The Shipping Container Village is designed as a semi-subterranean living option purposed to demonstrate the affordability, beauty, and energy and materials efficiency of stacked shipping container construction. It will be the 5th of the 7 villages planned and open sourced and free-shared in complete detail.
This page contains the following sections related to the Shipping Container Village:
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The Shipping Container Village is planned as a semi-subterranean 3-level village constructed using shipping containers. It will provide 36 living units and 18 additional common spaces including another library, game room, exercise room, computer lab, kitchen and dining for 150+ people, laundry for 300+, and a diversity of indoor and outdoor recreation and relaxation areas. It will also add 7 different areas intended for hosting professional meetings of groups from 20-100 people at a time.
The designs on this page have been created with careful consideration of the most common shipping container sizes, where we’ll be placing plumbing, convenient and intelligent circulation, and an open floor plan with a broad diversity of indoor and outdoor options for both socialization and private relaxation and/or work spaces. Estimated cost of construction is approximately $1.5 million.
Our goal with the Shipping Container Village is to add the business and entrepreneurial component of this village to our open source and global transformation process. In addition to open sourcing this building method, we will build this village to host conventions, business retreats, and other entrepreneurially related events. By doing this, we hope to engage a demographic that might not normally visit a sustainability project like One Community.
This village is also one of the largest shipping container constructions of its kind and the first of our villages designed to be constructed into a significantly sloped grade. This will provide a widely available and large-scale sustainability option for people with similar sloped properties.
SUGGESTIONS ● CONSULTING ● MEMBERSHIP ● OTHER OPTIONS
The advantages of shipping container construction are many:
Shipping container construction also has some limitations:
The Shipping Container Village is purposed to provide a diversity of living spaces, shared social and work spaces, and professional meeting spaces. Each are constructed to be open sourced for replication as either a stand-alone structure or as part of replication of the entire village
The following areas are discussed here:
The Shipping Container Village will feature and open source five different living space floor plans. The layouts are space-efficient, contemporary, and feature maximum south-facing windows; in most cases with sliding glass doors and patios. Each of these floor plans are designed (and will be open sourced) for easy construction as individual homes too.
Here are the five different layouts:
Here are 3D views of the three floors showing the roofing of each floor as provided by the shipping container structures:
Here is Unit 1, constructed using 3 containers to provide two residences within the village. Each of these residences has a full bathroom, space for a queen (shown) or king bed, and a front sitting area with a south-facing sliding glass door as the main entry:
Here is Unit 1 using the same three containers, and general layout, but converted for those interested in personal-residence construction. In these designs you see two back-to-back residences with the addition of kitchens, more windows, and two different bedroom layouts.
Here is Unit 2, another layout constructed using three containers to provide two residences within the village. These layouts feature queen-sized beds, full bathrooms, and a social area in the front with a south-facing sliding glass door providing maximum natural lighting while also functioning as the primary entryway.
Here is Unit 2 side-by-side with the converted model demonstrating a two-bedroom home.
Again, here is Unit 2 but as a stand-alone and larger image. It uses the same three containers, and general layout, but converted for those interested in personal residence construction. It includes a full bathroom, complete kitchen, two bedrooms, many windows for natural light and passive heating and cooling, and a large living room in the front.
Here are Units 3 and 4 as part of the village. These units feature full bathrooms, queen-sized beds, living rooms with south-facing sliding glass doors and separate entryways.
Here are Units 3 and 4 side-by-side with the converted model demonstrating home layouts that could be built separately from the Shipping Container Village.
Here is an enlarged image of Unit 3 using the same two containers, and general layout, but converted for those interested in personal residence construction. In these designs you see the same bedroom and living room, but with the addition of more windows, a complete kitchen, dining area, and larger bathroom.
Here is an enlarged image of Unit 4 using the same 2 containers, and the same general layout, but converted for those interested in personal residence construction. Again you see designs with the same bedroom and living room, but with the addition of more windows, a complete kitchen, dining area, and larger bathroom.
Here is a render of Unit Type 1 looking in.
Here is a render of Unit Type 1 looking out.
Here is a render of Unit Type 2 looking out from the 2nd floor.
In addition to open sourcing five different living space floor plans, the Shipping Container Village will also open source and/or demonstrate 18 additional common spaces including a shipping container library, game room, exercise room, computer lab, kitchen and dining for 150+ people, laundry for 300+, and a diversity of indoor and outdoor recreation and relaxation areas. It will also add seven different areas intended for simultaneously hosting professional groups of 20-100.
The first floor of the Shipping Container Village is semi-subterranean because this village is designed to either be built into a slight slope or have the back side bermed to allow walk-up access to the second floor. This means the back of the entire first floor is in the ground and the front is not. Social and work spaces like a large-scale computer room and media and recreation room are in the back with residences, the yoga/meditation and socialization space, and game room in the front. This maximizes the benefits of both passive solar and in-ground construction while providing convenience of access.
Here is a concept render for the 1st-floor Shipping Container Village computer room. This area is located in the East wing and will be used for work, recreation, and collaboration on the ongoing open source creation and multi-media sharing process of everything One Community does and builds.
Here is a concept render for the 1st-floor Shipping Container Village media room and professional meeting space. This area is located in the West wing and will be used as part of this village’s business and convention hosting as well as for movies nights and social and learning events as part of One Community’s “culture of personal growth.”
