Casa Incubo is a two storey, elegant container home designed by Maria Jose Trejos for a professional photographer. The building was constructed using a total of 8 shipping containers which helped in minimizing cost and shortening total construction time by 20%.
The design features a central, double volume, living area bounded by the shipping containers on 2 sides. This central space serves as the main living room and the photographer’s studio. The containers on the sides house the kitchen and dining areas as well as a gallery on the ground floor, while the first floor is where we find two en-suite bedrooms as well as yet another studio for the photographer client. An outdoor walkway, leads to a flight of stairs that take you up to a sun deck/rooftop garden.
The design allows for great cross ventilation and natural daylight via the large panes of glazing, predominantly on the west side of the building. The large overhang of the roof also ensure the central living area stays shading in the summer.
The Interior decor and design of the home is largely minimalist, except maybe in the central living area where we find a bold statement of colour and pattern in the kaleidoscopic sofas. They add a nice touch of contrast to the more industrial aesthetic of the space. The living area also features a large garage door which, when opened, creates a barrier free flow to the outdoors.
Further in, we find a generous kitchen and dining area, with a good view of a cedar tree that has been integrated into the outdoor deck of the building. The dining table is notable within the space as its legs were taken from the aformentioned cedar and topped off with a steel sheet. The sliding doors that lead onto the deck, from the kitchen/dining area, are shaded by screens of slim bamboo ‘rods’ that slide along an exterior rail. These also add a tropical vibe to the largely industrial aesthetic.
The exterior of the building is simple and not overdesigned. The containers are largely untouched, but just modified where necessary. The fabric shade canopy on the sun deck, the bamboo screens, the cedar tree and deck, all of these elements help to soften the buildings aesthetic and create an elegant blend of simplicity and style.
Systems such as rainwater collection, solar panels and LED lights, grant the home, ‘sustainable status’, along with its upcycling of containers and reduced footprint. The Casa Incubo is a remarkable design, that serves its desired purpose optimally and creates comfort in an artistic and amiable ambiance.
For more images on the construction and design of Casa Incubo, check out Maria Jose Trejos’ site. Hope you can speak spanish.
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