Leave it to the Danes to figure out how shipping containers can help with student housing. It looks like a great idea to apply to other housing challenges.

Shipping container homes seem like a "why didn't I think of that idea and in fact have been popular in some U.S. locations where zoning regulations permit. There have even been hotels and business offices built using them. I have seen several in the New Mexico desert but they are not allowed in Taos or Santa Fe because they do not conform to the local architectural standards — they don't look like a Pueblo.

You will find several interesting shipping container homes and buildings here and here.

Before you jump on the bandwagon you might want to look at this article on the downsides of shipping container buildings. I have a friend who fixed on up as a lake cabin but because of the heat in the summer and cold in the winter he has found he can only live there comfortably a few months out of the year without ruinous utility bills.

I won't be jumping on the bandwagon myself…..I'm too traditional….but I assume the Danes, given how far north they are, have got the insulation part figured out. If so, it could be a good way to tackle other challenges, like providing accommodations for the homeless, without breaking the bank…..as some jurisdictions are already doing.

Around here, we are having a good deal of success moving the homeless and refugees into a few units in each of many low to mid range apartment complexes. They get rent and utilities paid for one year, which gives them time to get on their feet and provides an instant community of successful families and individuals for moral support. Even more importantly it keeps from "ghettoizing" them. For the refugees it provides an immersion in the english language which may be their biggest benefit in branding into our culture.

Neat concept. My only concern would have to do with sanitation and waste disposal so close to a major water source.

Look what happened to the canals in Venice! (Presumably, some lessons were learned and passed on to the developers of these housing units/communities.)