Cyber Week: Get 35% off Dwell with promo code WEEK35
SubscribeSign In
Collection by Allie Weiss

House of the Week: Comfortable Home Made of Two Shipping Containers

Every week, we highlight one amazing Dwell home that went viral on Pinterest. Follow Dwell's Pinterest account for more daily design inspiration.

Readers were drawn to this shipping container home in San Jose, Costa Rica. Architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe cleverly transformed two austere, 40-foot-long metal boxes into a home for a couple. The strikingly simple residence, named Containers of Hope, covers 1,075 square feet and cost just $40,000.

View 4 Photos
Set slightly apart, each container is installed on pier foundations.
Set slightly apart, each container is installed on pier foundations.
Spectacular views continue even in the bathroom, located at the far end of the home. “We managed to change a family’s life by shifting the paradigm of what it means to own a home,” Saxe says.
Spectacular views continue even in the bathroom, located at the far end of the home. “We managed to change a family’s life by shifting the paradigm of what it means to own a home,” Saxe says.
The roof of this residence was made from scraps taken from the sides of the shipping containers. Its slanted design creates a wind tower effect that provides natural ventilation and negates the need for air-conditioning.
The roof of this residence was made from scraps taken from the sides of the shipping containers. Its slanted design creates a wind tower effect that provides natural ventilation and negates the need for air-conditioning.