Turning a shipping container into a working office

Why containers work

A shipping container is already a strong, weather-tight steel box. Converted properly it becomes a site office, a storage unit, an ablution block or a small home, quickly and for a fraction of the cost and time of building the equivalent.

What a conversion involves

• Cutting and framing openings for doors and windows
• Insulation, without which a steel box is unusable in summer or winter
• Interior lining, flooring and finishes
• Electrical first and second fix, and plumbing where required
• External treatment and paint
• Delivery and placement on a prepared base

Get the base right

The most common problem with a container conversion is what it stands on. An unlevel or poorly drained base twists the frame, and once the frame is out of square the doors and windows stop closing properly. Sorting the base out first is cheaper than fixing it later.

Plan the use, then the layout

Decide how the space will actually be used before anything is cut. Where people sit, where the door swings, where the power points need to be. These are much easier to change on a drawing than in steel.