When you’re considering site cabins in London, it’d be easy to plump for the traditional portable units. But that isn’t the only style of building you can go for. In fact, regular readers of this blog will know that we’ve looked at different methods for creating awesome working environments – from schools to hotels and way, way, way beyond.
It all comes down to… shipping containers, of course. Sure, once upon a time those steel boxes were the preserve of, well, the shipping industry, packed high with products and transported across the globe. For a while now, though, we’ve seen them used in a whole variety of ways.
Office Space
Offices are generally pretty standardised placed, right? A bank of bland desks; some tired old computers; and a few off-shoot rooms for holding all-important meetings. Unless you’re working at Google HQ, you’re unlikely to look at the everyday office and say, ‘Yeah, this is really stunning.’
Get a load of construction photographer James Whitaker’s concepts for offices deep in the heart of the Black Forest, Germany. The transformation is so intense, it’s hard to believe those structures were ever shipping containers to begin with. And while we’re devastated to learn that the advertising agency who commissioned the designs closed before this office could be created, we’re still impressed with the vision.
Whitaker was brought on board to design a workplace that used shipping containers to keep construction costs down. But he brought a whole lot more to the table with his outrageous design, envisioning a complicated roof structure that channelled daylight into a central meeting point. Now that’s as far removed from a traditional container as is possible.
Ringing the ‘Bell’
It’s not just smaller companies who’ve latched on to the potential of containers. Only today, Yankee fast-food chain Taco Bell announced plans to open restaurants based in converted shipping containers. Affordable and portable, they’re perfect for companies who don’t want to be tied down for the foreseeable – and with rents so high in cities, there’s a real added bonus to thinking outside the box (or…inside the box, technically).
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to go all out with your workplace or site accommodation. With us, you get an expanded range of options, so you’re sure to find the solution that works for you. Think we can help with your needs? Simply contact us on 0208 459 6972 and a member of our team will be delighted to discuss your requirements with you.