This concept render shows the first-floor Shipping Container Village yoga and meditation space designed to provide exercise, recreation, and socialization space. This area is located in the front of the East wing to maximize natural light and for easy access as part of the One Community’s fulfilled living model.
This concept render shows the 1st-floor Shipping Container Village game rooms designed to provide a pool table, ping pong, foosball, board games, and tables for recreation and socialization. This area is located in the West wing and in the front to maximize natural light and for easy access as part of the One Community’s fulfilled living model.
Circulation areas on the first floor, like the one shown below, are also designed to feature art and seating areas for recreation and socialization.
The second floor of the Shipping Container Village provides elevated views from the front/south and ground-level access from the back/north. Housing on this level takes advantage of the views with patios and south-facing sliding glass doors. The large-scale kitchen and dining and informal conference rooms on this level also enjoy the south-facing views and sun.
In the north side of this floor there is a library, conference room, and outdoor meeting and relaxation areas. The library and conference room both feature sliding glass doors on the north (with walk-up access) and south for natural light from both sides.
Circulation spaces in the North offer access to the third floor and convenient storage for bicycles and other recreational equipment. Here’s a concept render showing this.
The central area of the second floor consists of a large-scale kitchen capable of feeding 200+ people at a time and a large dining room with second-floor views. An elevator to the additional seating on the first and third floors is also located in this area.
Adjacent to the large-scale kitchen and dining are two informal conference rooms with south-facing views. These rooms are located here for catered business events and resident social events, movie nights, or other activities as part of One Community’s fulfilled living model.
The Shipping Container Village library, learning, and recreation space is located on the north side for walk-up access and natural lighting. This area will function primarily as a library, but it will also provide board games and a layout useful for educational classes and seminars as part of One Community’s “culture of personal growth.”
The Shipping Container Village outdoor seating and meeting areas are part of the 2nd floor, but at ground level in the back of the village because of the semi-subterranean design. These areas are purposed for business, social, and recreational use.
The south side recreation and dining areas are accessible by a convenient walk from the kitchen, yet providing semi-privacy while dining or socializing. They are also adjacent to conference rooms that can host groups as large as 50. The area shown here is the second floor on the east end of the village looking northeast.
The third floor of the Shipping Container Village provides 3rd-story elevated views from the front/south and 2nd-story views from the back/north. This floor consists of residences, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a broad diversity of social and recreational sitting areas for enjoying the sun and views.
Here is a concept render of a northside circulation space looking east.
The central area of the 3rd floor consists of a large dining area with north and south-facing views. Looking south also provides a view down and into the 2nd-floor dining hall below. To the north is access to an outdoor seating area. An elevator to the kitchen and additional seating on the 1st and 2nd floors is also located in this area.
In addition to the expansive indoor dining and recreation space, the 3rd floor also offers a diversity of outdoor dining and recreation spaces. Here is a concept render of the central outdoor area looking southeast.
The Shipping Container Village will be the first village we build with a focus on hosting business events and retreats with seven different areas intended for hosting professional meetings of groups from 20-100 people at a time. It will provide 36 living units and 18 additional common spaces including another library, game room, exercise room, computer lab, kitchen and dining for 150+ people, laundry for 300+, and a diversity of indoor and outdoor recreation and relaxation areas.
Q: Where can I get more information about your philosophies for world change?
Please take a look at each of these additional pages: (click icons)
Q: What were the initial inspirations for these designs?
With seven villages to be designed, and a desire for artistic and unique appearances that have a deeper relationship to the purpose/intent of each village, we drew inspiration from the 7-chakra system from Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism and the Japanese 5-elements philosophy.
Note: One Community does not endorse or subscribe to any one spiritual philosophy. You can read more about our philosophy on spirituality and religion on our Spirituality Page.
The Shipping Container Village was designed thinking of and researching the Crown (7th) Chakra from Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism and the element of Metal (“jīn”) from the Japanese 5-elements philosophy. The associated color of “violet” helped develop the color palette for this village and we further aligned, diversified, and distinguished the purpose and intent of the village by looking at One Community’s core values and focusing on the values of Highest Good for All, Honesty & Integrity, and Sustainability.
To further share the design process for this village, here are some of the initial renders and design drawings:
Initial designs drawn by Nelli Levental, MFA of Graphic Design and College Professor for Classes in Sustainable Design
Initial Revit floor plans and 3-D renders by Architecture and Interior Design students Flávia Galimberte Bozeda, Erika Yumi Tamashiro, and Samantha Freitas
Flávia Galimberte Bozeda: Architecture and Interior Design Student
Erika Yumi Tamashiro: Architecture and Urban Design Student
Guy Grossfeld: Graphic Designer
Jagannathan Shankar Mahadevan: Mechanical Engineer
Nelli Levental: MFA of Graphic Design and College Professor
Samantha Freitas: Architecture and Interior Design Student
Sayonara Batista: 4th-year Architecture and Urban Planning Student
Yee-Cheng Ho: Interior Designer
SUGGESTIONS ● CONSULTING ● MEMBERSHIP ● OTHER OPTIONS
"In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model.
You create a new model and make the old one obsolete. That, in essence, is the higher service to which we are all being called."
~ Buckminster Fuller ~
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