Man Uses 11 Shipping Containers To Build His 2,500 Square Foot Dream House, And The Inside Looks Amazing
When it comes to building their dream home, people have a lot of different ideas. Some choose comfortable and small bungalows, others opt for luxurious mansions. However, there a handful of those to decide to ditch the traditional architecture and build something completely different, for instance, a container house. That’s exactly what designer Will Breaux did and now he’s a proud owner of a house built solely out of shipping containers.
More info: bionicweapon.wordpress.com
Image credits: Will Breaux
His new home is located on McGowen street in Houston. According to the owner, his 11 container house is the most extensive structure of its kind.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
The containers are piled on top of each other to create a three-story house, complete with a rooftop deck.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
Breaux wanted to build his own house since the early 2000s, however, for a long time he struggled to find someone who would design the kind of house he wanted, so Breaux decided to do it himself.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
“I began looking at projects that were being built that I liked. Ultimately, a designer with a home builder family was hired to design a 3 story townhouse to be built on the lot. After going round and round for months, I eventually had to fire that group because they weren’t willing to give me what I wanted. Thus, the journey to design my own house began around 2011,” the man wrote in his blog.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
Breaux got the idea of a container house many years ago before it was even a thing. Why containers? Well, the idea behind it is quite simple.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
“Shipping containers are strong, fireproof, long-lasting, hurricane resistant, and have common characteristics,” Breaux explains.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
However, the man, who is not a professional builder, had no knowledge of what it would take to build his dream house. But he was determined to do whatever it takes.
Image credits: Will Breaux
The first thing he did was to create a 3D sketch of the house. After long hours spent learning everything about constructing a house out of shipping containers, Breaux is now a proud owner of an impressive 2,500 square foot house. Now the house is almost completely furnished and looks just like Breaux had imagined it.
Image credits: Will Breaux
Image credits: Will Breaux
193Kviews
Share on Facebook
Yes, it's very cool, but I'd hate to live near that thing. It's looks God-awful from the outside.
I'm wondering about thermal and sound isolation, there's nothing in the article about it (I don't know...well ... almost anything about shipping containers and only ever saw them on TV and internet). Also how exactly are they kept together, what about electricity (which he obviously has) and running water etc. ... I mean, sure, the outside looks bad and the inside looks nice but I could use some more information here
There it the link to his WP blog on top of the article.
Load More Replies...
First of all, I appreciate that Boredpanda.com actually wrote somewhat of an article from info in my blog instead of just ripping off someone else's content like containerhacker.com did. Secondly, just in case you are wondering, I didn't build this house for any of you. I built it for me. While I appreciate compliments, I could literally give two sh*ts about any of the negativity. Many people hate what they don't understand, I can assure you there is a bunch of misunderstanding about this place. I took the time to write a blog, which was appropriately linked here, to document it and to provide info to those who take the time to read. It is also for the overwhelming number of people who stop by and compliment it, usually looking for more info. There are more recent pics out there by me and others (it even has an Insta tag I didn't create) and this is absolutely a work in progress, a majority I have done with my own two hands. But I have never and will never care what the haters have to say. If I have my way, and I do, it will get crazier looking before it gets more normal. :) IMG_6175-5...e90ad2.jpg 
So if you don’t care, then why are you here reading comments?
Load More Replies...
There is something like 1 million storage containers....so why could we not use them for the homeless. Set aside some land, insulate, install plumbing and utilities. Would be so much better and safer for everyone no? Likewise Habitat for Humanity, why not design and use these structures?
The new trend in affordable housing is to re-use shipping containers for modular housing like this. It's not "pretty" but the containers are built to last, to bear weight, and can be converted. And you can start with two or three and add on, as this post shows. So... All you have to do is prettify the inside, and I'm sure he could paint the outsides a uniform color at some point. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
At least paint the exterior a uniform colour, this looks dreadful. Shipping containers done right can look great. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHR5BLJG_s
It’s an interesting idea though I’d prefer more natural lighting and windows. I guess it’s better then the things going to the waste landfill.
You can view its 2017 version in Google Street View. Pretty nice progress. first-5dbb...9c-png.jpg 
I don't know when the photos of the interior were taken, but I only see an appalling lack of natural lighting
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, planning, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing.
To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blogs before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Load More Replies...
