Architecture

Shipping container prefab home is bursting with luxury

Shipping container prefab home is bursting with luxury
Malibu architect Doug Burdge and builder Nate Garnero have come together to create a luxurious tiny dwelling
Malibu architect Doug Burdge and builder Nate Garnero have come together to create a luxurious tiny dwelling
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Buhaus luxurious tiny dwelling is made from repurposed shipping containers
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Buhaus luxurious tiny dwelling is made from repurposed shipping containers
The fold-down table hides beneath a queen sized Murphy bed
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The fold-down table hides beneath a queen sized Murphy bed
Bi-folding glass doors opens the home up to the outdoors
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Bi-folding glass doors opens the home up to the outdoors
Malibu architect Doug Burdge and builder Nate Garnero have come together to create a luxurious tiny dwelling
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Malibu architect Doug Burdge and builder Nate Garnero have come together to create a luxurious tiny dwelling
Buhaus features a designer bathroom
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Buhaus features a designer bathroom
Double glass doors in the bathroom open out onto a sheltered exterior shower
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Double glass doors in the bathroom open out onto a sheltered exterior shower
Buhaus exterior can be customized with a timber facade
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Buhaus exterior can be customized with a timber facade
The prefabricated guest house features a polished aluminum exterior
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The prefabricated guest house features a polished aluminum exterior
Buhaus features rift oak interior paneling
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Buhaus features rift oak interior paneling
Buhaus is a 160 square feet (14.86 sqm) high-end housing solution with space-saving furnishings
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Buhaus is a 160 square feet (14.86 sqm) high-end housing solution with space-saving furnishings
Space-saving interior furnishings includes a custom queen sized Murphy bed
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Space-saving interior furnishings includes a custom queen sized Murphy bed
The Buhaus two-room floor-plan features a luxury private bathroom with outdoor shower space
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The Buhaus two-room floor-plan features a luxury private bathroom with outdoor shower space
Buhaus is a 160 square feet (14.86 sqm) unit built from an 8 x 20 ft (2.45 x 6.1 meter) shipping container
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Buhaus is a 160 square feet (14.86 sqm) unit built from an 8 x 20 ft (2.45 x 6.1 meter) shipping container
The metal siding and insulation helps maintain cool interior temperatures during warmer months
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The metal siding and insulation helps maintain cool interior temperatures during warmer months
View gallery - 14 images

Malibu architect Doug Burdge and builder Nate Garnero have come together to create a striking, off-grid ready tiny dwelling made from repurposed shipping containers. Dubbed Buhaus, the prefabricated unit is designed as an up-market guest house and it's packed with high-end finishings and attention to detail.

“When we set out to design this unit we realized there was something the market was missing: luxury AND utility,” Doug Burdge and Nate Garnero tell New Atlas. “There were so many options on the market for minimal living but none of them were luxurious. We have designed this unit with all the bells and whistles. It has Dornbracht appliances, Corian walls, Buster and Punch finishes, and that’s just the beginning!”

Buhaus luxurious tiny dwelling is made from repurposed shipping containers
Buhaus luxurious tiny dwelling is made from repurposed shipping containers

Made from an 8 x 20 ft (2.45 x 6.1 m) repurposed shipping container, Buhaus has a footprint of 160 square feet (14.86 sqm). It features a polished aluminum exterior, rift oak interior paneling, and comes equipped with all the hookups necessary for off-grid living. The metal siding and insulation helps maintain cool interior temperatures during warmer months, while also meeting Californian Wildfire Resiliency Codes.

“The installation process is up to the owner,” say Burdge and Garnero. “The Buhaus is able to be totally off the grid or in someone’s backyard so the installation and hookup will look different for every site. Additionally, the unit meets the California Green Code and Title 24 Energy Codes.”

The metal siding and insulation helps maintain cool interior temperatures during warmer months
The metal siding and insulation helps maintain cool interior temperatures during warmer months

The Buhaus' two-room floor-plan features a luxury private bathroom and an adaptable space that shifts between a master bedroom, living room and work space. The unit comes delivered complete with space-saving interior furnishings, including a custom-built queen sized Murphy bed that folds up to reveal a sofa or a pull-down desk, depending on the preference of the occupants.

Bi-folding glass doors opens the home up to the outdoors
Bi-folding glass doors opens the home up to the outdoors

Other features include custom LED lighting throughout, built-in cabinetry for ample storage, a lounge wall panel that lifts upwards and outwards to create an undercover outdoor terrace, and double glass doors in the bathroom that open out onto an exterior shower.

The home is also fitted with bi-folding glass panels, which open the compact interior zones to the outdoors. The exterior can also be customized with a timber cladding as an alternative to the aluminum facade.

The Buhaus two-room floor-plan features a luxury private bathroom with outdoor shower space
The Buhaus two-room floor-plan features a luxury private bathroom with outdoor shower space

“We love working with small spaces because it calls for so much more creativity in the design to maximize the function of the space,” say its creators. “While our unit is compact, it doesn’t feel like it at all. It feels very useful without being cramped.”

The Buhaus is suitable as a backyard retreat, guesthouse, studio work space or as private accommodation to generate additional income. Total cost is US$96,000, with first pre-orders available from early Spring 2020.

Source: Buhaus via Dwell

View gallery - 14 images
7 comments
7 comments
Peter
dear people, .... please keep pricing real... 100 K for a container (2 K) . 35 grand 'absolute' MAX. thank you *
paul314
It doesn't appear to have a kitchen. I guess if it's a guesthouse somewhere on your estate, the guest will be dining with the other lords and ladies, but if it's in the backcountry? I guess anyone buying this can pay for drone delivery of gourmet meals.
MerlinGuy
$600 a square foot. That's just absurd.
pajC
just another example of how eco-friendly, repurposed materials dwellings and amenities are only available to the wealthy.
heaven forbid we make this sort of dwelling available to the masses.
like homeless persons in need of that which is inexpensive and massively available.

shoot.
a lot of the homeless are already living in "box cars".....
DavidB
I agree that it's wa-a-ay overpriced for such a small space, especially with no kitchen—although the article mentions Dornbracht appliances, neither they nor anything resembling a kitchen are shown in the fourteen photos—but it's not fair to say that something that small cannot cost more than thirty-five thousand. I mean, what if the furniture and cabinetry were encrusted with diamonds?
Thud
It's just "bursting" with a sink and a couch.
Doug Lough
I just completed a shipping container home with basic finishes and it still came in about $250 sq ft. Definitely not a cost effective way to build. The Buhaus is obviously not meant to be a cost effective way to build. The article didnt say weather or not all of the patios etc were included in the $600 sq ft. (as well as septic, and utilities) Not even close to being a sustainable product. Why use a shipping container at all? When it is getting covered with high end finishes both inside and out. A conventional framed structure would make the plumbing, electric and HVAC much easier and cheaper to install. I told my client that I could have built him a conventional framed house and bolted shipping container siding to the outside cheaper than using the containers as a structure. Also way more difficult to meet T-24 requirements. Insulating the outside and covering it with polished metal takes away from the whole container concept