Casa Cúbica, a tiny container home
Cúbica is a company in Costa Rica that specializes in alternative construction based on repurposed shipping containers. They have built housing, commercial and institutional projects from cast-off containers. Cúbica cites lower cost, short delivery times, earthquake resistance and low maintenance as a few of the advantages of using containers.
Cúbica has designed Casa Cúbica, a compact dwelling built from a 20-foot shipping container. A 20-foot container has just 160 ft2 (14.9 m2) of space but Cúbica stretches it out with a short extension at one end. They market it mainly as a vacation home that sleeps up to four. However it would also be suited for full-time living by a single person or a couple, being complete with a kitchenette, full bath and even laundry facilities.
The back wall of the living space is lined with cabinetry containing the kitchenette, closets and a Murphy bed. The extension provides a space for built-in bunk beds, while the bathroom is at the other end. The bathroom has a separate compartment housing the toilet and a stacked washer and dryer. It’s interesting to compare the Casa Cúbica to the Port-a-Bach container cabin, which has a very similar layout but a more casual feel.
Two sets of sliding patio doors open the space to the deck. The shower also has direct access to the outdoors. A ship’s ladder leads up to a second deck on the roof. The glass doors can be protected by a roll-down security shutter, which is otherwise concealed within a box at roof level that also serves as a bench for the roof deck.
Besides providing entertainment space, the roof deck also helps to keep the dwelling cool by blocking sunlight from hitting the metal container directly. Likewise, the corrugated metal siding was chosen to reflect heat away and is installed with an air gap behind it for ventilation.
We hope you enjoyed this article! Have a nice weekend!
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- floor plan
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- model
Photographs courtesy of Cúbica.
Text copyright 2013 SmallHouseBliss. All Rights Reserved.
Absolutely love this house it is a dream home for me!!!
Estimate cost.
What more could you ask for in a vacation home? A container will last forever.
Definitely luxury living. Incredible detail and finish work. At what price? Oh, can we accommodate 2 adults and a Bassethound?
I wish someone would create homes like this in the US, especially in the South.
Love the double Murphy Bed/Table! Wonderful ingenuity!
I’m working on it because we need it. People can’t afford these $3,000 Apartments
The most important info is never revealed in these pieces: What does it cost?
In the US, a good used 20 ft. container can be purchased for around $1,500. A new container at the building yard in China is about $2,500, but that is the bulk price, and you still have to get it to your site. It would be a good idea to take a welding course at your local community college before you go all in.
If you look closely while driving out and about, you’ll discover Shipping containers just about everywhere. Following long travels on the sea, you’ll observe containers in the final distribution channels. When you get stopped at the train crossing, you’re very likely to see train car after train car filled with containers, or you’ll observe commercial transport trucks carrying them around on carriages and flat beds full of goods of every type. Once shipping containers are retired from use overseas service, you’ll see them behind retail stores and on building sites supplying secure storage for equipment and inventory doing duty as storage containers.
Hey, put about 35 meters of pex tubing on your roof under your deck that is connected to your on demand shower head. I did the same in Cali, Colombia. It got to 50C/120F, but I used a concrete roof there.
This container house is wonderful!! I’m 76 years old and my daughter wants me to go live with her. This house would fit perfectly on her property and it would be enough space for me and my 2 cats. Is a floor plan available?
Looks great, but read this (in Spanish): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItVbuY3U89o
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there realy wonderful do they have this in nova scotia
price please
can it fit 2 kids 2 adults and a toy poodle named Tia?
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I need info on this home..I just bought a lot on Lake Palestine in East Texas and this would be perfect…..Please send more info jesse6127@att.net…. Price construction shipping etc…thank you
I need more information on the Casa Cubica container homes. More details. Costs.
Please Let Me Know More Options In This Category Along With Availability In India.
Please Let Me Know More Options In This Category Along With Availability In India.
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Is this the only one in Costa Rica? Or does your company have others for sale? I live in Canada in summer and would like this s an option for the winter months, the price?,are they all finished to this standard,or can you buy a basic one?
Thank you. Barbara Baynton
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Hi can I have info on the price? Thanks
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Would love to Owen one in my backyard how much!
Hello,
Can someone tell me, how do I contact the company that manufactures this type of housing in containers?
Thank you very much!
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