This comment section is toxic like more toxic then the Disney princesses one
I see this almost everyday on the bus. i was very curious about this place.
I hate to be the killjoy but the person will soon regret this. These are not lor long-term living - they have horrible heat isolation and ventilation, are prone to dampness and molding, not durable etc. In my country, one municipality tried to relocate their community of poor Romani people to a ghetto of super cheap houses made of these exact containers. It was horrendous failure and straighout fraud, those people now live in terrible conditions that are a serious health risk with nowhere to move. It makes me cringe that somebody would build a house like this as a cool hipster thing and boast about it on the internet.
Condensation was addressed with the interior buildout as detailed in the blog. When done correctly, there is no difference in this and any other steel structure.
Load More Replies...
I think this is fantastic. I'm a big proponent for using these containers for homeless communities.
I like the house - I'm not a fan of the decoration inside and it's hard to tell from this post what the inside layout is like. Two things: - he lost me with the driveway - from his pic it looks like his truck is sitting on the sidewalk!!! GET OFF THE SIDEWALK!!! - sorry but not going to like if you have so many exotic birds in a cage - just looking at that is painful to me.
There is no parking on the sidewalk unless working on cars. There is plenty of room on the driveway to clear the sidewalk. And the birds have free range of their own space. You don't have to approve, but that "cage" is the size of a room.
Load More Replies...
That is incredibly amazing. Wow! He is living his dream. Bottom line is this. We all a dreamer.
Probably the safest home in the area. Those shipping containers are fastened together, and he would just have to cut doors and windows out. He did an amazing job!
The interior is a bit too dark,otherwise it looks good.But it is not really pretty from the outside tbh
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, planning, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing. To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blog before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Still sorry for the duplicate posts! How do I delete them?
Load More Replies...
I bet this guy likes Fallout as he well should. Hope he keeps the outside as is to really annoy the Karens of the world. Look "Karen, your cutesy c**p outside is tacky but I don't say boo til you come at me. Maybe learn what a powerwasher is, KAREN."
It's Third Ward in Houston. There are no "Karens."
Load More Replies...
I think what he did is definitely amazing, but I admit that I prefer the looks of a more traditional Arts and Crafts/Craftsman-style house.
Looks weird from the outside, but it was an amazing art from the inside.. Well done :)
I wouldn't want to be in or near it in a severe storm. Also, I can only imagine how noisy it gets when it's even moderately windy.
He’s an artist but the outside is far out and ultra industrial looking. Not meant for every neighborhood
"got the idea of a container house many years ago before it was even a thing." It's been a thing for some time. I know someone who built a house out of train cars and that was in the 1940's.
This is in Houston. I'm guessing that city has no building codes. Look how close that heap is to the subdivision.
The structure met or exceeded all building codes, which are based on international standards. You are guessing incorrect and posting your ignorance about the situation.
Load More Replies...
This whole structure gives me anxiety. Containers are not that big to begin with and they cluttered them to bursting. Also the lighting gives away that some of the containers have no windows at all. And lastly: How do you survive in that in the summer heat? Put an AC in every single container?
It is actually a truck and a Jag at the moment. Soon to be a truck and a C8.
Load More Replies...
Ive seen one where I live after they tore down the old house. was covered in siding so youd only know it was made of shipping containers because of the shapes
He did a great job on his house, its really nice, painted all one color would clean up the outside appearance, to me its fine, but I can see where it would bother some people. Also making a lot of outside permanent planting areas all up along the sides and fronts would look great in my opinion.
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing. To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blog before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Am I the only 1 who thinks about temperature variations, rust, weird in-door heights, structural weaknesses due to cut-outs etc. etc.? However I do believe this contraption is probably highly cost effective but sure would hate to live next to monstrosity.
Watch and learn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHR5BLJG_s
Load More Replies...
A few years ago, there was a program on t.v. the man designed unusual houses, he did make a container house, one level, it was very interesting and creative, this was in Europe, he also did other things, motor homes from a bus, and more !!!
I like the idea. Not quite how I'd have done it but then it's no my house. I'm wondering about the cost. Was it cost effective?
So if he didn't know what he was doing, how did he get the building permits etc? I'm sorry, but it looks just awful from the outside, and the inside is not much better. Dark and uninviting
There are a lot of container homes from mini to mansion that are much better designed. This is a mess and most of the interiors look like basement storage.
