»From little things big things grow

Container City's web site has an interesting FAQ covering the technical details of reusing shipping containers for such structures as housing, school buildings, and office space. Recently I saw Shigeru Ban's Nomadic Museum, designed to house a travelling exhibit of Gregory Colbert's "Ashes and Snow" photography exhibit.

For the Nomadic Museum, 148 empty containers are stacked in a self-supporting grid. Fourteen containers will be used to ship building materials; the remaining ones will be rounded up at the museum’s next port of call. “The idea came from the fact that these can be found in every place the museum will travel to,” says Ban. “I have not made anything new. I’m just finding a new function for them.” A tentlike fabric fills in the gaps between the containers and serves as the roof.