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bajabound2019
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Looking for Architect to Design Shipping Container Home
Hello! New to the forum but have seen some great advice given here.
Our family just bought some land about 1.5hrs south of Ensenada. We are ready to get the renderings and design done for a shipping container home and
wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations for a local architect to design it?
Thanks in advance!
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fishbuck
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There are a zillion photos of them on the web.
But after looking into it I don't see any financial benefit and you still end up with an unconventional looking house.
Maybe hard to sell later.
I say cement block still cheaper and better. And you can build a "real" house too.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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bajaguy
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Try living in one. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Plus if you are near the beach you have the damp cold.
If I did it over, I would go with steel framing and LOTS of insulation
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bajaguy
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Find someone in the states to do your plans, then find an architect here to translate them and certify them. Get your building permit from
Catastro/Urban Development in Ensenada.
Get an extra set of plans for yourself and be at the construction site every day. If you are not there with your own plans, you will get what the
contractor/builder thinks you need instead of what you want.
PS to Fishbuck - You can make a container house look like a "real" stick or block built house - use your imagination
Quote: Originally posted by bajabound2019  | Hello! New to the forum but have seen some great advice given here.
Our family just bought some land about 1.5hrs south of Ensenada. We are ready to get the renderings and design done for a shipping container home and
wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations for a local architect to design it?
Thanks in advance! |
[Edited on 2-4-2019 by bajaguy]
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fishbuck
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Yes. The adobe brick house here (San Quintin) was very hard to keep warm in winter.
It has a very cool fireplace but needed a Franklin stove too. And wood is a bit hard to come by. And still cold. Too much space to heat.
I think I would try to make the core living area as tight as a drum and well insulated to stay warm in winter.
I don't think wood is adequte for heat. I guess everyone uses gas to heat their houses in Baja (norte).
I remember those cool minisplit things. Are they gas or electric?
If the containers were free it might be worth it. But they cost like 2-5 grand in Ensenada. That is alot of cement block.
All the work to use them. And still be living in a container with all the issues.
But some of those container designs are super cool and very creative.
One can dream...
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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bajabound2019
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| Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck | There are a zillion photos of them on the web.
But after looking into it I don't see any financial benefit and you still end up with an unconventional looking house.
Maybe hard to sell later.
I say cement block still cheaper and better. And you can build a "real" house too.
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Thanks Fishbuck. I appreciate your input. We've looked into quite a lot of different building styles and materials. Also toured a 2 story container
house in our current neighborhood in Redondo Beach, CA and feel that this is right for us. These container homes, with the right builders and a good
architect, can easily resemble a traditional home built of cement blocks. We have no intentions of selling it but if need be, we are confident that it
will sell.
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bajabound2019
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy | Find someone in the states to do your plans, then find an architect here to translate them and certify them. Get your building permit from
Catastro/Urban Development in Ensenada.
Get an extra set of plans for yourself and be at the construction site every day. If you are not there with your own plans, you will get what the
contractor/builder thinks you need instead of what you want.
PS to Fishbuck - You can make a container house look like a "real" stick or block built house - use your imagination
| Quote: Originally posted by bajabound2019 | Hello! New to the forum but have seen some great advice given here.
Our family just bought some land about 1.5hrs south of Ensenada. We are ready to get the renderings and design done for a shipping container home and
wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations for a local architect to design it?
Thanks in advance! |
[Edited on 2-4-2019 by bajaguy] |
Thanks Bajaguy!This information is valuable to us and will look into the building permits from Catastro/Urban Development. As far as getting it
designed here in the states, this is definitely an option we are considering if we don't find the right person in Baja. Appreciate that!
We have close family that live 5 minutes from our land so we, thankfully, will have someone to monitor the progress when we are here in the states.
This is part of the reason we chose the lot we did. To make sure we have someone closeby to keep an eye on our property.
