Live out-of-a-box

A luxurious home doesn’t necessarily mean thousands of square footage or towering great rooms and gilded toilets. Creative people across the globe are crafting luxury homes using shipping containers. Gurgaon-based designers Neeraj and Arpita Khandelwal along with Inderpreet Kaur, through their brand In The Box Space, focus on creating innovative spaces using re-purposed shipping containers. Their aim is to provide homes that are structurally, financially and environmentally efficient with a notion of providing convenience and comfort.

“The idea was to create eco-friendly sustainable living options ideal in all the situations as they are efficiently designed to withstand any natural calamity such as earthquakes or hurricanes,” points out Arpita and adds, “It is also great for areas where buildings are not permitted. Furthermore, these containers are portable, so can be easily shifted to new locations.”

Box SpaceNeeraj says, “In 2015, Arpita and I went to Amsterdam for a family vacation and the sight of millions of containers on the Rotterdam port left us speechless. After doing a detailed study, we saw that containers were mainly used where conventional buildings weren’t allowed. Nobody in the market had explored that living out of a container could be a great experience.”

According to Arpita, since shipping containers are flood and fire proof, it makes them a great home-building material. Ranging in length from 20 to 30 feet, these containers are typically only used for 10 to 15 years, but can last much longer. Neeraj adds, “Shipping containers are made from corten steel, which is extremely hard. They are also designed to stay in rough waters for over a decade, which makes them extremely durable for any weather, not only in India, but anywhere, due to which they are gaining popularity with architects across the globe.”

The container is also insulated to maintain a neutral temperature. “We insulate the containers from inside by using good glass wool. It helps to maintain the temperature and can withstand the outer temperature up to 70 degree Celsius,” explains Neeraj. According to Arpita, these structures can also save a lot of cost. She says, “If efficiently used, one could save up to 40 per cent on the construction cost. It is ideal for spaces which are time bound and for businesses in the hospitality sector.” She further adds that these can be “made in a plug-and-play model, making them extremely portable.”

The trio specialises in creating customised recreational dwelling containers — sitting area, lounge, bar, library, guesthouse — depending on the requirement. “The designs are functional yet fun, and easy to implement. We have already created three such units and are currently working on a house of 1,200 square feet. We are receiving inquires from across India. Individuals who value time and are a bit creative love the idea,” shares Neeraj.

Now, they are trying to break the perception that anything recycled and luxury cannot co-exist. Neeraj says, “In an innovative way we want to re-purpose old containers that we would otherwise throw away.” Going forward, they want to explore new avenues and be the market leaders in this segment. Neeraj explains, “Our aim is to broaden the scope of using containers beyond the services we are providing, such as the recreational dwelling units, restaurants, shops, homes and farmhouses.”