Home Sweet Cargo Container: Kaohsiung's 21st Century Architecture／貨櫃宅 展現高雄建築的在地性
Home Sweet Cargo Container: Kaohsiung's 21st Century Architecture
◎English translation: Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui
As the world's 13th busiest freight hub, cargo ships from every corner of the world dock at and leave from Kaohsiung every day. Cargo containers have become a symbol which carry cultural significance for the city. Back in 2001, Kaohsiung held the very first Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival, and this biennial event aims to explore the possibilities offered by cargo containers used in different formats and different expressions.
In the past few years, cargo-container homes have emerged as a new trend in the housing market. These buildings have strong local character, are environmentally friendly, and are gradually gaining traction in the local market. The cargo-container homes of the future are something worth looking forward to!
The theme of the 2013 Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival was "The Inhabitables," which explored containers' potential as livable spaces. One of the most eye-catching work of the year was presented by two architects, Mr. Wang Chi-tsun and Mr. Lin Jhih-fong. They took four containers and connected them to form the shape of a cross, resembling the nave of a cathedral. They then softened the cold and rigid structure of those containers by flooding them with nature light and light fixtures, turning the harsh environment into a space filled with comfortable simplicity and charm. Their creation utterly dispelled the rough, crude stereotypes which until recently surrounded cargo-container dwellings, and their work has attracted many to look into the ideas of cargo-container homes.
Elaborating on one reason why cargo containers are ideal for construction purposes, Mr. Wang says they are made to weather the elements at sea. The sides are 2mm thick; they can withstand winds up to force 17 on the Beaufort scale; and each 20-feet-long container can carry up to 20 tonnes. All containers ensure 20 years of life. What is more, a container home is easy to assemble and dismantle, so very little damage is done to the environment during construction and removal. Perhaps best of all, they can be built very quickly and cheaply, and they are also earthquake-proof, meaning they are one of the most sustainable building materials available.
Last year, Mr. Wang was commissioned to build the largest cargo-container dwelling so far in Kaohsiung City. The two-story structure soon became the talk of the town. The building's courtyard was big enough for large gatherings. The containers were elevated so as to avoid ground humidity and enhance ventilation. The shade they cast provided much appreciated reprieve from the heat, and foliage planted on the roof and walls helped lower indoor temperatures, so minimizing energy consumption. This intelligent use of natural elements impressed many people.
Mr. Wang's father was an iron smith and was often hired to dismantle cargo containers. Mr. Wang says that when his father first came up with the idea to convert containers to houses, he did not have access to the techniques required, and so could not make it happen. Years later, his dream has been realized by his son.
Today, Mr. Wang's office consists of two containers, and he has put a lot of thought into details involving weight-bearing structures when he alters the spacing. He has also experimented in order to minimize the "bounciness" that some people feel when moving around inside a container. Although he has constantly refined his construction techniques, Mr. Wang favors the original shape and texture of a cargo container, saying that by retaining the original look, one especially appreciates the creativity behind the transformation.
In June this year, Kaohsiung's first restaurant built using cargo containers will open its door. The "Flyin' Moose" is a two-story construction with an exterior so eyecatching passers-by are often stopped in their tracks. Cargo containers as a construction material have opened the door to creative architecture, giving people with ideas a channel for turning their imagination into reality. Their works enhance Kaohsiung's urban scenery.
貨櫃宅 展現高雄建築的在地性
◎文／侯雅婷
◎攝影／鮑忠暉
今日的高雄港是全球第13大貨櫃港，來自全球的貨櫃船川流不息的往返高雄港，貨櫃無疑是高雄最具代表的意象，更成為高雄文化底蘊。自2001年起、每2年舉辦一次的「高雄國際貨櫃藝術節」以不同形式創作、探討貨櫃。近2年來，「貨櫃宅」的居住形式逐漸打開市場，建築講求在地性，方能符合環境特色，而高雄貨櫃宅的發展呼應在地性，令人期待！
2013年高雄國際貨櫃藝術節主題「可以居」探索貨櫃居住、休憩的可能，參與展出的王啟圳、林志峰2位建築師以4只貨櫃打造出正面為十字象徵符號的教堂空間，貨櫃獨特的鋼冷結構線條，結合自然採光和人造燈光，營造出精緻、迷人的空間氛圍，顛覆貨櫃屋粗糙、簡陋的窠臼印象，於是「貨櫃宅」的理念開始發酵。
王啟圳說，貨櫃材質為海上用鋼，厚度為2mm，可耐17級陣風，而20呎的貨櫃每平方公尺可承重20公噸，每只貨櫃可使用20年無虞。貨櫃宅興建的規劃中，「可拆」已被考量在內，在興建和拆卸過程中，均不破壞環境，再者，其組裝興建快速、價格便宜與耐震等是發展貨櫃宅最大優勢。
去年，王啟圳以13只貨櫃打造2層樓高的貨櫃宅，這棟目前高雄最大的貨櫃宅矗立街頭，新鮮感十足。這處貨櫃宅1樓保留庭院空地，成為民眾活動場域，讓貨櫃離地抬高，既散地氣，也讓風流轉、使空氣流通，此外，運用貨櫃堆疊砌產生陰影，讓人如同置身樹下乘涼的舒適感，而屋頂和貨櫃立面則以植生牆降低室內溫度。這個具節能、環保功能的貨櫃宅令人讚嘆。
王啟圳說，父親是鐵匠，經常拆卸貨櫃，父親曾想將貨櫃改成房屋，但苦無技術而作罷，然而，這個貨櫃宅的想法多年後由擔任建築師的兒子實現了！王啟圳以2只貨櫃打造了他的辦公室，特別在貨櫃宅支撐、改變隔間、降低震動與施工工法等方面持續探討，他刻意保留貨櫃原本的質感，凸顯貨櫃宅作為辦公場域的精緻和創意。
今年6月，台灣首間以貨櫃打造的「飛天糜鹿」餐廳將在高雄登場，2層樓高的外觀相當吸睛，路人忍不住停駐打量一番。「貨櫃宅」讓建築這個造夢產業更加有趣，也豐富了城市的地景。