The wave of homes and buildings made from containers has reached many areas of the world in the past decade. The new architectural trend is now reaching India, with privately made container homes and enterprise sponsored production of computer labs.
Taking Matters into His Own Hands
Kameshwar Rao is a thirty- three-year-old climbing wall coach who lives in Ramamurthynagara, India, with his family. He has a wife, a little boy, and another child on the way. Kameshwar wanted to build a home for his family, and he designed and built it out of recycled portable storage units. His house is nicknamed “Dabba Mane”, which means box house.
Kameshwar got the idea six years ago when he was working in Germany, and he was living in a modular home. He has used these steel boxes in many areas of his work; he once built a climbing wall out of stacked units. It seemed natural to him to create his home out of the durable units, even though the concept is not common in India.
The Bigger Hurdles
The biggest challenge was to make the living space comfortable and welcoming for his family, with safety being the biggest concern. Kameshwar made sure that the electrical system was sorted and safe. He already had two boxes on the family plot of land, situated in an L shape. He then purchased two additional units from the Chennai dock. A crane placed the two- ton boxes stacked on top of the foundational ones. The incredible strength of the steel units makes the home very sturdy. Kameshwar decorated the house with prized antique furniture and other recycled possessions, and now the Rao family has a home that is sturdy, earthquake-proof, sustainable, and unique.
Corporations Getting into the Mix
Companies in India are also starting to utilize these standardized units. HP India is in partnership with India’s National Council for Educational Research and Training. Together they are making Lab-in-a-Box, which is a computer lab inside of a portable storage container. Each unit has 15 HP terminals, Wireless connection, furniture, a printer, and power. The boxes can be easily transported on trains through India’s extensive railway system. This new invention brings computer and Internet access to rural parts of India with efficiency and ease.