Tiny Houses

40-ft shipping container transformed into off-grid tiny house

View 11 ImagesThe Kennedy Model's exterior is painted and includes wooden accenting
The Kennedy Model's exterior is painted and includes wooden accenting
Shoot2Sell/Remarkable Land, courtesy of Backcountry Containers
View gallery - 11 images

Wisconsin's Backcountry Containers recently transformed a shipping container into a tiny house. Named the Kennedy Model, the compact home includes a well-designed and open interior layout that maximizes the limited space available.

The Kennedy Model is based on a high-cube shipping container, which is a little taller than a standard container, and has a length of 40 ft (12.9 m). Its exterior has been painted and it also has some wooden accenting and several windows.

The home's interior measures roughly 300 sq ft (28 sq m) and is finished in white shiplap and vinyl flooring. It's accessed by double glass doors, which connect to the living room. This looks light-filled and open, and contains a sofa and a chair, and a coffee table. A ceiling fan and a mini-split air-conditioning unit are installed, along with insulation, to mitigate the poor thermal performance of living what's still essentially a big metal box.

The L-shaped kitchen is nearby and has a breakfast bar with seating for two, a farmhouse-style sink, an apartment-sized fridge/freezer, and an induction cooktop – plus there's room in there for a few more appliances.

The Kennedy Model's interior looks light-filled thanks to its generous glazing and open layout
Shoot2Sell/Remarkable Land, courtesy of Backcountry Containers
The Kennedy Model's interior looks light-filled thanks to its generous glazing and open layout

The Kennedy Model's bathroom is reached from the kitchen through a sliding door and features a shower, composting toilet, and a sink.

Over on the opposite side of the tiny house to the bathroom is the bedroom. This is also accessed by sliding door and contains a double bed and has ample headroom to stand upright, as well as a large wardrobe for storage, and some more storage under the bed.

The tiny house runs off-the-grid, though not with solar power as you might expect, but with a generator – solar power would definitely be a good upgrade to consider, however. Water tanks are also included.

The Kennedy Model is currently up for sale for US$80,000, and is obviously designed for static living rather than mobile wandering. The company mentions various delivery options, but there's no word on whether this is included or extra. Other container-based projects from the firm include a hunting-oriented dwelling called Augustine and a sauna.

Source: Backcountry Containers

View gallery - 11 images
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4 comments
John T
Looks similar to what the Maine Cabin Masters did a couple of seasons ago.
sleekmarlin
Why do people like to hang animal skulls on their walls? It's so macabre.
Techutante
These rust out in a hurry, retain moisture, and are full of mold. And 80 grand? Are you insane?
White Rabbit
FYI - All shipping containers are vented. The vents are carefully designed so they don't allow rain or sea water to enter and the natural air flow guarantees that they do NOT retain moisture. Note the air space underneath for exactly this purpose. If steel "rusted out in a hurry" as claimed, vehicles, ships, bridges and railway trains & tracks wouldn't last long! Mold is a living organism that requires specific conditions for growth. Simply not providing those conditions prevents mold from occurring. Besides, the most common cause of mold in housing is in drywall that carelessness has allowed to be wet for an extended period. The populist trend to ignore facts in favor of dogma is a demonstration of one's ignorance. I'm bewildered at people's need to tell the world "Look at all the stuff about which I have no clue."