Old shipping containers lend themselves to being recycled and incorporated into new houses

Old shipping containers lend themselves to being recycled and incorporated into new houses - they are numerous, relatively cheap and very durable.

The house pictured above right is the worldFLEXhome, designed by Danish architectural firm Arcgency, and constructed to Active House standards, using old shipping containers.

During the construction process, prefabricated floor and ceiling panels are shipped to the site inside the containers while the outside of the building is clad in a framework to hold insulation.

Recycled Shipping Containers used to build a houseThe original concept includes:

solar cells, 30m2 roof facing south
A green roof
Rainwater is collected in underground storage
Skylights let in light to the interior
The walls are highly insulated (350mm)
An interchangable facade system (bamboo facade pictured)
The windows facilitate differentiated light
The containers are easily transported as ISO containers
Heat pump
Water tank
Possible to connect to ground heating
Energy management system, tracking energy consumption and production online