Taiwan Residential Container House

Taiwan's residential container houses have various characteristics, which are reflected in living experience, design applications, and environmental protection and energy efficiency.

Living Experience

Some container houses used for temporary accommodation have relatively simple conditions. For example, at the Nagoya Asian Games, the container dormitories where the athletes of the Chinese Taipei delegation stayed were 13 meters long and 3 meters wide. One unit was divided into two households, with three people living in each household, and a total of six people shared a restroom, a shower room, and one washing machine. The two single beds in the bedroom were small, and the activity space was limited. Moreover, the entire dormitory area had insufficient nighttime lighting, raising concerns about security. However, there are also well-designed and comfortable living examples. The Zhuo·House in Longtan Township, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, is a new-type residence for two adults and two children. It has an indoor area of 82.5 square meters and an outdoor area of 33 square meters. The space layout is reasonable, with a division between public and private spaces. It also features a central island and open areas, taking into account both large-area lighting and home security, providing a good living experience.

Design Applications

• Creative Diversity: Designers use innovative and green concepts to create container houses with various shapes and diverse uses. Formosa Plastics Group used 76 discarded containers to build a container house complex that integrates sightseeing, shopping, dining, and exhibitions. The Tainan Container Park was built with 40 large containers and has planned an architectural design center and an education center, among others. The plant factory in Linkou District, New Taipei City, has refitted traditional containers and combined them with technological temperature control for cultivation.
• Internet-Famous Landscapes: Some container houses have become internet-famous attractions. For example, the container Starbucks in Xinkaitian Paradise, Ji'an Township, Hualien, looks like a giant Lego block from a distance. It attracts a large number of tourists to take photos and visit. Since its opening more than seven months ago, it has received about 20,000 to 30,000 visitors per day on weekends and holidays.

Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency

• Energy House: A university in Taiwan has built a [White Energy House], composed of two 20-foot containers, designed for a two-person residence. It uses solar photovoltaic power on the roof for energy generation, stores energy through lithium batteries and fuel cell technology, and is equipped with an energy monitoring system and smart air conditioners. It can achieve an energy efficiency of 20% and serves as a demonstration site for energy education promotion.
• Green and Environmentally Friendly: Container houses do not generate a large amount of construction waste and have recycling value. Compared with traditional brick-and-mortar structures, they are more green and environmentally friendly.