innovative incubation

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the case for the container...

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You’ve undoubtedly seen or heard about shipping cargo containers being made into homes and cabins. The phenomenon is called “cargotecture” and it’s becoming quite popular. It’s one great purpose that abandoned cargo containers can be used for.

Several companies are popping up around the globe, especially in the U.S. on the west coast, to offer custom transformation services, converting these cargo containers into homes and getaway cabins. Many people are going do-it-yourself and repurposing them on their own.

container-3stackThe containers are infinitely useful and modular and extremely strong. They’re weather-proof, require no permanent foundation to keep them sturdy, and have built-in connectors that can be used to attach one to another. They’re made to be moved, so transportation from one point to another for use is also not difficult.

In the United States, there are over 700,000 cargo containers abandoned each year, according to Department of Transportation estimates. Mostly in shipping ports on the coasts. These need to be used for something.

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“This fresh retail revolution strips and refits shipping containers to create unique, low-cost ‘box shops.’ ”

Shoreditch, London

The ConceptBOXPARK is a fresh retail revolution from Roger Wade, creator of Boxfresh and fashion brand consultancy Brands Incorporated, in partnership with real estate developers Hammerson and Ballymore.

BOXPARK strips and refits shipping containers to create unique, low cost, low risk, ‘box shops’. Put them together with a unique mix of international fashion, arts and lifestyle brands, galleries and cafés and you’ve got the world’s first ‘pop-up’ mall – so named because its basic building blocks are inherently movable: they can, and will, literally pop up anywhere in the world!

BOXPARK

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Shoreditch, London

BOXPARK

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“They are being seen as an ideal building material; they’re stackable and weather resistant, and they create modular opportunities.”

BOXPARK aims to become part of the fabric of local life by adding colour, creativity and life of its own. Low-cost, low-risk ethos – for a revolutionary product mix.

BOXPARK strips and refits shipping containers to create unique, low cost, low risk, ‘box shops’

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The Concept: Starbucks opens store made from recycled shipping containers

If you happen to be passing through Tukwila, Washington, make a pit stop at Starbucks’ brand new reclaimed shipping container coffee shop. The first in what could possibly be a new branding strategy, the Reclamation Drive-Thru is built out of four shipping containers and has been designed to LEED green building standards. Designed in-house by resident Starbucks architects, the container coffee shop is part of a growing initiative at Starbucks to encourage green building to reduce energy use and operational costs as well as to push the envelope on environmental design in retail.

“Will this store lead other major companies to open up shipping container stores? Forget arches, will containers be the new icon?”

Tukwila, Washington

STARBUCKS

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We were able to open our minds to the use of very common elements destined for the landfill as structure for a high-quality, drive-thru coffee house design – essentially creating an industrial beacon for sustainable thinking. –Tony Gale III

I’m a big fan of shipping container architecture and applaud reuse in any form

...fulfilling Starbucks’ core mission -- providing a gathering place for communities, using Starbucks’ scale “for good,” and reducing the corporation’s carbon footprint

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The Concept: Re:START Village is temporary mall built with shipping containers on the site of a mall that was destroyed in February’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. To provide a temporary space for retailers to do business in and the local people to meet and support each other with, a grant was provided to a group called ReSTART. ReSTART then created Re:START Village, a pop-up shopping center built with shipping containers. Project architect Anton Tritt, of the Buchan Group, said shipping containers had been chosen for the precinct because they were strong. They could also be reused at a new site if landowners decided to put up more permanent buildings.

Project Re:Start Brings (Colorful) Retail Back to Christchurch

Christchurch,New Zealand

Re-Start VILLAGE

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take a load off upstairs in the massive picture window of Hummingbird Coffee Café with a snack or meal and take in the world milling by.

“as retail..it’s green, grorgeous and well put together.”

The shops (27 and rising) are full of lovely premium fashion, shoes, food and Kiwi-icon based products.