Anyone over the age of ten, maybe fifteen, knows what a shipping container is; they are visible during any drive through a decent-sized city, part of the American landscape for the past three-quarters of a century. But do you know what they are used for, other than the shipment of goods?
We will take a look at the many uses of a shipping container in this article, an article by Box Office Warehouse Suites, a truly unique business park located in the Fort Worth Design District of North Fort Worth. Call us at 817-439-3224 for more information and to arrange for a personal tour of our properties.
The traditional shipping container.
At its core, a shipping container is a large, sturdy metal box, typically made of high-strength steel. The primary function of a shipping container is to store and transport goods. Full-size containers are eight feet wide and forty feet long, but there are also half-containers measuring 8×20.
And there are, estimated, 65 million shipping containers on this planet, which begs the question: what do we do with all of those containers? Surely, they are not all used for shipping goods to the far corners of the globe.
Other uses of the traditional container.
Amazingly, it took the world’s inhabitants quite a few years to realize that shipping containers could be used for multiple needs. And why not? They are extremely strong, they are durable, they are relatively inexpensive to purchase . . .surely there are many more ways they can be used?
Here are just a few of those uses:
- Building a school costs a lot of money, but education is still needed for the world’s poorest areas, meaning there is a need for container schools.
- Many people use shipping containers as homes, so it’s only logical that they can become motels/hotels/Airbnb’s
- In Israel, a proposed project will turn retired shipping containers into a 525-foot long; and why not? They are virtually indestructible.
- Hospital or clinic. Can’t get to the hospital? Let it come to you. Containers can be placed on a semi-truck and transported wherever they are needed, including disaster sites.
- Affordable housing
- Emergency shelters after a natural disaster
- Office space
- Retail space for rent
- Warehouse for rent
- Shop for rent
- Garage for rent
- Loft for rent (easily stackable)
Simply stated, because of their functionality and flexibility of design, because they are very easy to retrofit and redesign, and because they are relatively inexpensive to purchases, containers can be used for practically any purpose today. The only thing holding them back is antiquated zoning laws in some communities. But as the uncertain economic times continue in this country, and in Western Europe, we predict an increase in innovative construction ideas like the traditional shipping container.
A word about Box Office Warehouse Suites.
Box Office Warehouse Suites takes the traditional container and envisions it as a business park, complete with offices, retail stores, and warehouses. The vision became a reality in the Alliance Area of North Fort Worth, and units are available. Locally owned and operated by RDS Real Estate, call us today to arrange for a tour of this truly unique business park.
