c900 Bunkhouse
"It's the best design Cargotecture has ever done. With code setbacks, it houses 264 people per acre or (22) c900 Bunkhouses."There is no less expensive way to house a large number of people than the c900 Bunkhouse. The design inspiration is “luxury cruise ship bunkhouse” in a transformation of inexpensive lightly stained plywood.
c900 Bunkhouse
"It's the best design Cargotecture has ever done. With code setbacks, it houses 264 people per acre or (22) c900 Bunkhouses."There is no less expensive way to house a large number of people than the c900 Bunkhouse. The design inspiration is “luxury cruise ship bunkhouse” in a transformation of inexpensive lightly stained plywood.
Think inside the box …
what can you do with a steel shipping container?
Intermodal Shipping Container design marries environmental sustainability with cutting-edge design sensibility. Cargotecture has a well-earned reputation as one of the world’s preeminent shipping container design firms. Led by renowned designer Joel Egan, we have created functional space for a variety of uses for municipalities, homeowners and developers for over 14 years.
If you come, we will build it.
Intermodal Shipping Container design marries environmental sustainability with cutting-edge design sensibility. Cargotecture has a well-earned reputation as one of the world’s preeminent shipping container design firms. Led by renowned designer Joel Egan, we have created functional space for a variety of uses for municipalities, homeowners and developers for over 14 years.
If you come, we will build it.
About Us

Joel Egan is a Seattle native who received his BS in Experiential Psychology in 1994 from Western Washington University. His study of the effects of the five human senses led to his deep understanding of function and form and the human experience of the built structure.
Living in Winthrop, Washington, high in the Cascades, Joel mastered residential design and construction in extreme hot/cold weather environments. He earned his Masters in Architecture from the University of Oregon in 2000, with an emphasis on sustainability. During school he lived and worked in France, Italy, and Japan.
Joel founded Cargotecture just after the year 2000, and practices in Seattle, Washington. The firm has past and ongoing work in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, California, Vermont, New York, Nevada, Utah, and Florida. The practice can support projects around the world.
Cargotecture can provide services ranging from schematic design, design development, consultancy, and project management for any global project. Cargotecture creates both site-built and factory-built designs and completed projects. Cargotecture also provides permitting services for projects in most jurisdictions.
Cargotecture gets its name from the practice of creating buildings out of steel intermodal shipping containers, which it helped to pioneer. This has now become a trend featured in architectural and style journals worldwide. This method merges Egan’s focus on sustainability with his understanding of the interplay of senses and structure.
Your project, its timeline, and cost can often be easily determined by a conversation on the phone. Please take a moment to enter your phone number. Check a box whether it is textable or not. Check Morning Daytime Evening as the one, two, or three times best to speak on the phone.
Joel Egan
(206) 495-2520
info@cargotecture.com
4211 SW College St.
Seattle, WA 98116
By Appointments Only
FAQ
Why do you build structures from steel shipping containers?
Is cargo/shipping/intermodal container architecture appropriate for affordable housing?
Can you give me an example?
What should I know about zoning?
Are there barriers to ISC home construction?
• Container-based construction does not reduce the cost of permit-required components inside.
• Micro-home appliances are less common and micro-sized, making them more expensive than appliances found in stick-built construction.
• The steel container conversion adds some costs, such as adding insulation, floors, doors, and windows.
• Steel ISCs are very heavy.
These issues are often surmountable, so long as the regional cost ratio remains favorable.
Why select Cargotecture for my micro-home, retreat, DADU, or home office?
Pluses include:
• They can be relocated (including their foundations), so they can be moved from season to season, turning from fish camp to surf shack.
• They can be secured against intruders and storms.
• They are nostalgic for their globetrotting history.
• Architecture critics love them.
• They travel easily on typical trucks, ships, and trains.
• This is a unique luxury retreat that can be a transferrable asset for many generations.
I am a do-it-yourself builder and would like to use your construction documents. Can you help me build my own?
I live in an extremely hot and cold weather environment. Are your designs fully insulated? Would these homes be able to handle these extremes?
How much will shipping the Cargotecture from the factory cost?
What kind of foundation is recommended?
Cargotecture recommends diamond-shaped pre-cast concrete/steel foundational piers (examples can be seen at www.pinfoundations.com). They are less expensive and more green than a site-poured slab and they have been approved in seismic, frost, flood, high wind zones as well as areas with poor soils. Cargotecture procures these with cargo container locking mechanisms already installed. They come shipped with the unit at an average cost of $220 per block and most homes require a minimum of 6 blocks.
Is the installation included?
Do you have awnings for outdoor living, and decks to expand my livable space?
What additional options, such as roofs for green roof gardening, are available?
Does the purchase price include all the electrical/water/washroom installations/connections?
Where do you deliver?
Are you in a position to build with my own designs? What is maximum size that you can do?
Cargotecture C-series Specifications and Pricing
c160 Scout
Base Price: $19,000
c192 Nomad
$65,000
c320 Nomad
$88,000
c320 Lookout
$109,500
c640 Lookout
$119,500
c720 Lookout
$134,500
Base prices include:
- Recycled ISO cargo container(s) with new paint
- Steel modification of the above containers
- Soy based spray foam insulation
- Aluminum clad wood windows and doors (one 10’ long opening and one side door included.) Fiberglass available
- Bamboo finish floor or Swedish finish of original mahogany floors
- 5/8” drywall ceiling and walls
- Complete bathroom
- Duravit bath fixtures
- IKEA cabinets, kitchen fixtures, and lighting
- Summit appliances
- 30 gal electric water heater (gas if available on site)
- Convectair Apero heating system
- Factory plans, State L&I permits and inspections
- All projects are permit-approved at factory gate
- Free shipping to most US locations
Prices do not include:
- Schematic Design Development for your particular model
- Sales tax (specific to your municipality)
- Local plan review and permits (for land-use review, foundations and utilities)
- On-site construction requirements (grading, foundation, utility connection)
- Engineering or steep slope/ECA permitting services or fees
Standard options include:
- Sliding steel barn door: $1800 each
- Additional 10-foot openings $8000 each
- Upper retractable bunk: $1500
- Fujitsu Heat pump: $3500
- 12’x20’ panelized deck: $2500
- Canvas shade awning: $2500
- Lower retractable bunk: $2000
- Glass bath enclosure: $1800
Deep Green and Off-The-Grid Options
- Natural gas or propane appliances, water heater and furnace.
- Solar panels and inverter.
- “Green Roof”
- Composting toilets or “green machine” sewage treatment.
- Roofwater harvesting and reuse.
The Purchase Process
Cargotecture will research the specifics of your site to determine and assess the feasibility of transportation, crane access, local zoning codes, foundation required etc. These tasks are typically billed hourly and very rarely run over $1000.
Step Two: Schematic Design, Plans and Permits
Your Cargotecture home is factory permitted, but typically local permits are required for land use review, foundation design, and utilities. Cargotecture can assist you for a fee that typically ranges from $2000-$5000.
Step Three: Production begins
Upon completion of design development, a non-refundable 50% is required to begin construction of the home at one of our factories. Production typically takes 30-60 days depending on options and complexity of your project.
Step Four: Factory completion and delivery
The balance of the sales price is due upon factory completion of your Cargotecture unit. Then the home will be shipped to your site, and you will have key in the door within a week.