{"id":16291,"date":"2025-08-17T13:54:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=16291"},"modified":"2025-08-17T13:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:55:05","slug":"shipping-containers-as-adus-studio-one-bedroom-and-multi-dwelling-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/shipping-containers-as-adus-studio-one-bedroom-and-multi-dwelling-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Shipping Containers as ADUs, Studio, One Bedroom and Multi-dwelling Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday CBS Saturday Morning news had a report on turning shipping containers into housing and Compact Living, another company making shipping container homes, showed up in my Instagram feed.<\/p>\n

\"\"
CBS News: A Phoenix startup is turning shipping containers into shelters. Here’s why.
“X-WING is made up of four containers, topped with solar panels and joined together in an “X” shape that also creates courtyards for its residents when placed beside another unit.”
CBS News Saturday Morning <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The news story covered larger scale projects to use shipping containers as housing. The company, Sparkbox, is already using \u00a0shipping containers to build Accessory Dwelling Units. They build three models; SB1 Studio, SB2 1 Bed 1 Bath and SB2A Accessible 1 Bed 1 Bath. They are leveraging their experience to tackle larger problems. The new project will provide multi-room housing for \u201cunsheltered + homeless populations, transitional housing, workforce housing, hospitality, senior housing, and emergency\/disaster relief housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Phoenix startup is turning shipping containers into shelters. Here’s why.
\n<\/strong>By David Schechter, Anna Grazulis
\nUpdated on: August 16, 2025 \/ 12:22 PM EDT \/ CBS News<\/p>\n

Transforming shipping containers into livable shelters<\/p>\n

Old shipping containers are plentiful in the U.S., and architect Brian Stark knows exactly what to do with them.<\/p>\n

He began by designing buildings out of old shipping containers, which are scattered across the streetscape of Phoenix. His projects are as much about cost-saving as they are about being environmentally friendly, with the long-term goal of helping tackle America’s affordable housing crisis.<\/p>\n

CBS News: A Phoenix startup is turning shipping containers into shelters. Here’s why.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I did a little more research on Brian Stark and his project. The shelters they talked about on the news yesterday have four shipping containers in an X. The news report says each \u200bSPARKBOX-WING has two housing units in it. The Steel+Spark website says each container can have 5 rooms. The X adds up to 20 rooms. That can accommodate up to 48 people. Solar panels on the roof provide power and air conditioning. Build time is only one week and the containers are delivered and can be installed in just one day.<\/p>\n

The news report says Brian Stark\u2019s next project is a \u201c105-unit apartment complex out of shipping containers, specifically for low-income or unhoused senior citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

I found this article in Phoenix Home & Garden from a few years ago,<\/p>\n

Sustainable and Affordable: Architect Brian Stark Talks Sparkbox and the Future of Housing <\/strong><\/p>\n

The team behind some of the most unique and sustainable residences in the Valley has started a new venture creating prefabricated, off-the-grid backyard units. Sparkbox is the brainchild of architect and Local Studio head Brian Stark. Through Steel + Spark, his team is crafting studio and one-bedroom units from shipping containers. Ideal for additional space on a homeowner\u2019s lot, these accessory dwelling units are a much-needed solution, providing more housing quickly and sustainably, Stark says. Units, which range from $80,000 to $260,000, are being fabricated and shipped in Arizona now.<\/p>\n

Sustainable and Affordable: Architect Brian Stark Talks Sparkbox and the Future of Housing
\nSara Crocker – Phoenix Home & Garden, May 26, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can find out more about their single unit residential container housing units and their other projects on their website, www.steelandspark.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living Container House from Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Compact Living: Living Large by Building Small<\/h2>\n

The pictures that showed up on Instagram are from Compact Living: Living Large by Building Small (I like that tagline a lot.)<\/p>\n

My Compact Home – Compact Living
\n<\/strong>USA’s Premier Luxury Container Home, Tiny Home, Park Model and Modular Mobile Office Builder.<\/p>\n

This Luxury Container Home build is in its final stage this week and looking fabulous. Our 20′, 30′ and 40′ container home models are perfect for backyard guest houses, off-the-grid cabins and full time living.
\nCheck them out at www.compact.homes<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"
Compact Living 20-foot Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They build 20 and 40-foot container homes and deliver them nationwide.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living 30-foot Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They can shorten them to as little as 10 or 15 feet, if you have space limitations.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living 40-foot Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shipping containers come in 20-foot and 40-foot lengths. They are 8 feet wide and 8.5 feet tall. Higher 9.5 feet tall containers are also available.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living 40-foot Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can order them finished with just the basics, ready to move in.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Choose how finished you want it. Do you want a bathroom and kitchen already to go?<\/p>\n

