Reed Lane Container Home

Set in an up-and-coming area of Southeast Dallas, the Reed Lane Container Home is a classic case study for affordable container living. This small but modern home utilizes containers to provide strong bones and industrial flair.

About three miles southeast of downtown Dallas and one mile from Fair Park (home of the world-famous Texas State Fair) is where you’ll find this cool container house. Despite its proximity to downtown, the house is fairly cheap, though the level of quality throughout is anything but.

The developers who built this home took advantage of a City of Dallas program known as the Urban Land Bank Demonstration Program. This program takes foreclosed properties with delinquent taxes and sells them to developers promising to build new, affordable housing. It’s a way to strengthen neighborhoods and combat a city-wide housing shortage. In this case, the developer chose to use shipping containers!

The home is set on a surprisingly large lot, characteristic of older neighborhoods designed before the suburban sprawl encouraged placing homes so close together. As you approach the home from the front, you’re greeted by a large lawn and the classic details of shipping container construction in the home midway back on the lot.

To build this home, the developer used two shipping containers set parallel to each other and separated by a small gap of about eight or so feet. This is what expanded the size of the home from the 640 square feet from the containers to the 840 square feet of the home as it sets.

The containers are also staggered by about four feet, which is what allows the home to have covered porches on both the front and back of the house. Concrete piers serve as the foundation and get the home a foot or two off the ground.

You enter the home from the front porch, through a door with a vertical window, walking into the living room which is 1.5 containers wide. Past the living room is the kitchen, which is the width of one container and has all the cabinets and appliances set to one side. The kitchen also has an access door to the back porch.

The two bedrooms are on the other side of the home and are the width of the container plus the roughly 8-foot gap section. The front bedroom has direct access to a bathroom which also has an entrance from the living room. The rear, master bedroom has a private bathroom as well as access to the back porch.

The backyard has a small landing off the back porch but is otherwise undeveloped. But thanks to the large lot, there is plenty of room for a shed, playhouse, or even a guest house if the city would allow it. However, some owners might be interested in adding a garage to the home, because while there is a private driveway there is no covered place to park. 

Our understanding of the Urban Land Bank Demonstration Program is that deed restrictions were placed on developed properties like this one, requiring home buyers to be either low or middle income. The small size of the home likely takes it out of consideration for many growing families, but it would be perfect for a young couple or young family.

Still, we love the sleek, modern finishes in this home and the high standard it was built to, regardless of the size. The gray floors, white walls, granite countertops, stainless appliances, and colorful furniture all work together to create a beautiful ensemble. And the home is built efficiently as well.

Closed-cell polyurethane spray foam was used to insulate the home, and high-efficiency windows were used throughout to provide a lot of natural light. The builders added a roof across the entire top of the home that provides overhangs around the perimeter as well to help with heat gain. They also used a tankless hot water heater as well as three mini-split air conditioners to keep the air and water at the right temperatures.

For a home that’s under 1,000 square feet, this home truly offers a lot. It’s an emulation-worthy example of how containers can be the building blocks of a great home.