CHICAGO: A seven story building made out of shipping containers has been approved.

The building will stand at a height of 21.9 meters (72 feet) and provide 26 units of social housing. The units will range in size from 280 square foot studio units to 420 square foot two-bedroom units, with studio units built out of two 8’x20′ container units and two-bedroom units out of three container units.

Approximately 90 shipping containers that cost between $3,000 to $5,000 each will be stacked seven high to create the superstructure of the residential building. If it is approved by municipal officials and completed as envisioned, it could be the tallest building of its kind.

The per unit cost will be $82,500.

Structures and buildings made out of shipping buildings are increasingly common around the world.

The world’s tallest shipping container building is currently an 85-foot high structure in Zurich, Switzerland that houses a Freitag store…

This trend is covered in detail in the Seniors Housing Trends Text Book Series