\"\"
Compact Living 40-foot Container House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Or you can order it customized. Find out more\u00a0at www.compact.homes<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday CBS Saturday Morning news had a report on turning shipping containers into housing and Compact Living, another company making shipping container homes, showed up in my Instagram feed. The news story covered larger scale projects to use shipping containers as housing. The company, Sparkbox, …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[85,67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adus","category-container-homes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/featured_mycompacthome.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13301,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/airbnb-shipping-container-and-student-shipping-container-housing\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":0},"title":"Airbnb Shipping Container and Student Shipping Container Housing","author":"Carla","date":"January 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"BBC Unexpected Elements podcast this week concluded with a brief piece about staying in an Airbnb Shipping Container and Student Shipping Container Housing. Chhavi Sachdev: I\u2019ve experienced firsthand what a container feels like because I went to stay in an Airbnb which was a tiny house and it was basically\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/featured-shipping_container_home.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/featured-shipping_container_home.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/featured-shipping_container_home.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/featured-shipping_container_home.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10806,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/home-sweet-shipping-container\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":1},"title":"Home, Sweet Shipping Container","author":"Carla","date":"August 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"CBS Sunday Morning presented Home, Sweet Shipping Container, a story about shipping container homes yesterday. It wasn\u2019t my imagination that it sounded familiar. It was originally broadcast May 22, 2022. In 2016 Zack and Brie Smithey built their dream home in St. Charles, Missouri: a 3BR, 2.5 bath, 3,000 sq.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/container.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/container.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/container.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/container.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2703,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/shipping-container-tiny-house-or-workshop\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":2},"title":"Shipping Container Tiny House or Workshop","author":"Carla","date":"April 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This guy showed up in my Facebook MarketPlace feed this morning. He sells shipping containers out of Lyman, South Carolina. He sells them \u201cas is\u201d or he paints them and puts in doors and windows. I\u2019ve seen a lot of shipping container homes on Pinterest. Some are really cute. Some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shipping Container - Project Small House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-shipping_containers.jpg?fit=1200%2C639&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-shipping_containers.jpg?fit=1200%2C639&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-shipping_containers.jpg?fit=1200%2C639&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-shipping_containers.jpg?fit=1200%2C639&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-shipping_containers.jpg?fit=1200%2C639&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7201,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/casa-cubed-shipping-container-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":3},"title":"Casa Cubed Shipping Container Homes","author":"Carla","date":"February 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A new Container house showed up in my Facebook feed this morning. They are made by Casa Cubed. I looked them up. This is their website: casacubed.com This is their Facebook page: www.facebook.com\/CasaCubedLLC They are a family owned and operated company. Andres and Maria Guillama, build these container houses in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Casa Cubed Shipping Container Homes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/featured-casa_cubed-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/featured-casa_cubed-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/featured-casa_cubed-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/featured-casa_cubed-2.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15258,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/2650-shipping-container-home-diy-or-ready-for-delivery\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":4},"title":"$2,650 Shipping Container Home DIY or Ready for Delivery","author":"Carla","date":"November 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"You can buy a container for as little as $2,650 to turn into a Shipping Container Home. Or you can buy this one that is already completed. It has two bedrooms, a full bath, kitchen, even a fireplace! The containers range in price. They are listed at $2,650, $2,750, $3,300,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shipping Container Home","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-shipping_container_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-shipping_container_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-shipping_container_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-shipping_container_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9561,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/diy-container-home-kits\/","url_meta":{"origin":16291,"position":5},"title":"DIY Container Home Kits","author":"Carla","date":"May 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Bob's Containers sells DIY Container Home Kits from $17,500 or even less! 20-foot Container Home Kits start at $17,500. 40-foot kits are from $27,000. If you start with a used container, they cost even less. You can contact them for what is available. They will even work with you on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Container Homes"","block_context":{"text":"Container Homes","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/container-homes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DIY Container Home Kits","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/featured-bobs-alpine.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/featured-bobs-alpine.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/featured-bobs-alpine.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/featured-bobs-alpine.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16291"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16295,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291\/revisions\/16295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}