Home Contained

Debbie Glassberg had the idea for home contained while in Guangzhou, China in 2007.  She noticed that down the road from her father's factory, that another company was manufacturing large steel shipping crates. It was then where she had the idea.

Back in Kansas City, Debbie had teamed up with Steve McDowell, Laura Lesniewski, and Josh Hemberger to bring together these five containers into a space that is defined by three categories.

Container space: offering unique livable spaces in and of themselves.
Contained space: the space created between more than one container, allowing flexibility in an overall plan.
Uncontained Space: which is the space beyond the structure, integrally connected to an overall nurturing environment.

The interior of the living space presented is way more spacious and invited than I had originally predicted.  At first while imagining a home built solely of corrugated steel, I did not know what to think. I had imagined the residence to seem cramped and intrusive, yet after further exploration, the house is beautiful. One thing I had not imagined was the spaciousness of the home. When one thinks of a shipping container, I will assume that many will not find the existing space too inviting.

Once inside, it is obvious that the planning and layout of the space makes this structure a home.  Only a few walls have the corrugated aesthetic, reminding of you where you really are.  Other than a few reminders of it's origins, the house shines through as a beautiful dwelling, structurally safe and strong.