Container Houses: The Rise and Application of Multifunctional Modular Buildings

Container Houses: The Rise and Application of Multifunctional Modular Buildings
With the continuous innovation of construction technology and the popularization of the concept of sustainable development, container houses, as a new form of modular construction, are gradually being widely used around the world. Recently, container houses have not only shined during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, providing fans with a unique accommodation experience, but also played an important role in post-disaster reconstruction, demonstrating its flexible and changeable advantages.

During the Qatar World Cup, host Qatar used container houses to build a "fan village" for fans to stay. These container houses were built by a number of international companies, such as China's Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd. and Hangcheng Integrated House Co., Ltd., which provided a total of 2,000 container houses. These houses are not only fully equipped with internal facilities, including doors, windows, switches, furniture, etc., but also prefabricated production, which greatly shortens the on-site construction time. The accommodation fee of US$200 per night reflects its quality and comfort comparable to star-rated hotels.

After the World Cup, these container houses were not idle, but were reused and transported to earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey and Syria to provide emergency shelters for disaster victims. Qatar said that a total of about 10,000 container houses and some camping cars will be provided to the disaster area. The first batch of 306 containers have been loaded at Hamad Port in December. These modified containers can accommodate 4 people each and are equipped with kitchens and bathrooms, bringing much-needed living conditions to the people in the disaster area.

In addition, container houses have also been widely used in China. In early 2021, Shijiazhuang City delivered 1,008 container houses as centralized isolation points in just 4 days to meet the needs of epidemic prevention and control. The "infrastructure maniacs" of central enterprises such as China Railway Construction and China Construction once again demonstrated an amazing construction speed, from leveling wasteland, hardening the ground to assembling houses and building supporting facilities, and efficient collaboration throughout the process ensured that the isolation points were quickly put into use. This modular construction method not only saves time, but also can be quickly adjusted and expanded according to needs.

The advantages of container houses are obvious. First, it is fast to build, which can greatly shorten the project cycle; second, the modular design is easy to transport and install, suitable for emergency and temporary construction needs; third, the environmental protection characteristics of container houses are significant, which can reduce construction waste and resource waste. Container houses have shown great potential in many fields such as post-disaster reconstruction, temporary housing, construction site dormitories, and tourist accommodation.

With the continuous advancement of technology, the comfort and functionality of container houses are also constantly improving. The application of thermal insulation and sound insulation technology makes the living experience more cozy; the interior decoration and furniture configuration can meet the personalized needs of different groups of people. The diversified application of container houses not only solves short-term housing needs, but also brings new development opportunities to the construction industry.

In the future, container houses are expected to play an important role in more fields. Governments and enterprises can further explore the standardization and large-scale development of modular buildings to promote the green transformation of the construction industry. At the same time, through technological innovation, the service life and living quality of container houses can be improved, making it an important practice of sustainable development.

Container houses, a multifunctional modular building form, are emerging globally with their unique advantages, bringing more convenience and possibilities to our lives.