Canon City Container Cabin

This amazing container cabin is set in the heart of the beautiful mountain ranges and landscapes of Cañon City, Colorado. The city, sometimes simplified to Canon City by non-locals, is the Spanish word for ‘canyon’, so named because of the nearby Royal Gorge.

Built with one 40 foot and six 20 shipping containers, this shipping container home has 1280 square feet of living space. Plus, it has much more space available on first and second-floor decks.

The containers are arranged in two first-floor banks or wings of two 20 foot containers each, butted up against a 40-foot container turned 90 degrees. The second floor is composed of a pair of 20-foot containers balanced on top of the 40-foot container but turned 90 degrees to it. The design creates a three-sided courtyard on the first floor as well as an entrance area on the other side, both partially covered by the second-floor containers.

Intended as a family retreat, the home emphasizes spaces to view and enjoy the outdoors while also providing a safe area to relax and unwind. The first floor is where you’ll find the living room and open dining area, kitchen, entrance, and mechanical space. There’s also a small guest suite with bathroom that is accessed by an external door off the covered deck, and even an outdoor shower. Upstairs on the second floor is the master bedroom and bathroom with a huge deck set on top of the first-floor living room containers.

Calling this a cabin is really selling this container house short, as it’s striking, modern, and well-sized for a two-bedroom home. With its huge windows and creative container arrangement, it’s definitely not a boring box.

The designers also kept efficiency and security in mind. For instance, the home is designed to operate off-grid, with photovoltaic solar panels.

And, the shipping container walls provide the durability the owner wanted, given that the structure isn’t occupied full time. In fact, their design efforts were rewarded with an honorable mention from the Colorado AIA.