The twenty home complex took less than six months to build Container Houses from laying the foundations until the apartments were ready for their new owners. There are one, two and three bedroomed apartments that all have two bathrooms. The three bedroomed homes at Rosa Parks cost around $350,000 and are set in the leafy suburbs of the city. The complex is near Detroit’s Wayne State University which is encouraging young professionals and their families to settle and work in a city that, let’s face it, has a bad reputation for crime and social problems.

One of the great things about using shipping containers as building blocks for a home is that they can be built in any direction – horizontally or vertically. The outcome in recent years has been a huge variety of apartment complexes being constructed out of shipping containers, and really they are only limited by an architect’s imagination.

The conex, or shipping container, was invented over 50 years ago, and since then has revolutionized the world trade industry. These containers are nearly indestructible because of the solid framework making them resistant to mold, termites, fire, and rodents. These containers are so multi-functional that they now have become a great alternative to housing. In today’s society, we now worry about “Being Green” and focus more on water conservation, energy efficiency, and sustainable and chemical free building materials because of their minimal environmental impact. Much research has been done showing that structures made from modified shipping containers and metal bins are made of about 75% recycled materials when measured by the building weight.

Closer to downtown Detroit in North Corktown, the architects of Three Squared Inc have also built a show complex consisting of a three bedroomed, three story family home and a one bedroomed unit. Both have balconies to enjoy the summer sun, and the smaller one will cost only $150,000 – an ideal first rung on the ladder for a first time buyer.

There will be a third phase to the project in another part of Detroit too. Kaline Squared is being built very close to the downtown area of the city, and will consist of mostly one Modular Home, 640 square foot apartments. It will also have two, 1320 square foot apartments that have two bedrooms and will be spread across two floors in a ‘maisonette’ format. These will go up at a blistering pace, with the schedule taking seven weeks from foundation laying to completion.