Nomad Living, a container guest house | Studio ARTE

May 10, 2014

This bright orange guest house sits under a tree in the scenic Algarve region of southern Portugal. It is the first in what architect Arnold Aarssen of Studio ARTE envisions as a new line of dwellings built from repurposed shipping containers. The “Nomad Living” container homes are intended to provide economical and relocatable living quarters, and can be produced using various finishing materials.

Built from a 40-foot shipping container, the Nomad Living guest house has 320 ft² (29.7 m²) of floor space. Except for the bathroom at one end, it is one open room that serves as living, dining and sleeping space. There is no kitchen as this is guest house for the main house on the property, and there is also an outdoor kitchen right next to it. To keep the small home cool in Algarve’s sunny climate, a second roof built over the container with a ventilation space in between keeps the sun from hitting the container itself.

A huge opening was cut in the side and fitted with sliding glass doors, allowing the living space to expand out to a sailcloth-covered terrace. The architect designed the terrace as a true outdoor room with well-defined boundaries established by the shade structure and curtains. By turning the terrace into a room and at the same time removing the visual barrier between the inside and the terrace, it is perceived as part of the living space, doubling the apparent size of the dwelling.

Have a great weekend!