A Shipping Container Home Rises on a Rocky Site Outside Stockholm
Architect Måns Tham collaborates with a young family to create an efficient and light-filled arrangement of eight shipping containers.
Architect Måns Tham collaborates with a young family to create an efficient and light-filled arrangement of eight shipping containers.
Måns Tham, architect and founder of Måns Tham Arkitektkontor, describes his latest residential design in a memorable way. "It’s as if a flying Tetris block landed on steep granite rocks," he says.
Architect Mans Tham designed this shipping container home on stilts, making it hover over the rocky terrain. "It looks like it lands lightly on the ground," Tham says.
Photo by Staffan Andersson
Eight gray shipping containers form the home, which perches on a rocky, forested site outside Stockholm. Windows at one facade look out through treetops toward a quiet lake, but with the uneven terrain, capturing the view wasn’t easy.
"The site was an unsold lot where many had tried to build but none had succeeded," Tham says. "There was a general ban on dynamite, and the lot’s grade has an almost sixty-foot difference. There is no place for a slab, just a steep canyon where a lot of rainwater flows toward the lake."
"The house blends in with the rocks, but also stands out in a beautiful way," Tham says. "There’s nothing like it in the neighborhood, for sure."
Photo by Staffan Andersson
When Tham was introduced to the setting by his clients, he immediately saw why they were interested in a challenge. "Thomas and Linda are both into customized American cars, and they felt that old containers were in line with their do-it-yourself interests," Tham says. "They have three kids, and Linda’s dad was a former mechanic and welder. His knowledge proved to be invaluable to our success."
The couple chose shipping containers as the main structural element, citing sustainability, more flexibility in creating a foundation, and the ability to build more quickly. As it turned out, things took a little longer than anticipated.
Tham and the couple were careful to create a layout that maximized views and didn’t require too many building materials.
Photo by Staffan Andersson
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Shipping Container Home Rises on a Rocky Site Outside Stockholm
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