Inexpensive, Easy-Assembly Shipping Container Home

An attractive shipping container house shows the benefits of prefab living.

It was an almost-unheard of price point in New York: $100 per square foot for a new home. That’s what a pop-up shipping container structure that was displayed in the West Village in 2010 promised Manhattanites. The sleek, 320-square-foot MEKA home, designed by Jason Halter and Christos Marcopoulous and featuring 70% recycled materials, was a strong showing for prefab construction.

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The sleek 320-square-foot MEKA home, designed by Jason Halter and Christos Marcopoulous, when it was set up in New York. The home is made of cedar paneling, set over a steel shipping container.

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This shipping container prefab, built out of 70 percent recycled material, cost just $100 per square foot. It showcases a doubled glazed argon-filled window, which lets in light.

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While the MEKA home only offers a single profile, the option to add a deck provides additional space and more flexibility.

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Each MEKA home arrives via truck nearly complete. From there, it can be built in a matter of days.

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Each unit features a customizable kitchen with IKEA products and a slate bathroom. The interior is lined with bamboo.

Patrick Sisson
During the course of his career writing about music and design, Patrick Sisson has made Stefan Sagmeister late for a date and was scolded by Gil Scott-Heron for asking too many questions.

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