GO BEYOND: CONTAINER DESIGN CHALLENGE
SINGAPORE/WORLDWIDE
Container Architecture (Cargotecture) has been a solution of affordable housing and recycle abandoned shipping containers for a long time, due to its advantages on durability and modular element which allow for various exploration in transforming shipping container into a habitable space.
However, the recycled containers carrying many disadvantages at the same time required high amount of treatment. thereby causing much cost compare to a new container. Which is defeated the purpose of sustainability either using new or recycled container.
This proposal is to extend the flexibility and adaptability of the container into another level, by carefully study shipping container structure and combine the flexibility and durability into one. The concept extends the modularity of a shipping container, by breaking the original container into five modules, to allow each module to carry a functional space. In order to extend the flexibility. the proposal allows the user to define the function of each module in-stead of the designer.
The proposal integrated structure and furniture into one: steel structure frame with roller track attached at the bottom of top frame as the initial configuration will provide to the user. and the user is free to choose the given furniture module to decide the arrangement of the layout, the furniture module is integrated with rollers on top of it to allow the furniture to roll from one module to another, this allows the interior layout to change according to users’ activities.
The similar concept from Eames House. which Charles Eames define the residence and studio by the frames. as well as the facade of the house which is free to infill with several materials. The proposal derives the similar idea. but extend the freedom from the facade to the internal layout.
We believe that ‘change’ is the only thing constant to a city. As the development of a city is too much influence by many factors and too unpredictable. nobody is able to define the future of a city. The city should be allowed to develop by its own. not determine by anyone but every-one. Therefore, by giving an initial configuration to a container habitation, which allows it to be highly flexible to adapt in further changes. then let the ‘changes’ constantly develop in the city.