From Cargo Containers to Mountain Retreat

Three and one half cargo containers that entered the world intended for international shipping have been given a new lease on life as a mountain retreat in the hills near Santa Cruise, California.

The high cube cargo containers, cut into sections to make them easier to navigate through the mountain roads, have been assembled to form a beautiful 1,200 square foot, two story house. The house has one full bedroom, a sleeping nook with bunk beds, 1 ½ bathrooms, and an additional outdoor shower. To add to the spacious size, there is a central skylight installed in the second floor that allows the natural mountain sun light to light up the container house. Additionally, a creative metal grate has been installed on the second story floor that allows the light to shine through to the first floor.

The containers were cut into size in Oakland, at the same time the windows and doors were installed. To prevent any cracking or damage, the skylights, drywall, and finishing work were all installed onsite by Norcal Construction. The original plywood floors remain in place on the second floor, along with the original equipment used to attach the cargo containers to the train cars during transportation.

In all, very few trees were displaced during the construction, and two fortunate trees were recycled and used in other parts of the house. One redwood was repurposed and milled into the material used in the stairs, and one of the madrones was salvaged and built into a table for the living room.

In terms of costs, the cargo containers were purchased for around $15,000 at the port of Oakland. However, due to the design and fire protection measures required for any type of housing in the area, the final bill came to around $408,000.

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