Repurposed shipping container becomes idyllic lakeside cabin

Once upon a time we used to us timber logs to make our lakeside cabins, but a new innovative use for a steel shipping container has put steel to the forefront of cab design.

MUA architecture & placemaking has designed a shipping container getaway right by the Tbilisi Sea, in Georgia.

GALLERY  

Purpose-built as a getaway for the architectural team to not only relax but also admire another project of theirs conveniently located next door, the sailing club at the Tbilisi Reservoir.

Shipping container architecture is a significant part of MUA’s research into modern architecture. ‘replacement of traditional building materials with second-hand, compact pre-fabricated steel boxes and creating various functional spaces requires intensive research and experimentation,’ shares the studio. This type of architecture is heavily based on material observation, investigation of potential [re]use, and daring experiments. ‘These practices yield truly interesting results,’ adds the team.  This form of architecture has many positive aspects – it is ecologically sustainable, suitable for reuse, cost-effective and since it is ‘pre-fabricated,’ requires minimal construction time.

The office container is 12 meters (40 feet) in length, with the cabin adopting a linear layout throughout the interior. Far edges of the container are transformed into rest areas and their ancillary functions (bathroom and storage spaces). The middle part of the container, the shared space, comprises a small kitchen, a working desk, and a living room. Large sliding doors allow the indoors and the outdoors to blend with each other, creating an open, accessible platform with a sea view.

Images by nakanimamasakhlisi photo lab via Designboom

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