Residential Shipping Container Primer (RSCP™)

Tempohousing invents, designs and builds modular housing solutions world wide based on its own unique housing system. 'Tempo' means speed and the housing solutions apply to many different sectors like student housing, city apartments, luxury hotels, basic staff accommodation or ski resort chalets just to mention a few. A short construction time and a modular and flexible system are key advantages, as well as the universal unit sizes, that can be shipped as standard 40 foot containers all over the world as standard freight on any vessel, truck or train.Keetwonen is the name of the biggest container city in the world (we know of no other village of shipping containers of this size: do you?). Living in a converted shipping container was a new concept in the Netherlands when launched by Tempohousing but the city of Amsterdam took the courageous step to contract Tempohousing to go and build it. It turned out to be a big success under students in Amsterdam and it is now the second most popular student dormitory of the owner of the complex, the student housing foundation "De Key" (www.dekey.nl) in Amsterdam. The early day's fears that the container homes are too small, too noisy, too cold or too hot all turned out to be completely different: they are spacious, quiet and well insulated and certainly offer value for money, compared to other student homes in the city.

They also come complete with a list of amenities that often fail in other student dormitories: you own bathroom and kitchen, balcony, separate sleeping and study room, large windows for enough daylight and view and even and automatic ventilation system with variable speeds. The heating is from a central natural gas boiler system. The hot water is supplied by 50 liter tank per home and a high speed internet connection is included, as well as a central audio phone system for visitors at the main door downstairs. The whole project was designed with in mind how students like to live: a place for yourself, not having to share the shower and the toilet with strangers but on the other hand lots of possibilities to enter into the social life of the dormitory, including the many parties that come with living as a student. The blocks have a closed off internal area for safe bicycle parking.

Although the project was initially meant to only stay here for 5 years (and relocated after that – container homes are ideal for that, you move and you take your house with you!), it is expected that the relocation will be postponed until 2016. The project started end of 2005 (first 60 homes commissioned) and was completed in mid 2006.