Container Vale da Vila

Set in the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal, the Container at Vela de Vila is a simple yet luxurious place to stay. This container house was actually intended as a concept of the designer, known as the Nomad Living Container.

They saw it as a container building that could be used for a variety of purposes, like a starter home for a young family, a holiday retreat, a home office, etc. We’ve covered some of these use cases before, such as in our article on Container She Sheds and Man Caves.

In this instance, it was created for short-term visitors as a container getaway retreat. The container actually sits on the property of a larger 10-person villa, Quinta Vale de Vila. Set on 4 hectares of land that’s inside a national park, you can be sure that there is a tranquil atmosphere just outside the container walls.

The retreat itself is simply a 40-foot container with included bathroom, sleeping, and eating areas suitable for two adults and two children. There’s nothing especially remarkable about the design other than the bold orange color (perhaps inspired by nearby orange farms) and the huge sliding glass doors that take you out to the covered patio.

Due to the small size of the container, this patio serves as an extension of the living space and effectively doubles the size. And given the hilltop views of the sea and temperate weather, we’re betting most guests make plentiful use of it. Don’t forget about the pool that’s on the property too, just a few steps away.

You have to appreciate the execution of the project because it really is such a simple design that punches above its weight class. It looks like it belongs among the property’s trees, yet as a container, it has the option of portability if the owners ever need to move it. It conforms to the building regulations of the region while remaining economical and sustainable.

And most importantly, it offers the location and beauty of the building site. Whether you want to walk on the property’s shaded path, explore the national park, or enjoy the sights and sounds of the nearby city of Silves only 10 minutes away by car, you can do it.