From shipping container to housing unit

Passers-by were perplexed when a shipping container was offloaded on the lawn behind the Municipal Offices in Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch last week. A week later the transformation amisazing – in place of a raw metal container, there is now a fully equipped housing unit complete with kitchen and bathroom (with toilet, basin and shower).

“This demonstration unit is to show the community that shipping containers can be up-scaled into liveable units that one can be proud of,” explains Alderman Conrad Sidego, Executive Mayor of Stellenbosch. “Stellenbosch has a backlog of 25 000 housing units. If an individual applies for a house now, he will most likely only get the unit in more than a decade. Shipping containers are a quick and effective way of supplying housing.” The unit is being equipped by Cobus Prinsloo of Sibanya Box Developers and Sam Chagwedera from Barwe Building and a team of workers. A unit consisting of one container of 2.2m x 6m and equipped with kitchen cupboards, a stove, bathroom (with basin, toilet and shower) costs between R80 000 and R95 000. A larger unit consisting of two containers costs R125 000.

These units have many advantages: The walls are crack resistant, they are water and sound proof and can be equipped within three to seven days. It is also fire resistant and the Nutec “skin” on the inside and outside “walls” help to keep the unit cool in summer and warm in winter. “The housing need in South Africa is huge,” says Sidego. “We need innovative solutions to create a more dignified living environment. These units also tie in with Stellenbosch’s status as the Innovation Capital of South Africa and our vision to be the greenest municipality and to create dignified living for our citizens. By turning these containers into housing units, we eliminate the need for expensive building materials and processes." The living space can easily be increased by breaking through to a second container which can, for example, be converted into two quite spacious bedrooms or other rooms. There are many examples globally of expensive, high-tech houses being created from shipping containers using high quality finishes and furnitures. Some of these are two or three storeys high. A solar panel (18 kw) is usually installed with the model on show in Stellenbosch. This supplies energy for a stove, TV, fridge and lights.

“Most people think that a shipping container is a huge tin can that is only good for transporting goods,” says Councillor Valerie Fernandez,Portfolio Manager: Human Settlements and Property at Stellenbosch Municipality. “Hopefully the unit behind the municipal buildings will be proof that this kind of housing is innovative and offers a dignified living option. The advantage is that many units can be equipped and be ready to move into within a short time. “The life expectancy of a container in its original shape is 180 years. But once it is upscaled the expectancy is much longer. It is a sustainable housing solution.”

Van vraghouer tot wooneenheid

Verbygangers het verlede week gewonder waarom ʼn skeepsvraghouer in Ryneveldstraat, Stellenbosch op die grasperk agter die munisipale geboue afgelaai word. ʼn Week later is die vraghouer omtower in ʼn gerieflike eenmenswoonplek kompleet met ʼn kombuisnis, badkamer en oopplan slaap- en sitkamer.

“Hierdie model is om vir die gemeenskap te wys dat vraghouers omskep kan word in woonplekke waarop ʼn mens trots kan wees,” verduidelik Raadsheer Conrad Sidego, uitvoerende burgemeester. “Stellenbosch het ʼn agterstand van 25 000 huise. Iemand wat nou op ʼn waglys vir ʼn huis geplaas word, sal waarskynlik eers oor dekades ʼn huis kry. Vraghouers is ʼn doeltreffende en vinnige manier om huise beskikbaar te stel." Die eenheid word ingerig deur mnre Kobus Prinsloo van Sibanya Box Developers en Sam Chagwedera van Barwe Building en ʼn span werkers. ʼn Eenheid wat uit een vraghouer van 2,2m x 6m gebou en volledig toegerus word met kombuiskaste, ʼn stoof, ʼn badkamer met wasbak, stort en toilet, kos tussen R80 000 en R95 000. ʼn Groter eenheid wat uit twee vraghouers bestaan, kos R125 000.

Vraghouers wat in wooneenhede omskep word, het talle voordele: die mure kan nie kraak nie, dit is waterdig en klankdig en dit word binne drie tot vyf dae volledig ingerig. Dit is ook brandbestand. Die Nutec “huid” waarmee die wande buite sowel as binne bedek word, help om die eenheid in die somer koel en in die winter warm te hou. “Die behuisingsnood in Suid-Afrika is groot,” sê Sidego. “Ons moet met innoverende oplossings vorendag kom om ʼn menswaardige omgewing te skep. Hierdie eenhede pas ook by Stellenbosch se beeld as die Innovasiehoofstad van die land en by die munisipaliteit se visie om die groenste munisipaliteit te wees. Die vraghouers is iets wat reeds bestaan en wat nou in iets bruikbaar en volhoubaar omskep word. In die proses word duur boumateriale en bouprosesse uitgeskakel.” Dit is ook maklik om ʼn eenheid te vergroot deur na 'n tweede vraghouer deur te breek en byvoorbeeld afsonderlike slaapkamers of ander vertrekke in te rig. Daar is wêreldwyd tientalle voorbeelde van spoggerige vragskeepwonings wat twee of drie verdiepings beslaan en met die duurste en luuksste meubels en toebehore toegerus is.

Krag vir die eenhede soortgelyk soos die op die Stellenbosch munisipale perseel word gewoonlikvoorsien van ʼn sonpaneel wat 18kW krag kan opwek. Dit lewer genoeg energie vir ʼn stoof, TV, yskas en ligte. “Die meeste mense sien ʼn vraghouer as net ʼn groot blik wat goedere moet vervoer,” sê Raadslid Valerie Fernandez, portefeulje-bestuurder Menslike Nedersettings en Eiendom. “Die eenheid agter die stadsaal sal hopelik vir die gemeenskap wys dat hierdie soort behuising innoverend is en dat dit moontlik is dat talle eenhede binne ʼn kort tyd ingerig kan word. Dit is 'n proses wat veel vinniger geskied as om ʼn huis van bakstene te bou. “Die lewensduur van rou vraghouers – in hul oorspronklike vorm en sonder enige verbetering daaraan – is 180 jaar. Maar as dit goed onderhou word, is die lewensduur veel langer. Dit is dus ʼn volhoubare oplossing.”