Container House Design Process

The container house design process mainly includes the following key steps:

I. Preliminary Planning and Approval It is necessary to clarify the land nature (such as homestead land, leased land, etc.) and go through relevant approval procedures. For example, rural homestead land requires providing structural drawings stamped by an engineer according to local requirements to avoid the risk of illegal construction; for leased land, the usage nature needs to be clarified, and usually only temporary buildings are allowed. At the same time, it is necessary to evaluate the site conditions, including terrain, climate, and surrounding environment, to provide basic data for subsequent design.

II. House Type and Spatial Layout Design Select the number of containers and the splicing method according to needs:

• Basic Splicing: A combination of 2-3 containers can expand functional areas such as living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. For example,打通 (this Chinese word means 'connect through' or 'open up', here it means connecting two containers) two containers can form a flat layout of about 100 square meters.
• Split-level Design: Create spatial hierarchy through vertical stacking. The ground floor can be reserved for a courtyard or aisle area to improve ventilation and lighting.
• Application of Multi-functional Furniture: For small house types, it is recommended to use folding beds, integrated cabinets, etc., to improve space utilization.

III. Lighting, Insulation, and Shading Design

• Lighting Optimization: Install large floor-to-ceiling windows, roof skylights, or glass partitions to enhance indoor transparency.
• Insulation Treatment: Add internal insulation layers to walls/roofs and choose triple-glazed windows, which have better thermal insulation performance than traditional red brick walls.
• Shading Measures: Reduce summer sun exposure through roof eaves or terrace awnings, while enriching the building facade.

IV. Courtyard and External Environment Integration

• Facade Beautification: Use paint spraying, themed spray painting, or glass curtain walls to weaken the industrial feel and create a villa-like atmosphere.
• Independent Foundation Design: The containers are elevated above pile foundations to prevent moisture and insects and facilitate site leveling.

V. Construction Implementation and Post-construction Maintenance

• Construction Stage: It is necessary to polish and anti-corrosion treat the steel cuts, regularly inspect easily rusted parts such as welds and wall corners, and adjust the repainting cycle according to environmental humidity (for example, coastal areas require heavy anti-corrosion treatment every 3-5 years).
• Waterproof Sealing: Regularly replace sealants at doors, windows, and splicing seams, and clean roof leaves to prevent water accumulation and leakage.