PV14 House

When you think of iconic container homes, the PV14 House surely has to be on the list. This substantial container home uses 14 shipping containers plus some traditional construction methods to create an artistic showpiece.

First things first, let’s talk about the name. Given that the home sits on Peavy Road and uses 14 containers, the designers chose PV14 to jointly symbolize the place and space. 

Unless you live in the neighborhood, Peavy Road probably doesn’t mean anything to you. But a quick look at the map will tell you it sits right on the edge of Dallas’s White Rock Lake, an spacious urban park just east of downtown surrounded by beautiful homes. The home site is actually one of the highest places in the city, set about 100 feet above the surface of the water.

The PV 14 container home makes full use of its elevated siting to maximize the view of both the lake and the downtown skyline. Features like the balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and especially the rooftop deck are all intended to capture those scenic views.

But let’s back up and discuss the house as a whole. It starts with a concrete pier and beam foundation, topped with concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls and polished concrete floors. This ground-level area is home to the carport (porte cochere), garage, storage, and entertainment area with access to the backyard pool.

The upstairs is built from containers and holds three bedrooms, kitchen, main living area, and spacious porches. Placing these spaces on the second floor keeps them away from street noise and provides access to those views we were talking about. One floor up is the rooftop deck, with panoramic views and space for 150 people!

Given the extensive use of shipping containers, you’re probably wondering if the designers had some energy efficiency and other industrial design ideas in mind when creating this home. If those thoughts crossed your mind, you would be right.

The porches aren’t just for views: they supplement the generous roof overhangs and double-paned windows to keep heat from sunlight at bay. Additionally, the walls are framed with wooden 2x6s and filled with a mix of open and closed-cell foam to provide heat transfer resistance there as well. 

The spacious roof deck serves as a solar screen for the single-ply roof membrane that it covers, keeping the roof cooler and protected from the punishing Texas sun. Design-wise, the container theme is supplemented with plenty of exposed steel and concrete.  Things like stair railings made from steel rebar and bedroom doors made from repurposed shipping container doors are a nice touch.

It’s no secret why this Dallas shipping container house has been so broadly shared online: it combines incredible views with a design that artfully marries container construction with traditional construction methods that still mirror the modern aesthetic. And it may just be a cool source of inspiration for your container project as well.