Coined “Cargotecture“, this 24-foot-long shipping cargo container has been making a lot of heads turn in Seattle.
The architectural firm behind it all, HyBrid Architecture, entered a city sponsored competition in 2003 to create sustainable ideas for Terminal 46, a piece of Seattle waterfront property. And although they didn’t past the mustard at this particular competition, it did resonate with the architectures Joel Egan and Robert Humble and they continued on with their efforts.
Now the King County Parks and Rec are exploring the idea of using these cargo living structures at campgrounds. HyBrid Architecture beat out some fierce competition to win first prize for this honor. Called REtain, this highly sustainable cargo structure won for best sustainability, usability, and utility as well as the easiest to construct. Parks and Recreation use them for storage already on some campgrounds, so testing it out as a way to get more people to enjoy the outdoors is experimental and attractive. Think of it has an industrial yurt! It’s slated for next summer’s camping season.
Egan and Humble aren’t new to building these pint size properties. They’ve designed and fabricated cargo buildings all over the world like Europe, Africa and Sri Lanka. They also hold the designation of Sunset magazine’s Idea House of the Year award.
Besides selling Green Lake real estate, I also enjoy selling floating homes and houseboats around Lake Union in Seattle. A 24-foot cargo container could be the size of a houseboat. So if living with rhythmics waves isn’t for you but the small space is – think Cargotecture!
Could it be the way of the future?
