Shipping Container Architecture – Part II

Three years ago, I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to study affordable student housing made from shipping containers, where I worked with CPH Containers to prototype their first container.

Two years ago, I wrote a blog that underscored the startup’s early exploration into the process and plans to create a village of container housing.

Today, I am very nostalgic that I am no longer in Denmark, but most importantly, I am excited to share that the startup’s first student housing village, located where the original prototype was situated, is complete.

The first CPH Village was completed in summer 2018 on the centrally located island of Refshaleøen. The containers were prefabricated off-site; once onsite, they were assembled into two rows to create a central corridor between them. The modular construction provides 164 rooms, and each rent for $600/month. Students get their own sleeping space and kitchenette, but share a bathroom with one other person. At one end of the village is a large communal space for all residents to enjoy with a big kitchen and ample gathering spaces.

The application process for a unit is not simply about a prioritized number on the list; rather, students are chosen based on how well they can support and maintain a thriving community of like-minded residents who celebrate diversity and cultivation. And because housing is limited to students, neighbors are constantly changing, creating a new social environment every year.

The second CPH Village is currently under construction. Its proximity to some of the most popular restaurants, parks, and cafes in Copenhagen makes the site very desirable for students — especially for the price.

Through the creation of these co-living villages, the startup has transformed the way cities and people can respond to the affordable housing crisis. Perhaps this has the potential to serve as a model for modular movable housing across the world; that is, without any permanent foundation on the ground, housing has the opportunity to be movable and shared — a concept definitely worth exploring beyond Denmark.

To learn more about the process, check out their website:www.cphvillage.com

Photo Credit: Arcgency