A hideaway of contradictions

Exploring the weekender in repurposed shipping containers, Tectonic Design have created an architectural space that both juxtaposes and nestles into the countryside.

The Shelter - Gippsland

60sqm

Visualisation: Tectonic Design

A contradiction

Designing an industrial object to fit harmoniously within the rural landscape involved balancing two seemingly opposite notions. While the typology of the container would be considered at odds with the countryside, the desire to locate the building on an unsheltered paddock and be fully exposed to the elements made the use of the container ideal. With is expansive lengths of solid wall poised against the prevailing winds and its openings and transparencies minimised to glimpses from the interior.

"The juxtaposition of two seemingly apposing ideas highlights and strengthens each. A symbiotic relationship of strange bed fellows."

By nesting the building low in the topography and allowing the vegetation to fully surround the building draws the architecture into the landscape, further integrating it with its context.

The overall aesthetic of the environment versus the industrial object enhances rather than disrupts the visual and ecological harmony of the site.

Working with the constraints

Aiming to work within the constraints of the standard 40ft shipping containers with minimal alterations required a creative and adaptive approach. The rigid, rectangular form of the containers offered both a challenge and opportunity in equal measure. Space planning was explored strategically without compromising the container’s structural and design integrity.

"With any limitation comes opportunity."

Additionally, the solid steel walls and limited openings, while being an asset against inclement weather restricted natural light from entering critical areas. To counter this we provided a central glazed atrium between the two containers and installed extensive skylights to the living and bathroom areas filling the interior with light.

Warm flesh, hard shell

The exterior of the building presents a hard and uncompromising appearance, characterized by the industrial container finish and a minimalist, rugged aesthetic. This tough outer shell contrasts sharply with the interior, which reveals a warm, soft, and refined atmosphere lined predominately in plywood.

Inside, natural textures, gentle lighting, and carefully chosen finishes create a sense of comfort and tranquillity. This stark contrast between the exterior and interior enhances the building's character, offering a surprising and inviting experience once inside—where the harshness of the outer form and the weather gives way to a carefully crafted, human-centered space.