Take a look around in urban areas, the suburbs and even in light industrial estates and chances are you’ll spot a handful of shipping container offices. These compact and customisable spaces are rewriting the rules of office setup with loads of flexibility and the added bonus of mobility.
A well appointed sales office in a new residential estate, durable workspaces for a busy construction site and sleek home offices are some of the more common uses of shipping containers for office type spaces.
Shipping containers are as versatile as you need them to be. When you need more space at your place, whether it’s at your construction site, business or home, shipping container offices can tick all the boxes – comfort, flexibility and functionality – plus you won’t have to find a commercial building to rent.
Transform your workspace with a shipping container office
Home office
Working from home with limited indoor space but plenty of backyard? When personal and professional time coexist within the same four walls, it’s hard to keep things separate, not to mention switch off at the end of the day.
If you have a large backyard or live on acreage, a shipping container office may be just perfect if you work from home, own a small business or have a start-up. Separate your home and work spaces and make it easier to leave work at the office. Your family will thank you!
Site offices
Mining sites, shipping yards, construction sites, field operations, farming and renewable energy projects are just some of the many industries that need temporary onsite office space.
A site office container provides a practical and portable space for admin, storage, safety training or breaks. Strong and durable, cost-effective and compact, shipping containers can be easily customised to suit the specific needs of the site.
On construction sites, where the location of a site office may need to change, a shipping container can be readily moved and placed where it’s needed.
Event site office
Planning a pop-up event or weekend festival and need a temporary space for your team to keep everything on track? A shipping container event site office is the answer.
Use a container as a ticket office, information booth, merchandise stand, first aid centre or operational headquarters. And with a little creativity, your container can be designed to match any theme or branding. They can be set up within minutes, allowing you to focus on other aspects of managing the event.
Remote locations
Shipping container offices are an excellent option for remote areas workspaces. Make your container office self-contained with the addition of power, lighting and climate control modifications.
A shipping container office is temporary, movable and can be more cost-effective than building permanent offices in off-the-grid locations, which are then abandoned when project is finished.
Why shipping containers make perfect offices
- Built to be durable: High-quality materials mean the container offices are strong in harsh conditions. They are durable, weather resistant and pest proof. And their long lifespan ensures your office will hold firm on your property for years to come.
- Eco-friendly: Rather than buying a newly made conventional shed, repurpose a shipping container and give it a second life. Converting a container creates far less waste than conventional construction. And used containers can easily be sold and repurposed all over again for someone else to enjoy.
- Easy to move: By their very nature, containers are much more convenient for transport than traditional sheds. The business taking you across the country? Take your office with you.
- Affordable: Not only are container offices more cost-effective than hiring a commercial office space, they’re quick to set up, so you save on labour and fitout costs. Plus, they’re easy to take care of — that means more money in your pocket over time. Plus, if you only want a short-term fix, you can opt for container office hire instead of buying one.
- Adaptable: As your team grows, expand your shipping container office with simple renovations or add more shipping containers for a modular structure.
5 things to consider when turning a shipping container into an ideal office space
1. Size
It goes without saying, you need to consider how big you want your container office to be and if you have enough room on your property. While common sizes for offices are 20ft and 40ft, a smaller 10ft container could be perfect for a small business in your back yard. Containers can be combined to create larger office spaces or facilities over time.
2. Planning regulations
It’s a good idea to check with your local council before buying or hiring a container. A little research can save you from future complications. Different local councils have different regulations. Shipping containers that will be permanently located (considered “fixed structures” under the Building Act) generally require building approval and may need to meet additional requirements set out in the National Construction Code.
3. Modifications
When you purchase a container from SPAREBOX, we can adapt your container to meet your needs with windows, doors, vents, insulation, electrical connectivity and air conditioning at an additional cost. More complex modifications are also available including plumbing, roller doors, entry doors and skylights. Talk to us about your needs and we can provide a quote.
4. Delivery and accessibility
Even our biggest containers can be transported by a semi-trailer, tilt tray, side tray or crane truck. And accessibility is not an issue as a crane truck can lift your shipping container office over walls or fences. We deliver nationally so matter where you are — a big city, regional town or rural area — we’ll work out the best transport solution and get your container to you as fast as possible.
5. Fit out
Once you know what size you’re going for, think about the layout of your container office. If you’re turning a shipping container into a team office, you may want to include partitions to separate meeting areas, shelving to organise documents, dedicated workstations for each team member or acoustic panels for privacy. Don’t forget the little luxuries like a coffee machine.
Let SPAREBOX help you with your next project
If you need to ace the space requirements of your business, home office, site office or event, consider whether a shipping container office could help.
With a range of sizes to choose from, delivery to anywhere in Australia and the option of hiring or purchasing your shipping container, SPAREBOX can help you make the smart choice for your space solution. Tell us about your vision and we can work out the rest. Get in touch with our team today.
