I’ve long been fascinated with the idea of shipping containers repurposed for living spaces, and in this age of reclaiming/recycling, it makes more sense than ever. It seems like an easy and modern fix for an outbuilding. studio or poolhouse. Block Design Build, the team who built my barn and office, is clearly fascinated with the possibilities, too, and recently completed this project in Guilford.

While they’re known for constructing classic New England post and beam barns, the Block’s aesthetic lends itself to modern design, too. The Guilford family was in dire need of more space for the typical accumulation of bikes, tools, and outdoor accouterments, plus an offic area and place to shoo the kids for music practice. The resulting design is an inspired modern structure featuring two buildings and an overhang in-between for use as a carport or additional summer entertaining space. It’s an innovative and pleasing solution to a typical growing-family problem.

Here’s what Haldan Block had to say about his favorite aspect of the project:

“We really liked working with a used shipping container. This container had been all over the world in its past life. It had been dented, patched, lettered and re-lettered. After its life carrying goods across the ocean, it was used as an on-site rental container for many years. Using this container as part of a new structure is the ultimate form of re-purposing in our field.”

www.erikblock.com

Have a peek at the-e-list office that the Blocks built, here.

We’re smitten with this mudroom, too.