Atlantica - 01.10.2006, Page 22

20 AT L A N T I CA
Ever fancy living somewhere a little different? In the US and Europe, new homes
built from recyclable materials are becoming increasingly popular. While
their eco-friendliness has been a key appeal, having something
upgradeable and personalized is also a big plus. Here are
some of the projects happening around the globe.
Build Me a Home
By Eliza Reid
on the fly
Container City was first built by Urban Space
Management in London’s Docklands area in
2000. It is a complex of work studios and flats
made out of old shipping containers. “It’s simi-
lar to Lego,” explains Sarah Hewson, Marketing
& Press Manager of Container City. “The con-
tainers are meant to be stacked, so you can
make them as big as you want by putting them
together.” Container City has created over 20
projects across the United Kingdom, used as
homes, offices, and even youth centers. “We
have a huge range of clients,” says Hewson.
“One of our projects, a children’s nursery in
north London, was recently shortlisted for the
Sterling prize for innovation in architecture.”
Container City projects advertise themselves
as being environmentally sound. They use
rainwater harvesting for toilets and employ
grass roofs to conserve energy. It’s hard to get
much greener than that. containercity.com
URBAN ECO-HOUSING – LONDON, UK
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