Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

A Shipping Container Turns Into a Backyard Architecture Studio

A Shipping Container Turns Into a Backyard Architecture Studio

Built for $200,000 and lowered into place by crane, a compact cargotecture office perfectly slots into an architect’s backyard.

After working from home for over a decade, Canadian architect Randy Bens found himself in need of a little more breathing room to accommodate the growth of his New Westminster–based architecture practice. Yet rather than rent an office, Randy decided to maintain his no-commute lifestyle by transforming an industrial shipping container into RBA Studio, a cozy 350-square-foot backyard office.



RBA Studio cantilevers over its concrete foundation by seven feet, and draws utilities from Randy's 1930s residence.

"The goal was to have the benefits of working from home while having an independent space for staff, a place to conduct meetings with clients and contractors, and to simply have more room to do our work," says Randy, who assessed various home-office options before deciding on cargotecture as the most cost-effective solution-not to mention the added benefits of modularity and mobility.



From his home in New Westminster, the commute to Randy's new office takes just 30 seconds.

He then settled on a rugged 40-foot-long container-purchased from Richmond–based ContainerWest Manufacturing Ltd.-that was originally designed for mining operations. After trimming the container down to 28 feet, Randy spent six months transforming the industrial container into a livable workspace.



The office has been clad in yellow cedar to comply with the city requirement that all shipping containers be clad.



The window and door frames have also been built from untreated yellow cedar, which will weather to a gray patina.



"The steel stairs have already taken on a full layer of rust," says Randy, who completed the container office in winter 2016.

The cut end of the structure was sealed with a full-height, triple-glazed window, while vertical strips of yellow cedar were used to clad the exterior. "The container was fitted out in the supplier’s factory, and arrived on site 95-percent complete," notes Randy of the custom build, which was completed for a total cost of $200,000.



Spray foam insulation has been applied on all sides of the container. A small air conditioner helps cool the unit in summer.

Inside, the office is lined in birch plywood and fitted out with a 19-foot-long bevel-edged desk made from Douglas Fir that comfortably accommodates three workstations.



The office interior features Flor carpet tiles and walls of pre-finished birch plywood.

The office also includes custom shelving installed above the workspaces; a bathroom with a space-saving, all-in-one sink and toilet by Caroma; a meeting desk for visiting clients and contractors; and a kitchenette with a sink, bar fridge, and microwave.



The work desk spans across 19 feet with no support.



The meeting table is a Nelson X-Leg with birch wrap and a white-matte laminated top paired with Eames Molded Fiberglass in Peacock Blue. The kitchenette has been finished with Matte White Thermofoil cabinetry and a Caesarstone quartz countertop.



"The reaction to the project has been universal in the neighborhood and from visitors-everyone loves it," Randy says.



RBA Studio Floor Plan and Sections

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
×