Considering that (1) houses—not to mention Starbucks branches—everywhere are being carved from corrugated steel shipping containers, (2) designers like Sebastian Bergne have devised greenhouses out of things as unusual as transparent Legos, and (3) everyone seems to be a bit obsessed with greenhouse architecture and recycled buildings, it was really only a matter of time before shipping container greenhouses started being an actual thing. Hoping to address increased demand for locally grown food in urban environments, French designer Damien Chivialle has masterminded Urban Food Units, compact food-growing containers that are not only easy on the eyes, but also capable of aquaponic farming—in which marine life like fish and prawns grow symbiotically with water-suspended plants. The necessary pumps, filters, and bins sit in the container proper, and the traditional greenhouse sits on the upper level. Since 2010, Chivialle has built UFUs in Zurich, Berlin, and Brussels (above), the most recent sitting in the Grote Markt (Grand Market) in Levuen, Belgium. More photos, below.
· Shipping Container Greenhouse—Urban Farm Unit by Damien Chivialle [DesignBoom]
· All Greenhouses coverage [Curbed National]