Brighton’s Pioneer Shipping Container Development Houses the Homeless

Building with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/shipping-containers/" target="_blank">shipping containers</a> may be a sustainable way of creating solid structures from a fairly ubiquitous repurposed material, but now it's also forging its place in social design as well. Last year, the <a href="http://www.bht.org.uk/" target="_blank">Brighton Housing Trust</a> built 36 homes out of converted shipping containers in order to house some of the area's local homeless population. The compassionate project organized by the housing trust and QED Property stemmed from the desire to help those in need locally and to establish a pattern of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/skateistan-uses-shipping-containers-to-build-massive-skatepark-for-afghani-youth/" target="_blank">social design</a> with the low cost, durable material.

A year after construction, the pioneering development is considered an overall succcess.

The modular shipping container block structures were designed by QED Property in collaboration with WCEC Architecture and are located in a former scrap metal yard, referred to as Richardson's Yard.

Set on two lots, the buildings have a five year agreement to stay on the site.

As is common, proper insulation is fairly problematic and some of the residents of the Richardson's Yard community expressed concerns about the high cost of heating their units during the wintertime.

Although the project has been commended by most for its success over the last year since the residents moved in, a few commom drawbacks to building with shipping containers have come to light.

The project continues to grow as nine more containers are currently being installed as office space and community facilities.

The container homes will offer decent shelter for the local homeless population.

The quick assembly and modular style of the complex makes it useful as emergency housing as well.