Find a designer or architect to work closely with on your shipping container conversion. They will help you perfect your building plans and make your vision come to life. The majority of architects use computer-aided design (CAD) to create a rendering of the final product. This will give you a good idea of what you need to expect before the work begins. In this stage of the process, you should make changes and modifications to the design and experiment with new ideas. You should have an idea of how you want to build your custom shipping container structure before you buy any containers. Ask yourself questions like, how much space do I want or need? Is this floor plan functional? Do research on the internet and make sure to plan out the process. Planning and preparation are vital to a successful shipping container conversion project, so that you can minimize the problems that arise.
If you are designing the floor plan yourself, a great tool and resource to work with is Google SketchUp and Google 3D Warehouse. You can also find inspiration and ideas on blogs and websites such as Pinterest, Inhabitat, and Treehugger. When you are designing the floor plan of your custom shipping containers, make sure that you are taking into account all of the functional elements such as insulation, space, windows, sunlight, elevations, and utilities. Once you are satisfied with the building envelope, it is time to move on to the next stage.
Three main plans:
Planning Permission/Building RequirementsExamples
If you are designing the floor plan yourself, a great tool and resource to work with is Google SketchUp and Google 3D Warehouse. You can also find inspiration and ideas on blogs and websites such as Pinterest, Inhabitat, and Treehugger. When you are designing the floor plan of your custom shipping containers, make sure that you are taking into account all of the functional elements such as insulation, space, windows, sunlight, elevations, and utilities. Once you are satisfied with the building envelope, it is time to move on to the next stage.
Structural Layout– windows, doors, kitchen, and bathroom
Electrical Layout– the flow of all receiving electricity, location of outlets, switches, and the fuse box
Water Layout– incoming and outgoing water into the container. Including bathroom, toilet, shower, sink, and kitchen sink.
Contact local building authority or visit their website to find out an overview of any documents and drawings that need to be submitted and find out the time frame they plan to work with. Every state, county, and city have separate sets of rules and regulations. Their website is a great source to find out any general information on the building process. The earlier the better to start the planning process!
When turning a shipping container into a single-family home or any habitable structure, the containers themselves, their connections, and the overall design of the building must meet building requirements of the update building code of your state, city and/or county. Since there is a gray area because the building code usually does not have specific provisions for shipping containers, it may be a challenge to justify their construction in your proposed plans. Depending on your city, you may have to request an approval for using alternate materials and methods of construction. Various regulations on the climate, fire, installations, electrical, etc, are all different. For larger homes and structures, you may need a building permit that is approved by a city council. Do not forget to check in with your insurance to make sure you can even build your container home.
Los Angeles:
Regarding “green” construction, the County of Los Angeles encourages sustainable building and has recently implemented its Green Building Ordinance. New single-family construction falls into this ordinance in a number of fashions, including recycling demolition debris and limiting irrigation water waste. Going above and beyond these requirements is certainly allowed, but just as the shipping containers, you will need to comply with all aspects of the
Los Angeles County Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Codes.
Resources: http://cityplanning.lacity.org/Code_Studies/GreenLa/greenbuildingordinance.pdf
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/code_studies/GreenLa/Brochure.pdf
San Diego:
Resource: https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/development-services/pdf/industry/infobulletin/ib149.pdf
For more information, please contact your local Building and Safety Office and speak with a building plan check engineer. They will be able to assist you with site specific questions.
