Manhattan Projects | Container Homes NZ - Seaview

8 Reasons To Use Manhattan Projects for Container Homes

There are shipping containers all over the world in ports and yards. These shipping containers can be reused and up-cycled. Manhattan Projects converts them into your next shipping Container Home or Office providing the perfect building solution. Shipping containers can be constructed quickly, are Eco friendly, relatively cheap and look amazing. We are often asked why so many of our customer are choosing us to construct a shipping container home.

All Tiny Homes Are Not Created Equal– A Tiny home is a big investment. Unlike cramped tiny homes on wheels, (which are classed as caravans), our containers are designed to NZ standards to meet the demands of the New Zealand environment be it high winds, coastal sea spray or snow.  We’re also not restricted to road legal trailer lengths, which means you don’t have to put up with tiny overhead loft sleeping areas and tight spaces. Most people are also not aware that living in a wheeled Tiny Home on private property is often illegal under most councils.

Our core vision and focus has always been to provide modern, sustainable, light filled interior spaces that people love to live in.

We don’t import any pre-made homes/office units from China with non compliant plumbing or wiring and we don’t use “insulated fridge panels” for the interior of our homes. Our designs include large format double glazed windows & doors, high stud ceilings (2550mm), appliances, painted gib finish interior (or T&G paneling) and inclusions like soft close drawers in the kitchen and bathroom.

Best of all our containers are designed with affordability in mind!

1. Cost

Because shipping containers are available worldwide, construction is typically much cheaper than traditional building materials such as brick, steel, and wood. Since shipping containers are already constructed, extremely durable, and have flooring, you don’t have to spend money or time building the basic structure. Your money can go a lot further, depending on what type of Container Home or Office you chose and where it’s located.

2. Eco-Friendly

With so many shipping containers in use around the globe, there are plenty of size options available for us turn into your next Container Home or Office. Upcycling these shipping containers to make your new home or Office will help preserve our environment by reusing the shipping containers, keeping your costs low, and your conscience clear with your Eco-friendly building materials. To ensure we are being as Eco-friendly as possible with your shipping container home, we try to use recyclable materials where possible and construct your Home or Office in a way that allows natural sunlight to fuel your space.

Shipping containers can easily be remodeled, cut, or have items added to them at a later stage to make them better for the environment, and take advantage of the weather around them. For example, many shipping container Homes and Offices in areas with plenty of sunlight can have solar panels installed on the roof to reduce running costs and energy use.

Want to make your shipping container Home or Office more Eco-friendly- talk to us.

3. Speed of Construction

A traditional home usually takes a minimum of six months to build, while a shipping container Home or Office can be built in under one month!
With so many design options available from Manhattan Projects to choose from, we’ve made it easy and done the research on the best ways for your new container Home of Office to be constructed.

4. Off-grid living

If you are looking to live off the grid, then we can customise your shipping container Home or Office to support this. For anyone not familiar with this term, it means to live or work without being connected to electricity or mains/town services. Many of our customers know how easy it was using Manhattan Projects to make their shipping container Home of Office off-grid. We have fitted many Homes and Offices with solar panels and a grey water recycling system as options. Living and working off the grid can save a considerable amount of money due to your lower energy costs. You will also reduce your carbon footprint and be more self-reliant!

5. Extremely Tough

Shipping containers are made to ship cargo, including delicate items, across the ocean. Most of the time these trips are as far away as China to New Zealand. With that long distance in mind, they are made specifically to be durable and extremely tough so the high winds, sea spray and rough weather do not damage the items inside the containers. Considering they are made for harsh conditions and to withstand extreme weather, they are more than tough enough to sit on land and be your luxurious shelter. They can withstand in excess of 200 kmph winds, for those of you in cyclone or storm prone areas or be buried in snow. They are tougher than most other Eco-friendly building materials. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your Container Home or Office will endure and keep you safe in extreme weather conditions.

6. Portability

Shipping Containers are designed to be moved. Depending on the size of your container home they can easily be moved from one location to another at a later stage giving you total flexibility if your needs change.

7. Flexibility

The boxy style and the material used in shipping containers allow for flexibility when constructing your perfect container home. The Corten (or weathering) steel they are built with is strong and sturdy and was designed to spend years in a harsh ocean environment. It also gives you the option to stack containers on top of each other. You probably won’t be wanting an eight-story skyscraper (though it has been done)! In addition to stacking them vertically, you can lay them down, side by side and build out horizontally too. The internal container walls can be removed, making it possible to build a door or opening to connect multiple shipping containers together. This convenience is great and allows the use of multiple containers to build different style homes. The other great thing about the flexibility of shipping containers is that you can finish them in any which way you like. Quite a few of our shipping container homes have been given a cabin feeling by cladding the outside of the containers with wood- ask us about these options.

8. They Look Cool

And finally, in addition to being economical, Eco-friendly, and fast to build, shipping container homes look amazing! If you are new to shipping container homes and need any persuasion, check out the rest of our Portfolio on our web site to see just a few of the options available.

Believe us when we say that your new Container Home will draw interest and attention! All sorts of incredible buildings been constructed using shipping containers.