

Image by Sergio Pirrone

The Caterpillar House in Chile integrates with the slopes of the surrounding mountains, creating a container home that looks like art. Architect Sebastián Irarrázaval used 12 second-hand shipping containers in three sizes to construct this home that boasts more than 3,700 square feet.

Ultra Modern Shipping Container Home in Ireland

Photographs:Aidan Monaghan Photography

Designed by Patrick Bradley Architects, this modern shipping container home is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. The architects fashioned it out of four 45-foot shipping containers, cantilevering one section onto the other. The interior maintains the same modern aesthetic with white walls, tile floors, and large windows to capture the surrounding beauty.

Inexpensive Shipping Container Art Studio in New York

Image by MB Architecture

MB Architecture designed this 840-square-foot shipping container for a client who needed an art studio near her home. They painted the used shipping containers dark to match the primary residence and installed expansive windows on both sides. The total cost for this project was $60,000.

Living on the Land in Costa Rica

Image from Andres Garcia Lachner

Located outside of San Jose, Costa Rica, this 1,000-square-foot container home captures the views of the surrounding landscape. Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture constructed the house out of disregarded shipping containers, and the total cost for the building was $40,000.

Parallel Container Homes in Chile

Image by Cortesía de Constanza Domínguez Claro

Constanza DomÍnguez C. and Plannea Arquitectura designed this home by using two shipping containers and adding a roof to connect them. The space between provides a covered outdoor living space, and the interior mimics the exterior with wood floors and wooden plank walls and ceilings.

Sustainable Shipping Container Home in Brazil

Image by Guilherme Rebelo

Located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this long shipping container home is an urban sculpture, with its back half extending off the hill. H²O Arquitetura designed an ultra-modern interior while the exterior is covered in graffiti.

Stacked Shipping Container House in Argentina

Designed by José Schreiber Arquitecto, this two-story container home has a unique modern design. The bottom consists of two metal containers in an “L” shape. The ground floor contains main living spaces like the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and workshop. Traditional construction sits atop the containers, housing the bedroom and a private bath.

Luxe Container House in Costa Rica

Image by Sergio Pucci

María José Trejos designed the Incuba House in Costa Rica with sustainability as a priority. She stacked shipping containers for maximum ventilation, used cedar for the stairs and furniture, and fashioned a deck of renewable wood and recycled plastic. Other “green” building details include solar-heated water, ample natural light to illuminate the home, and a rainwater collection system.

Lakeside House in Stockholm

Photos by Staffan Andersson

Måns Tham Arkitektkontor designed this lakeside Stockholm house out of eight shipping containers of 20’ and 40’ lengths. They stacked the containers to work with the natural slope around the site and set the house on pillars since rainwater flows down the hill. The interior features a mix of earthy and industrial materials.

Splayed, Starburst Shipping Container Home in Los Angeles

James Whitaker first designed this starburst shipping container as an office space for a Germany-based company. The plan didn’t go through, and instead became a second residence for a film producer and his wife in Los Angeles. The bright white shipping containers have a mid-century modern look, and the designs for the interior match this vision.

Elevated Container Home in Brazil

Images by Celso Mellani

Named “The Hanging House,” this elevated shipping container home is in Brazil. Architects Casa Container Marília wanted the home’s main level to blend in with its surroundings, so they aligned it with the surrounding tree branches. The home utilizes 80% recycled materials.

Staggered Container Retreat in Mexico

Photos by Marcelo Donadussi

The Huiini House in Zapopan, Mexico, is a retreat home consisting of stacked containers. Architect S+ diseño fashioned the home out of four cube containers with all main living spaces on the ground floor, including the primary bedroom. The second floor features a guest room, gallery, studio, and terrace.

Industrial Style Casa Container in Brazil

Image by Marcelo Donadussi

Developed by KS Arquitetos, this industrial-style shipping container house features a stacked design and a modern, industrial look. The architects built this Brazil-based home in 2018, boasting over 3,700 square feet. The interior finishes are also modern, with lots of wood, metal, and glass accents.

Geometric Container Home in Brazil

Image by Plínio Dondon

Located in Cotia, Brazil, this 2,100-square-foot container house features a geometric design with large spans of windows for an outdoor connection. Designed by Architects Container Box, the home features an industrial yet colorful exterior. The interior boasts metal ceilings, concrete floors, and ample living space.