Container House Upper and Lower Floors

When designing the upper and lower floor structures of container houses, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as structural stability, functional layout, ventilation and heat insulation, and construction specifications. The specific design points are as follows:

1. Structural Stability Design

The upper and lower floor structures of container houses need to be fixed as a whole through welding or bolt connections. For example, a container building in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, uses more than ten containers stacked into a three-story structure. The ground-floor containers are locked, and the second and third floors form a stable flower room space through structural reinforcement. For higher strength requirements, reference can be made to the case of the “Z-shaped house,” which forms a longitudinal “Z-shaped” structure through the staggered stacking of upper and lower containers and adds a brick and stone basement as a foundation, significantly improving earthquake resistance. In addition, the triangular roof structure (such as the OostKampville project in Bangkok) disperses the upper-floor load through a frame roof, avoiding local stress concentration and is suitable for the design of multi-story container houses.

2. Functional Layout Optimization

The functions of the upper and lower floors should be divided according to usage requirements. For example:

• Residential houses: The lower floor can be set up with public areas such as living rooms and kitchens, while the upper floor can be arranged with private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. For example, the Wolferlow Cabin in Canada extends the end of the third container to the lake surface to form a lookout tower, achieving a fusion of functions and landscape.
• Commercial houses: The lower floor serves as a display or storage space, and the upper floor serves as an office or accommodation area. For example, the Czech Container Hotel has guest rooms and bathrooms on the ground floor, and the upper floor connects four rooms through a shared terrace, balancing privacy and interaction.

3. Ventilation and Heat Insulation Treatment

Metal containers are prone to heat conduction and need to improve the thermal environment through roof design and material selection:

• Roof structure: Adopt a triangular roof or an A-frame roof to reflect heat through the top metal plate, introduce natural light through the translucent part, and promote ventilation through the lower steel plate shutters to prevent heat accumulation.
• Heat insulation materials: Install heat insulation layers such as rock wool and polystyrene boards inside and cover decorative materials such as spruce wood and birch plywood outside to improve thermal performance. For example, the Klein-Hangklip Eco Cabin in South Africa uses external awnings and waste wood board roofs to effectively reduce summer temperatures.

4. Construction Specifications and Safety

The design must comply with building codes, including:

• Load calculation: Ensure that the load-bearing capacity of the upper and lower containers meets usage requirements to avoid overloading.
• Connection nodes: Use high-strength bolts or welding processes to ensure the integrity of the structure.
• Fire protection treatment: Conceal the internal wiring, use fireproof materials, and equip with fire extinguishing equipment.