Storage containers are designed for transporting and securing items from your business or home, but that isn’t their only purpose. In fact, many people take advantage of their long-term storage capabilities and combine it with something else to create a whole new business or creative endeavor.
Are you looking for ways to repurpose an old storage container you have access to? Or maybe you just want to understand why storage containers are suddenly in such high demand? Whatever your interest, here are 12 creative ways that people are reusing storage containers for homes, businesses, and other artistic endeavors:
1. Theaters
Repurposing shipping containers into open theaters or bistros has become an increasingly popular trend. Although shipping containers cannot be used in this manner for extended periods, they do provide a creative entertainment space for people to gather and watch a movie or listen to music in warm weather conditions.
2. Schools
In certain parts of the world where constructing a traditional structure for education can be too expensive, shipping containers have been used in many cases. Multiple containers can be used within one main area to provide separate classrooms within an entire educational facility.
3. Restaurants
Another innovative trend is to use shipping containers as restaurants, particularly in areas with little square footage. Containers are a great way to create a more traditional restaurant space without having to resort to renting an existing building. There are a number of famous examples of restaurants created from shipping containers, including SnackBox in New York’s Times Square and MuvBox in Montreal, Canada.
4. Homes
Multiple shipping containers can be utilized to build quite large, spacious homes. There have even been entire communities built from shipping containers. Many of these structures are quite eco-friendly, as they can use the flat roof structure as a base for solar panels. Consider booking a vacation in a rental storage container home to try it out for yourself.
5. Offices
Using shipping containers as office spaces is another creative way to take advantage of potential spatial restraints. Shipping containers have been modified for use as office spaces. When constructed in a stacked manner, they can actually be quite productive and spacious. That’s why many storage companies, including us here at Eagle Leasing, also rent out containers designed specifically for office use.
6. Emergency Hospitals
Shipping containers have been increasingly used as emergency centers. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping containers have been utilized as both testing centers and vaccination sites. Shipping containers were placed in parking lots of shopping centers and pharmacies in response to the growing demand for COVID testing and vaccinations.
7. Portable Toilets
Shipping containers have long been repurposed as portable toilets. These containers make for suitable, movable toilets to help maintain sanitation and proper hygiene. Shipping containers can often be found used in this manner at special events or outdoor venues.
8. Stores
Another popular trend is to utilize shipping containers for retail purposes. When placed next to each other in a horizontal fashion, shipping containers allow for a unique shopping experience in urban centers and areas without enough space for permanent structures. They’re a great way to also sell seasonal goods without getting locked into an extended lease.
9. Studios
Many creative individuals and artists opt to use shipping containers as their personal workspaces. They allow for a spacious studio space, and the containers can often double as an art gallery that can be visited by the public with works of art on display.
10. Disaster Recovery
In times of emergency, shipping containers have been used by emergency organizations to house displaced individuals. The containers can also be used to store and protect personal belongings and business equipment. Shipping containers are often preferred over other mobile structures because of their reliability and extreme durability.
11. Swimming Pools
Though it is not as common as some of the other uses, some shipping containers have been used as swimming pools for homes or communities. Larger shipping containers make excellent swimming pools due to their durable structure and depth, without having to resort to heavy excavation required to construct a permanent pool.
12. Laboratories
Shipping containers are an ideal size and have enough space to be used as testing laboratories for both educational and medical purposes. The New York office of architecture studio Grimshaw designed a number of the COVID-19 mobile testing units from former shipping containers. The spaces included laboratories for analyzing test results or testing clinics with full examination rooms.
Check out storage solutions from Eagle Leasing
Have we sparked your interest in storage containers? Whether you want to rent or prefer to buy a container, Eagle Leasing is happy to help. Since our founding in the 1960s, we’ve worked hard to become one of the largest and most reliable storage solution companies in the Northeast. Whether you need a traditional storage container, a mobile office, or a trailer to move and store your goods, you’ll find a partner you can trust here at the Eagle Leasing Company.
Contact us today if you have any questions, and we look forward to helping you with all your storage needs.