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bajaguy
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Next time you are in Ensenada, check out the area along the Malecon, south of the Navy base. Someone is designing/building a commercial structure
using shipping containers. You might check with them and see who they are using for an architect and/or contractor
Also think the Agula Mala craft beer pub in Sauzal is made out of shipping containers
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bajabound2019
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy | Next time you are in Ensenada, check out the area along the Malecon, south of the Navy base. Someone is designing/building a commercial structure
using shipping containers. You might check with them and see who they are using for an architect and/or contractor
Also think the Agula Mala craft beer pub in Sauzal is made out of shipping containers |
Perfect! I'll look out for it on our next trip. Thanks!
We were in Valle de Guadalupe this weekend and saw a couple of these homes being built on one lot. Couldn't find anyone around on a Sunday morning and
we were on our way out. But I think i'll call the winery nearby and see if they know who the builder is too.
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bajabound2019
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy | Next time you are in Ensenada, check out the area along the Malecon, south of the Navy base. Someone is designing/building a commercial structure
using shipping containers. You might check with them and see who they are using for an architect and/or contractor
Also think the Agula Mala craft beer pub in Sauzal is made out of shipping containers |
Perfect! I'll look out for it on our next trip. Thanks!
We were in Valle de Guadalupe this weekend and saw a couple of these homes being built on one lot. Couldn't find anyone around on a Sunday morning and
we were on our way out. But I think i'll call the winery nearby and see if they know who the builder is too.
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chuckie
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Geezo! They are BOXES,eh?
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fishbuck
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Yeah, a whole world of cool stuff made from boxes.
I want some form of it for my place too.
Maybe my hanger. Cut a bunch up for it with a cool little control tower/bedroom on top.
I'll Airbnb it. Right on my runway.
Seems like a good use.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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del mar
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does anyone build quonset huts anymore?
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BajaTed
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Closed cell foam blocks are part of the new frontier in building materials.
Logistics for far away places is part of their advantage.
Think hydronic floor heating too for ultimate comfort.
Es Todo Bueno
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nbentley1
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These folks are a good resource in Ensenada and in msure they can make some suggestions. The Plaza Containadores that Bajaguy referred to south
Ensenada a really cool design with some great places to eat.
https://bajacontenedores.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8zvcQGztc
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chuckie
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This post started three years ago...I wonder if any progress has been made...Seems like a lot of jawbone for what is essentially a DIY project
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RFClark
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I missed this prior. We’re building a hybrid container home south of Cerritos in BCS. It’s harder to find an architect for a DYI project as it’s
busy here. The permit process is different too. You need an Architect/Engineer here to get a permit which takes 2+ months as compared to 6+ months in
Riverside Co in California. Also a lot less money in Mexico.
Insulation is a must as is exterior coating!
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | I missed this prior. We’re building a hybrid container home south of Cerritos in BCS. It’s harder to find an architect for a DYI project as it’s
busy here. The permit process is different too. You need an Architect/Engineer here to get a permit which takes 2+ months as compared to 6+ months in
Riverside Co in California. Also a lot less money in Mexico.
Insulation is a must as is exterior coating! |
Shipping containers are limited in size.
Pre-fab steel bldgs allow for more flexibility, sizes. There are lots or pre-fab metal building manufacturers in usa, perhaps some in Mexico too.
Seems to me that containers and steel buildings share common features: they are ugly.
You might be better off with custom clock, concrete, stucco, etc., if aesthetics matter to you.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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RFClark
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Goat,
Container homes are not limited to 8’ wide rooms. You just cut holes in the walls. The biggest differences between container and metal buildings are
wind resistance and air infiltration.
Most metal buildings are designed to a 100 - 110 mph gust spec. Shipping Containers are probably good well past 140 mph if anchored correctly.
Air infiltration is the day to day issue however, containers are air tight basically so the air exchange rate can be controlled, especially when
it’s windy and humid. This reduces the load on your solar powered AC system. Metal buildings are more difficult to make airtight because of all the
unsealed seams.
Then there are earthquakes! Everyone in BCS says well we haven't had a big earthquake! Well, BCS is moving north and it’s just a matter of time.
Containers are very strong because full ones are stacked 8 high and placed on a rolling ship!
They are also fireproof and termite proof!
If you finish them with Durorock cement board and stucco over the insulation they look just like a square block house.
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RFClark
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Container Home Example
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