Containers have been used for homes in Scandinavia for quite some years.Granted not on this huge scale but what they lack in sq.f they make up for in oozing charm,simplicity and good design.This house is depressing (in my view)on so many levels.Outside it is an eyesore and I am sure his neighbors are not too happy as their houses will have decreased in value and where was town.planning in all this?Secondly it is cluttered,gloomy and plain old depressing inside.I would never be able to take a shower in that bath-room,looks like out of a morticians cellar....and what with the torture chamber for the poor Macaws?Birds coming from lush green sunny Brazil....However I am sure it will appeal to some late-bloomer Hippies in their 50ties with a liking for Jean-Paul Sartre. Just saying..
Yes, it's very cool, but I'd hate to live near that thing. It's looks God-awful from the outside.
I'm wondering about thermal and sound isolation, there's nothing in the article about it (I don't know...well ... almost anything about shipping containers and only ever saw them on TV and internet). Also how exactly are they kept together, what about electricity (which he obviously has) and running water etc. ... I mean, sure, the outside looks bad and the inside looks nice but I could use some more information here
There it the link to his WP blog on top of the article.
Load More Replies... First of all, I appreciate that Boredpanda.com actually wrote somewhat of an article from info in my blog instead of just ripping off someone else's content like containerhacker.com did. Secondly, just in case you are wondering, I didn't build this house for any of you. I built it for me. While I appreciate compliments, I could literally give two sh*ts about any of the negativity. Many people hate what they don't understand, I can assure you there is a bunch of misunderstanding about this place. I took the time to write a blog, which was appropriately linked here, to document it and to provide info to those who take the time to read. It is also for the overwhelming number of people who stop by and compliment it, usually looking for more info. There are more recent pics out there by me and others (it even has an Insta tag I didn't create) and this is absolutely a work in progress, a majority I have done with my own two hands. But I have never and will never care what the haters have to say. If I have my way, and I do, it will get crazier looking before it gets more normal. :) IMG_6175-5...e90ad2.jpg
So if you don’t care, then why are you here reading comments?
Load More Replies... There is something like 1 million storage containers....so why could we not use them for the homeless. Set aside some land, insulate, install plumbing and utilities. Would be so much better and safer for everyone no? Likewise Habitat for Humanity, why not design and use these structures?
The new trend in affordable housing is to re-use shipping containers for modular housing like this. It's not "pretty" but the containers are built to last, to bear weight, and can be converted. And you can start with two or three and add on, as this post shows. So... All you have to do is prettify the inside, and I'm sure he could paint the outsides a uniform color at some point. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
At least paint the exterior a uniform colour, this looks dreadful. Shipping containers done right can look great. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHR5BLJG_s
It’s an interesting idea though I’d prefer more natural lighting and windows. I guess it’s better then the things going to the waste landfill.
You can view its 2017 version in Google Street View. Pretty nice progress. first-5dbb...9c-png.jpg
I don't know when the photos of the interior were taken, but I only see an appalling lack of natural lighting
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, planning, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing.
To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blogs before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Load More Replies... This comment section is toxic like more toxic then the Disney princesses one
I see this almost everyday on the bus. i was very curious about this place.
I hate to be the killjoy but the person will soon regret this. These are not lor long-term living - they have horrible heat isolation and ventilation, are prone to dampness and molding, not durable etc. In my country, one municipality tried to relocate their community of poor Romani people to a ghetto of super cheap houses made of these exact containers. It was horrendous failure and straighout fraud, those people now live in terrible conditions that are a serious health risk with nowhere to move. It makes me cringe that somebody would build a house like this as a cool hipster thing and boast about it on the internet.
Condensation was addressed with the interior buildout as detailed in the blog. When done correctly, there is no difference in this and any other steel structure.
Load More Replies... I think this is fantastic. I'm a big proponent for using these containers for homeless communities.
I like the house - I'm not a fan of the decoration inside and it's hard to tell from this post what the inside layout is like. Two things: - he lost me with the driveway - from his pic it looks like his truck is sitting on the sidewalk!!! GET OFF THE SIDEWALK!!! - sorry but not going to like if you have so many exotic birds in a cage - just looking at that is painful to me.
