A 20ft Shipping Container can be a challenging space to work with when constructing a home. Thankfully, with years of experience building super-yachts and racing boats, shipwright Evans is no stranger to working in small spaces and when it came to building his own home he has done a truly spectacular job of, quite literally, thinking inside the box.
Shipping containers make a lot of sense as a base for constructing a home. Structurally they are incredibly sound and because they are designed for marine environments, they are well-equipped to handle pretty much anything that nature can throw at them. Most people, when building a Shipping Container home, will modify the container by cutting holes in doors and windows. In his design, however, Evans has left the entire exterior of the container structurally intact, meaning this 20 x 8ft home can still be shipped by sea, anywhere in the world.
Inside, the home is a truly masterful expression of years of Evans’s experience working on yachts, as well as a furniture maker. Natural timbers with rich tones make it difficult to believe that you are standing inside a stark, white, metal box. Much of the furniture inside the shipping container house is lovingly restored and recovered from the home that Evans previously shared with his wife Rosie, who passed away 4 years ago, allowing him to build her memory into his new home.
Testament to Evans’ efficiency with space, within this 20ft container there is even a fully functional bathroom, including a macerater toilet. The shower and basin are both full-sized, meaning the experience of using the bathroom isn’t compromised. The bathroom walls are adorned with comical images which are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who enters the room.
Perhaps one of the main attractions in this home is the beautiful kitchen, which boasts a 4 burner gas stove, full-sized fridge, and even a washing machine which is hidden under the counter. The home is designed to be off-the-grid, but can also be connected to mains power. Behind the fridge are most of the home’s utilities, including house batteries, solar controllers as well as water tanks.
Evans’ Shipping Container home is designed to be expanded upon, and the plan for his home includes the addition of 2 more shipping containers. This clever concept allows the home to be completely functional as a stand-alone unit but also easily extended when necessary.
Since this video, a lot has changed in Evans’s life. Originally, Evans didn’t plan on moving into his 20ft container home until it was expanded and the project was finished. He had plans to extend the container and create a larger living area to complete the home. Those plans were put on hold after he suffered a heart attack, doing permanent damage to his heart, and where he was told he would no longer be able to do any physical work.
Given his stop work order, he decided to move into the home as it was and start thinking about what was next. In that respect, having the 20ft container home was a bit like a safety blanket. It’s a place that he owns, without debt, and where he knows that no matter what happens in his life he will always have a place he can call home.
I have such tremendous respect for Evans. He is the kind of person who, no matter what life throws at him, he just keeps pushing through. Not long after his heart attack, he converted his workshop container into a laser printing office, so that he could get creative with a different, less physical work. Fortunately for Evans, he has since recovered very well and is now able to get back into some of his construction work again and the laster printing is now more of a hobby.
Evans’s home is now made up of almost a complex of three different 20ft shipping containers. At his home, one is his workshop, and the other is his office/laser printing space. In one of his containers, he also has a small living module, where he once lived for 6 months while working on boats in Portugal before that container, along with his tools was shipped back to NZ. Together, these spaces form a very unique home and work setup, perfectly suited to Evans’s needs.
You may notice that the home is in a completely different location. When the previous marina he was parked at changed their policy, he was forced to find a new location for his containers. Fortunately, he went from a great place to an even better location! His new spot has allowed him to nestle his home into a small section of bush, create a private walkway to his home and build a unique set-up where his three containers, are stacked on top of one another. He has constructed a porch area and a veranda with commanding views out over an estuary.
It’s great to see Evans doing so well and in such a brilliant new setup. He still has plans to expand on his container home, yet for the moment is perfectly content living in his wonderful tiny house.
Evans is also passionate about sharing his knowledge and helping others who are interested in building their own container homes. He has created a booklet that details many aspects of container home construction which is now available via his website, so be sure to check that out.
