Shipping containers

Introduction
Shipping containers that were originally and currently used for over-ocean, over-road and over-rail shipment of bulk goods, and are now repurposed for residential occupancy and commercial storefront applications. This is especially useful in urban environments where space is more limited and the price of land is more a barrier to entry for prospective home owners and business developers. Shipping containers can be used as the main structure for efficiency dwellings or alternatively used as a basis of structure for contemporary architectural design.

Spain

 * In Valencia: New shipping containers (40ft) for around 2000eur.
 * In Zaragoza:, they also offer prefab houses

UK

 * , 40ft container for 400gbp.

Prototyping
Free consultation availabe from these companies:
 * Prototype Creation, Wiesbaden / germany

Container Earthship
The famous Earthship concept can be implemented using containers, too. 

Discussion
Want a cheap, rough-and-ready shelter on your piece of land? A used 40 foot shipping containers costs about $2000. They measure 8 feet (2.44m) wide, 40 feet (12.19m) long and 8 feet 6 inches (2.59m) tall. That's an area of 320 square feet (29.74m2). Buy three of these, stick them together and you have something the size of a nice one-bedroom apartment that cost you just $6000.

One option is to partially bury the container for an underground house. You may need to put up a pillar or two to support the weight of the roof. Use a metal saw to cut out holes for windows, pipes, or stairs to the second floor.

Of course, a bare shipping container isn't a nice place to live in, but you can do it up however you want. You need to put up insulation and install electrical fixtures and other fittings. A bare shipping container will also look terrible from the outside, so you will want to cover it in recycled pallets, graffiti, plaster it, cover it with wood panels, or whatever.