Ashley Street Container Lofts

There is something about containers stacked at scale that really catches your eye. And outside of things like shipping container parks and other large retail establishments, an apartment made from shipping containers is one of the best places to see multiple containers used in one project.

The Ashley Street Container Lofts are exactly that sort of shipping container project. A creative design that utilized 18 shipping containers stacked three high instantly gets your attention, but it’s more than just aesthetics. By using containers, the developers of the Ashley Street Container Lofts were able to bring affordable, dense housing to an urban neighborhood.

This container apartment complex sits in the Cathedral District of Jacksonville, Florida. This east-central neighborhood, named for its many churches such as St. John’s Cathedral, is a strategic location. It’s close to the riverfront, city center, and stadium district.

JWB Real Estate Capital, the developer, was inspired by container apartments in Europe. And while these are on the smaller scale of what we’ve seen in other locations, the design is still very cool.

With only a 0.13 acre lot, there wasn’t a lot of room. So the design went vertical, incorporating three stories. Each story is essentially identical, although the ground floor is ADA compliant and lacks the balcony that higher floors offer.

Each of the 18 40-foot containers holds one of the 18 units. When built, the plan was for nine units to be used as short-term rentals and nine for regular apartments. That unit mix may shift over time as market demands change.

But building it turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected. The original project ballooned nearly 50% in cost to over $1.5m and over $90k per unit. 

The developer stated that they had to change project engineers three times, and found that fire protection and stairwells greatly added to the costs. In the end, the goal was less about saving money and more about doing something unique to help downtown Jax.

Still the results are impressive, even if they came at a high price. Each unit is certainly small, even tiny, but the design incorporates modern finishes and plentiful natural light. And there’s a certain synergy between all the units together with the courtyard in between.

But we won’t sugarcoat it, this isn’t an apartment complex for everyone. There is no parking at all, so you’ll be on your own to find street parking down the street. And the units are basically efficiencies, with no door separating the sleeping and living areas.

With only 360 gross square feet to work with (less if you’re counting useable space), you can’t have everything. What you can have is a workable floorplan including a kitchen with all appliances and even in-unit washer dryers. You get granite counters, attractive cabinets, and modern bathrooms. And the satisfaction of knowing you live in the hippest building in town, with a three-story outdoor mural to prove it.

Let us know what you think about these container apartments in the comments below. Too small, just right? Creative, but not for you? Or perfect? We’d also love to hear your opinion if you’ve ever stayed here, as at least one of these is still available for short-term rental (See the link below in Contact Information).