Private Residence - Marin
This private residence is set within a steep wooded site in Marin California commuting distance from San Francisco. Driven as a response to ever-increasing construction costs and lengthening time schedules in the heated market of the Bay Area; this house exploits the proven concept of recycled shipping containers as a fast, effective and cheap alternative to traditional house building. Prefabricated then installed on-site within days.
A pair of shipping containers measuring 20x8 feet are set parallel to each other with a 4-foot infill space between them forming a 20x20 foot space. These arrangements allows for the minimal intervention and cutting of the container and standard repetitive glazing units. Complete sides, either one or two are removed allowing for large floor-to-ceiling glazing along the long edge; as in the kitchen dining and the main living space. Alternatively, simply one shorter end is removed; the doors being replaced with glazing as in the lower bedrooms.
In total eight 20x8 ft containers are arranged in this manner stacked and rotated 90 deg. to form this flexible 2 bedroom dwelling with1440 sqft of internal space. In this layout, the lower floor contains the bedrooms, bathrooms, mechanical, and storage. The connecting stairs occupying the 4ft between the containers. Above this, the entrance, loggia, and main living area is an open space that spreads the full length of the building. The centrally located stacked stair connects up again to the dining and kitchen areas and the first of two large roof terraces.
A cohesive elegant functioning modern house. The luxurious results are often unassociated with such building techniques.
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