Las Vegas-based Alternative Living Spaces has shared its newest shipping container dwelling with us. Named the City, the compact tiny house can be outfitted to run on or off-the-grid and, like Escape's Vista C, can also optionally be installed onto a trailer for easy towing.
The City model pictured was built with another firm called A2U Container Living and is based on a standard used shipping container, so it measures 8 x 20 ft (2.5 x 7 m), and has a total floorspace of 160 sq ft (14 sq m). The container has been painted white and has a door and windows cut into it, as well as some window boxes and a planter affixed to the exterior.
Visitors enter into a kitchen area with a small fridge/freezer, two-burner induction stove, sink, microwave, and some cupboard space. Next to this is a living room/sleeping area with a sofa bed and storage space. A table on wheels serves as a dining table and the far end of the home opens to the outside with the container doors.
Over on the other side of the home, a small sliding pocket door provides access to a bathroom with galvanized steel-lined shower, vanity unit, plus a standard flushing toilet. The ceiling is finished in tin. And that's all there is in this small dwelling. For this reason, the City seems best suited to serving as a second home/guest house rather than full-time abode, though the firm does also offer more spacious 40 ft (12 m)-long models.
Alternative Living Spaces installed around 5 in (12 cm) of spray foam insulation between the container and burlap-finished interior walls, which should hopefully mitigate the relatively poor thermal performance which containers are known for, while heating and cooling comes from a small air-conditioning unit.
The City starts at US$36,000 and is built to order (the model pictured is already sold), with a build time of around six weeks. Options available include the trailer, as well as a full off-the-grid setup with composting toilet, propane-powered cooker, and generator and/or solar power.
Source: Alternative Living Spaces
