There are many reasons and benefits for utilising shipping containers as offices and we thought we’d share some of the best of them so you can decide whether it’s the right choice for you.
Small, medium or large?
One of the great things about shipping container offices is the flexibility you get, especially when it comes to the size of the office.
Container offices are currently available as 10ft, 20ft and 40ft options, suitable to those who require no more than a kiosk to those who are looking to accommodate a larger team.
Compared to traditional office buildings that have fixed dimensions and real estate, the flexibility containers offer in this respect are clear. Container offices are made to accommodate you and your business, not the other way around.
If you’re worried a single 40ft container won’t be enough to meet your needs, you can request further modifications, joining them together or even stacking them if land area is limited.
Headroom for all
Traditional containers are built with an external height dimension of 2.59m with an internal height of 2.39m (7ft 10in). While that comfortably accommodates most human beings on the planet, some might worry that it still leaves too little headroom in an office environment.
What they might not realise is that container offices are not modified from traditional shipping containers but are constructed from high cube shipping containers. High cube shipping containers are 1ft taller than regular shipping containers meaning the internal height is 2.69m (8ft 10in).
That extra bit of headroom makes a lot of difference, opening up the interior while mitigating any feelings of claustrophobia that might concern employees during their day-to-day activities.
Fresh air and natural light
A healthy office environment is also a much more productive one and fresh air and natural light are key ingredients to that. Shipping container offices come fitted with sliding windows, allowing natural light and fresh air to circulate within.
Furthermore, shipping container offices can be positioned in such a way to make the most of the natural light and breeze in the location they’re situated. This also means they can be moved at different times of the year as the seasons change.
Again compared to traditional office buildings, such flexibility isn’t possible with natural light and fresh air limited to the design and placement of the building itself. Most high rise buildings don’t even have windows that open, relying solely on ventilated air.
Keeping it cool
While sliding windows are one way to keep a space fresh and cool, office containers don’t stop there with a number of other means to achieve a consistent and comfortable temperature.
Pre-installed heat pumps give occupants the ability to set and maintain a preferred temperature throughout the day if so required. With no harmful emissions, heat pumps are an excellent and environmentally friendly way to regulate temperature.
Another way temperature can be maintained is to go for the fully insulated option. The insulated office container comes with 50mm of insulation, which further allows a comfortable ambient temperature to be maintained.
Powered up
A modern-day office cannot function without power for lighting, electronics, heating, hardware, devices and more. Container offices are fully wired to ensure all your power consumption demands are met, right throughout the day and night if required.
The 20ft container office, for example, comes equipped with 4 x power points per side wall with a total of 16 power points altogether. In addition to this, 3 x USB ports are also installed for the quick charging of devices – something most members of staff will greatly appreciate.
With an accessible circuit board and standard external caravan style plug, you’ll easily be able to plug in and maintain your office container, keeping you with an ample and steady supply of power all day long.
Firm under feet, safe and secure
Another nice feature of container offices is the fact they all come standard with linoleum flooring on top of 18mm Marine Ply. This makes for a great walking surface with just the right balance of give and stability.
Container offices are also incredibly strong, safe and secure. They are made from high-strength corten steel and the windows are protected by security bars. This is particularly important in the construction sector where container offices are frequently used.
Container offices also come fitted with lockboxes, making padlocks virtually impossible to reach with bolt cutters. This means you’ll be able to safely lock them up at the close of play with the peace of mind that your equipment and possessions are secure.
Facilities if you need them
Container offices can also be fitted with bathrooms with plumbing installed for toilets and washbasins. This elevates the container office from being a “temporary” office to something that very closely resembles a permanent fixture.
Again, with reference to the construction industry, those familiar with temporary offices will know that port-a-loos are typically the mainstay. Given the choice between them and plumbed facilities, you’ll find most members of your team will opt for the latter every single time.
These facilities can also be complemented with showers and changing rooms, perfect for those in manual labour roles, happily able to refresh themselves after a hard day’s work.
Hit the ground running at a fraction of the cost
Quite possibly the main benefit when choosing a container office is the ease and speed at which they can be set up. More often than not, within days of an order being placed, a container office can be delivered to the desired location of your choosing. Time is money for any business and the container office solution is the perfect antidote for that.
Furthermore, the daily cost of hiring an office container is fractional compared to the lease paid for traditional offices. Your savings are even greater if you’re contemplating constructing alternative temporary offices, the bureaucracy for which consumes a huge amount of time and resource.
Completing a job with container offices is an incredibly easy process as well. Simply let us know when your project is finished and we’ll come to collect your container office from where it was delivered. It’s a service designed to suit your schedule to leave you with no concerns once you’re done and dusted.
Container Offices – The Ultimate Office Solution
As you can see there are plenty of great reasons why container offices are a fantastic temporary and long-term solution for the modern workplace.
The ease and speed of setup, the flexibility of size and placement, the cost-savings, the comforts within, modifications galore – you’ll have everything you need for you and your team to get up and running in no time.
