The Ultimate Recycling Turns Unwanted Goods Into Homes

EVERYTHING old is new again with builders and architects turning recycled materials into unusual homes.

SHIPPING container home at Graceville. 

SHIPPING container home at Graceville. 

Old shipping containers, water tanks and recycled materials are being used to make a statement in the property market. Sugar mills and camp sites, doughnuts and underground homes in outback mining towns have also inspired Queensland's most unusual homes.

Shipping Container Homes Australia marketing director Ryan Junghenn has been in the business for three years and said since 2004, interest in these homes had gone through the roof.

"About 9000 people check our website every month," he said.

"Shipping container homes appeal to people who are interested in 'upcycling' as well as those keen for a cheaper home.

"Many architects, designers and builders also love the funky design possibilities of these homes." Mr Junghenn said a new Brisbane house which will be listed in early November could be one of Australia's largest shipping container homes.

8 Jaora St, Graceville. Source: Supplied

Made of 31 shipping containers, the tri-level home at 8 Jaora St, Graceville is a one-off bespoke design by experienced builder Todd Miller of Zeigler Build.

In a suburb more well known for its grand Queenslanders than its out of the box houses, the spectacular home makes a statement in a quiet riverside street. Its cream shipping container walls are complemented by a wraparound deck enclosed by timber slats and floor-to-ceiling glass.

The letterbox is framed by part of a shipping container and two planters on the front lawn are recycled coal mine shakers. Another head turner is the mosaic timber front door and double garage door made from recycled cedar. Mr Miller also used 100-year-old railway sleepers for the timber ramp leading to the garage.

The surprises continue inside the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with a hallway on the lower level featuring doors with original shipping container metal handles opening to the garage.

On the middle and upper levels, the walls and ceilings are made from recycled Tasmanian oak perforated plywood from the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Mr Miller described the home's design as eclectic industrial and to quieten any protests from Brisbane City Council or his neighbours, he ensured his shipping containers were repainted in a neutral tone.

"The structure is made entirely from shipping containers which were at sea only once before I bought them," he said.

Builder Todd Miller of Graceville outside his home which he built from old shipping containers. Source: News Limited

"No conventional material was used and I cut every piece of steel for the home myself.

"It was built in just 20 weeks and my family and I have lived here for about three months."

When asked the big question of 'Why shipping containers?', Mr Miller said he liked building unusual structures.

"I also wanted to prove this could be done with building certification approval from council and I wanted this to be a benchmark for other, similar homes," he said.

"But the process of building a house like this is not for the faint-hearted.

"I learnt a lot about steel and structural integrity but the hardest part was always coming up with things that worked with the house, including pieces like the letterbox and front steps.

"Ensuring that everything evolved with the house was very taxing."

Built according to new flood regulations, the home is being marketed through Place Graceville director Peter May and will be auctioned on site on December 1 at 10am.

Mr Miller's next feature home will be a glass house which will use glass from QUT's Glass House.

SUNRISE at Seventeen Seventy home. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The Sunrise at Seventeen Seventy home is a holiday retreat for photographer Marian Drew and her brother Derek.

It is set on 4046sq m in Sunrise at Seventeen Seventy, a 620ha environmentally sustainable community 500km north of Brisbane.

THE Tank House at 11 Apex Street Balmoral. Source: News Limited

The Tank House at 11 Apex St, Balmoral was formerly the Balmoral Reservoir, built in 1939.

Architect Robert Riddel redesigned the massive water tank into a home in the 1990s and it now features one single column reaching up through all three levels. Original elements including exposed timber beams and corrugated steel walls have been retained.