There is no parking on the sidewalk unless working on cars. There is plenty of room on the driveway to clear the sidewalk. And the birds have free range of their own space. You don't have to approve, but that "cage" is the size of a room.
Load More Replies... That is incredibly amazing. Wow! He is living his dream. Bottom line is this. We all a dreamer.
Probably the safest home in the area. Those shipping containers are fastened together, and he would just have to cut doors and windows out. He did an amazing job!
The interior is a bit too dark,otherwise it looks good.But it is not really pretty from the outside tbh
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, planning, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing. To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blog before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Still sorry for the duplicate posts! How do I delete them?
Load More Replies... I bet this guy likes Fallout as he well should. Hope he keeps the outside as is to really annoy the Karens of the world. Look "Karen, your cutesy c**p outside is tacky but I don't say boo til you come at me. Maybe learn what a powerwasher is, KAREN."
It's Third Ward in Houston. There are no "Karens."
Load More Replies... I think what he did is definitely amazing, but I admit that I prefer the looks of a more traditional Arts and Crafts/Craftsman-style house.
Looks weird from the outside, but it was an amazing art from the inside.. Well done :)
I wouldn't want to be in or near it in a severe storm. Also, I can only imagine how noisy it gets when it's even moderately windy.
He’s an artist but the outside is far out and ultra industrial looking. Not meant for every neighborhood
"got the idea of a container house many years ago before it was even a thing." It's been a thing for some time. I know someone who built a house out of train cars and that was in the 1940's.
This is in Houston. I'm guessing that city has no building codes. Look how close that heap is to the subdivision.
The structure met or exceeded all building codes, which are based on international standards. You are guessing incorrect and posting your ignorance about the situation.
Load More Replies... This whole structure gives me anxiety. Containers are not that big to begin with and they cluttered them to bursting. Also the lighting gives away that some of the containers have no windows at all. And lastly: How do you survive in that in the summer heat? Put an AC in every single container?
It is actually a truck and a Jag at the moment. Soon to be a truck and a C8.
Load More Replies... Ive seen one where I live after they tore down the old house. was covered in siding so youd only know it was made of shipping containers because of the shapes
He did a great job on his house, its really nice, painted all one color would clean up the outside appearance, to me its fine, but I can see where it would bother some people. Also making a lot of outside permanent planting areas all up along the sides and fronts would look great in my opinion.
What a fantastic project!!! I've read the entire blog and almost all of the questions people are "asking" are answered therein. This has been a labor of love, research, loads of hard work, permits, thinking out of the box, and dedication for this man... and yes, it is still very much a work in progress. BYW, the new exterior paint looks sleek, unifying, and amazing. To all of you slamming him with your negativity, maybe you should try reading his blog before dumping your uniformed and ugly comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Am I the only 1 who thinks about temperature variations, rust, weird in-door heights, structural weaknesses due to cut-outs etc. etc.? However I do believe this contraption is probably highly cost effective but sure would hate to live next to monstrosity.
Watch and learn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHR5BLJG_s
Load More Replies... A few years ago, there was a program on t.v. the man designed unusual houses, he did make a container house, one level, it was very interesting and creative, this was in Europe, he also did other things, motor homes from a bus, and more !!!
I like the idea. Not quite how I'd have done it but then it's no my house. I'm wondering about the cost. Was it cost effective?
So if he didn't know what he was doing, how did he get the building permits etc? I'm sorry, but it looks just awful from the outside, and the inside is not much better. Dark and uninviting
There are a lot of container homes from mini to mansion that are much better designed. This is a mess and most of the interiors look like basement storage.
Containers have been used for homes in Scandinavia for quite some years.Granted not on this huge scale but what they lack in sq.f they make up for in oozing charm,simplicity and good design.This house is depressing (in my view)on so many levels.Outside it is an eyesore and I am sure his neighbors are not too happy as their houses will have decreased in value and where was town.planning in all this?Secondly it is cluttered,gloomy and plain old depressing inside.I would never be able to take a shower in that bath-room,looks like out of a morticians cellar....and what with the torture chamber for the poor Macaws?Birds coming from lush green sunny Brazil....However I am sure it will appeal to some late-bloomer Hippies in their 50ties with a liking for Jean-Paul Sartre. Just saying..
396
102