Container House Layout

The layout of container houses requires comprehensive consideration of functional requirements, space utilization, ergonomics, and combination methods. Here are the specific layout points:

Functional Zoning and Space Utilization

• Residential Type: It usually includes basic functional areas such as living, dining, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. For example, a residential house composed of four 30-square-meter containers has a living room, kitchen, washroom, laundry room, master bedroom (with an en-suite bathroom), balcony, and utility room on the first floor; and guest rooms (with walk-in closets and en-suite bathrooms), a hall-corridor, a studio, a terrace, and a double-height living and dining area on the second floor.
• Homestay and Hotel Type: It needs to consider the number of guest rooms, public areas, and landscape utilization. For instance, a small homestay hotel composed of four 6-meter-long containers has sanitary facilities, a technical room, a storage room, and a four-bed guest room on the ground floor; and four guest rooms sharing a terrace on the upper floor, offering views of the river and surrounding hills.
• Multi-functional Type: For example, the "Sustainable Living Lab" uses six containers to build a modular residence that includes three bedrooms, a storage room, experimental and display spaces, and kitchen and bathroom spaces. An enclosed courtyard is formed at the entrance, improving space utilization.

Ergonomics and Modular Layout

• Human Scale: Consider the average standing eye-level height (1.5 - 1.6m), the natural field of view (10° up and down from the center of the line of sight when standing, and 15° up and down when sitting), and the height for placing items (preferably not exceeding 1000mm - 1800mm) to enhance living comfort.
• Modular Design: Divide the interior of the container into different functional modules, such as residential, commercial, and office modules. These are built separately through factory construction and finally combined through splicing to meet different functional requirements. For example, a single-container building can have its container panels folded to form a terrace or hydraulic rods flipped upwards to create an awning, expanding the usable space.

Combination Methods and Space Expansion

• Splicing Combination: Using 2 - 3 containers for splicing or staggered stacking can expand functional areas such as living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. For example, connecting two containers can create a flat layout with an integrated living and dining area, two bedrooms, and a bathroom with a bathtub.
• Staggered Design: Stacking containers in a staggered manner up and down can create richer spatial levels and leave a leisure courtyard or corridor area on the ground floor, improving ventilation and lighting.
• Telescopic Expansion: Divide the entire container into functional areas, such as a living room and a rest area. One side panel of the rest area is movable and can slide within the wall using pulleys. After reaching the destination, it can slide out to obtain an internal space twice as large as the original.