3 MAPS TO MAKE SENSE OF INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

We often see the ‘Made in China’ label, but rarely understand what that means.

We sat down and simplified International Shipping. Here are the only 3 photos you need to have a basic understanding of how it works.

1. Manufacturing

Manufacturers produce massive quantities of items to meet domestic and international demand. Once finished, the items are packaged and loaded into containers for shipping.

Courtesy of: Dutakharisma.com

2. Shipping

Massive cargo ships are loaded by machine with standard-sized containers, before leaving port for their next destination.

Courtesy of: Sciencemag.org

3. Consuming

Once the items have arrived, they are unloaded and distributed to businesses and eventually sold-on to consumers.

Courtesy of: Bulgariamall.bg

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Container Island Resorts – America’s New Dubai

Did you know that there are over 4000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that will be decommissioned within the next century. These oil rigs occupy approximately 80 million square feet of area in the ocean. Basically the only way to remove them is to blow them into oblivion which would cost millions of dollars and destroy a major part of the Gulf’s aquatic life. What if these oil rigs could be used in another way?

The idea of turning the oil rigs into luxurious hotel resorts was already presented in 2009 by Morris Architects who also won the top prize in a hospitality design design contest with this concept. This idea also introduces an application for shipping containers.

The idea is to prefabricate hotel pods off-site out of shipping containers and transport them into the oil rigs with cargo ships. These new island resorts are also been referred as America’s Dubai. The BLDGBLOG site has put it also to a poetic perspective by comparing the resorts as the  Kalevala of Abandoned Oil Rigs.

Prefabricating and transporting the hotels onto the rigs a relatively simple procedure. The challenges are more related to maintenance and business side. How to ensure security on the resort, how to handle stormy weather conditions, how to price them and how to maintain a steady flow of customers?

Shanghai Metal Corporation is a professional provider of prefabricated container hotels. You may see our website for detailed descriptions of our hotels. If you have any questions, please contact us with this form. Check also our social media sites for future updates.

    

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: BLDGBLOG, LA Curbed, Dornob, Morris Architects, Design Ideas, The Telegraph,  Paul Baut, Tree Hugger, Bustler

See our other articles about shipping container hotels.

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Container B&B Completes Your Dream Vacation in Spain!

If you’re planning a vacation in Majorca, this is the place where you want to lodge! Located 10 minutes from the capital Palma, there is a luxurious bed and breakfast facility that is made out of three shipping containers.

The “Fly House” B&B has basically everything that everybody wants from their holiday accommodation. It has a modern open planned living area with full kitchen,  living room and a rooftop bedroom.  The Fly House is also  equipped with high-speed Internet and cable TV.

This holiday bungalow also has an outdoor deck with a swimming pool and a BBQ dining area. The outdoor facility has also a private Japanese garden and a hammock for relaxation.

Even though its space is very limited, the room feels really spacious. Its spiral staircase saves a lot of space. Also its shelves and sofa can can be closed and opened with a push of a button for extra space.

This container complex was prefabricated off-site and plunked with the least amount of energy, waste and cost. Thanks to shipping containers, this facility can be easily expanded and transferred to a different location. Its solar panels enable energy efficient and low-cost electricity usage. Floor-to-ceiling windows illuminate the room with natural light. Rainwater is harvested by gutters and reused for outdoor plants.

The Fly House designer company Espai Fly would like to see their container housing business expanding from hotels to also cafes, retail outlets and even private homes.

 

Shipping containers seem to be the superior material for creating affordable real-estate that is both luxurious and affordable. For instance this private bungalow costs only about 110 US dollars a day. You can check the current prices and book from here.

While container architecture is going mainstream, Shanghai Metal Corporation continues in fulfilling shipping container orders from around the globe. If you wish to order this superior material, please send us an inquiry. You may also visit our container house page. Follow us also in these social media platforms.

    

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Sources: Architizer, designboom, Espai Fly

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Luxury Container Hotels

A container hotel system is a new trend to take the hotel business closer to a specific clientele. Besides, the hotel solutions are made for luxury consumers offering them a wonderful experience.

For example an UK company Snoozebox offers portable hotel services to any location or any events. The portable lodge has 40-400 rooms and each room has a flat screen and a Wifi.

Sleeping around is a Belgium pop-up hotel company located in Antwerp. It offers container hotel rooms that are equipped with rain showers, box-spring beds, iPod docking stations and air conditioning. They also have rooms with saunas.

A luxurious looking container hotel village has also been built in Changzhi, the city of Shanxi province in China. In addition to their high-end indoor design, Xiang Xiang Xiang Pray House is located in Taihang mountain gorges area giving the village a beautiful natural environment.

China is a major exporter of container homes with over 3 million containers shipped in 2011. CNN Travel writes that the idea came from the Japanese when they imported a large amount of containers to build temporary homes for the survivors of the 2011 tsunami earthquake.

Shanghai Metal Corporation also offers container homes and hotels for the creation of portable hotel facilities. To learn more about our products, please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Original articles and pictures: CNN Travel, Ingeniabox, Sleeping Around, Snoozebox, Abcey,