Illustration of Container House Composition

Container houses are mainly composed of steel structural frames, container units, and protective and functional materials, forming diverse architectural spaces through different combinations.

1. Basic Structural Units

Container houses take ISO standard containers as their core modules, with basic structures including:

1. Steel Frame: Made of high-strength steel welded together, forming a rectangular cuboid skeleton that bears the overall load and resists deformation.
2. Thin-Plate Shell: Wrapped around the frame with corrosion-resistant steel plates, creating an enclosed space to protect the internal structure from environmental erosion.
3. Roof and Floor: The roof is usually corrugated steel plates, with some designs adding insulation layers; the floor often consists of a steel base covered with wooden flooring or moisture-proof materials, providing stable support.

2. Functional Expansion Materials

To enhance living comfort, the following materials are added:

1. Insulation Layer: Polyurethane foam, rock wool, and other materials are added to the inner and outer walls of the container to block heat transfer, solving the problem of "cold in winter and hot in summer" caused by the strong thermal conductivity of metal.
2. Protective Coating: The steel structure is galvanized or painted with anti-rust paint to extend its service life to more than 25 years.
3. Decorative Panels: Lightweight materials such as birch plywood and gypsum board are used internally to cover the metal walls, improving aesthetics; externally, stickers or paint can be applied for a personalized appearance.

3. Spatial Combination Forms

1. Single Container Utilization:
   • Modular Layout: Divide the space into functional areas (such as living and sleeping areas), arrange furniture using vertical space, and control the height of items to no more than 1.8 meters to avoid a sense of oppression.
   • Deformation and Expansion: Use hydraulic rods to fold the container panels into a patio or utilize sliding side panels to expand the internal space to twice its original size.
2. Multiple Container Combinations:
   • Staggered Stacking: Arrange containers on different levels in a staggered manner to form patios or double-height spaces (e.g., a 120-square-meter residence composed of four 30-square-meter containers).
   • Connection Methods: Fix adjacent containers by welding or bolting, and add static reinforcement structures if necessary to ensure overall stability.

4. Typical Application Scenarios

1. Temporary Buildings: Such as exhibition halls and construction site dormitories, utilizing the rapid assembly and mobility of containers.
2. Permanent Residences: By adding insulation layers, water and electricity systems, and decorations, they meet long-term living needs (e.g., a luxury house in Denmark made of nine containers).
3. Public Facilities: Schools, restaurants, etc., achieving low-cost and sustainable construction through modular design (e.g., student dormitories in the Netherlands).