Written by
The Daily Mail reported this week on a somewhat unusual idea for a ‘des res’; a converted shipping container decked out with underfloor heating and other mod cons to make a cosy little dwelling. The idea is the brainchild of entrepreneur Sam Minionis, who noticed the vast number of shipping containers which arrive in the UK every year, and thought they could easily be turned into affordable housing. Gathering together a group of investors he sank £150,000 into the idea and is reaping the benefits ? even winning a contract to provide 36 shipping container units as part of an extension to a north London nursing home.
The pods are fully insulated, fitted out with electrics, plumbing and underfloor heating and are clad in brick to make them blend into the existing buildings, Mr Minionis told the Mail. There is even room to grow with the pods, as they can be joined together for larger spaces and stacked to make multiple stories. The Chinese container firms have spotted the potential themselves and have even offered to pre-fit the containers, although Mr Minionis insists that this ?would undermine the recycling credentials.?
