“Out Of The Box” Thinking At Boxman Studios

No two projects are ever the same at Boxman Studios. The word is out on shipping container architecture, and customers come to us more frequently with knowledge about, or even first-hand experience with, the kinds of activations we create. And more often than not, they’re looking to up the ante. They want the “wow” factor that shipping container architecture delivers, and are aware of our reputation for innovative thinking and great results.

Shipping Container Architecture is more common now than it was five or ten years ago.
But simply having a shipping container structure isn’t always enough to get that “wow” anymore.

Here’s a look at two projects that exemplify Boxman Studios’ commitment to lead innovationin shipping container architecture, and blow our customers away:

Nonconforming Structures

Shipping containers are designed to be stacked. Their load bearing points are at its four corners. A customer recently approached us with an idea for a permanent build. They wanted 16 shipping containers, stacked together but in nonconforming shapes. But they were looking for something more than a neatly stacked configuration, as on a cargo ship.

The final design was two, four-story towers, each with eight containers in nonconforming configurations. In the middle, connecting the towers, was a glass elevator. Not only did we deliver this innovative design on budget and on time, but it is a LEED Gold certified building. The client uses the installation as a suite of conference rooms, passing that “wow” factor on to their own clients, and every person who steps inside those rooms.

Nonconforming Uses

Customers typically approach a shipping container architecture firm because they want to create a building. A second customer recently approached us, however, looking to build shipping container furniture that they could install in their office. Using the container as material, we created desks, cabinets, and other office essentials. Not only did we engineer, pack, and deliver the final products, we also sent a crew along to carry the steel fixtures up several flights of stairs, then assemble and install them. It was an unusual request, but the kind of creative challenge that keeps our team happy and improving. Our people used their training and ingenuity to bring that concept to life.

We’re beginning to see there is really nothing “typical” when it comes to our customer’s ideas. They come to us because we’re known for innovation and creativity; this supports a self-reinforcing system. Each client pushes us to enhance our production processes and techniques, and deliver high-quality, innovative designs.