The floors, usually designed for people and their shoes, are adapted to the pads and joints of canine paws: the training classrooms use removable rolls of PTE-based synthetic turf approved for canine training, while theory classrooms are finished in a semi-polished, exposed concrete aggregate made from river pebbles. As shared by the architects in an official statement, “Non-humans are at the centre of the design. Under this archetype, the spaces on the ground are mainly dedicated to pairs of dogs and humans practising agility training exercises or games as small birds and bats nest in the upper nooks of the structure, as well as the lettering on the front façade design. Hosting a 50 sqm classroom, a 200 sqm training space, along with a kitchen and bathrooms, the complex has been described by the architects as a ‘multi-species design'. Located 30 kilometres west of Spain’s capital, Madrid, 'Educan' - described as a 'school for dogs, humans, and other species', takes this construction medium into the new typologies of educational and institutional architecture, with a vividly colourful design meant to excite and spark a desire for exploration.Ī rainwater harvesting trough doubles as a drinking fountain for dogs as well as birds nesting in the upper sections of the structure Image: José Hevia Structures such as mid-rise social housing projects, offices, private residences, or even large sporting venues such as Stadium 974 in Qatar, are now tangible realities in the domain of shipping container architecture.

The trend, sometimes referred to as 'cargotecture', has been at the forefront of upcycled design and adaptive reuse architecture for some years now, and rampant innovation in the use of this flexible building block has seen the scope of its utilisation extend far beyond what we once knew. The aim of this paper is to raise the awareness of the countless numbers of unused containers in ports, understand the shipping containers, and how the concept of Containers Architecture emerged. Building with reused shipping containers is a method that has firmly cemented itself as an efficient, convenient, and somewhat eco-friendly means to provide shelter and housing in recent years.

Construction details shipping container