Quiet Shipping Container Architecture – A New Phase For This Discipline?
A Container Airbnb That Sits Perfectly in the Texas Wilderness
Think of the wild lands of the southern US border with Mexico and you’ll think cacti, tumbleweed, rattlesnakes and rusted old relics of humanity. That’s just why the Hermosa Airbnb container home in Marfa, Texas works so well in its natural environment.
Great architecture isn’t always about clean ‘white box’ lines. It should sit in its natural environment and not disrupt – indeed it should enhance – the vernacular. Deserts are not kind to humanity. Harsh, dry winds blast over parched, waterless lands. The heat can be appalling, adding to a brutal world where those beings living there have to scrap and scrabble to survive.
This is why the appearance of a bunch of apparently rusted, beaten up shipping containers works perfectly in the environment in which they sit.
Brutal exterior, comfortable interior
Think of a British pub and you imagine huddling up with a warm beer in front of a raging log fire in the soaking rain and freezing gales. You need comfort from that uncomfortable environment. Again the Hermosa Airbnb at the opposite end of the climate extreme works for this reason. It is cool and comfortable even in the roasting, windy hell outside.
Adverts for the home all warn darkly of no TV in one of the two apartments and one suite. Fresh from the big city or lush agricultural lands of the north of the country, why would you want a TV? This isn’t New York! People come to this place to shut down from the world.
Though one advertisement suggests you load up your iPad with movies (it does have wifi), there is far more to watch outside. The changing colours of the sky and land beneath, wildlife such as javelina wild boar that that wander the semi arid desert lands looking for succulent roots to nourish themselves.
On a break from reality with your favourite other you could always communicate and relate with them too! Sat in the shade of an evening with a cool glass of your favourite tipple, you can share the wonders that confront you. From the laid back Lone Star State village of Marfa, to any walks/bike rides you have done that day, you can switch off from cyberspace and switch on to one another.
Hermosa Airbnb
The building is set up with two separate apartments and a top floor hotel-type suite. It has been deliberately built for the Airbnb market, and has all the facilities you need for a disconnected break – a decent kitchen in each apartment, a living room with the stunning views of the wilderness, a bedroom, bathroom and laundry facilities. Watch the stunning sunsets from the balcony!
Each apartment has bikes available for the guests to explore the half acre of land and beyond into the centre of the town nearby.
The price? Just US$175 per night. Certainly not a Chicago hotel price but for those who want to escape and disconnect, a small price for paradise.
Could this work in the Outback?!
As with those heading to the badlands of Texas, people going to the Outback don’t always seek a jacuzzi, a butler and a three star chef catering to their whims. A rusted box with grade A air conditioning and views to burn in their brain for the rest of their lives is often just the ticket.
At Gateway Container Sales we often highlight novel ways of using shipping containers. While using them as accommodation isn’t new, an honest extension to the vernacular of the real wilderness in which the boxes sit can be just that. The Hermosa Airbnb could sit just as comfortably in the Outback as it could in the wilds of North Africa and potentially even the Gobi Desert or Siberia.
If this cheap to build yet highly attractive idea floats your boat then give us a shout at Gateway Container Sales today to discuss your needs!
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