Cladded Triple 20ft Container Conversion for Bishop’s Stortford School, Hertfordshire
In September 2022, we were approached by Hockerill Anglo-European College, near Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire for an interesting shipping container conversion idea. Our client wanted to create a large storage area for equipment to be used outside. The original idea was to have three 20ft one trip containers, remove the long sides of the containers and join them together to create one large storage space. This space was then to be cladded in timber and have a personnel door added.
Condition of One Trip Shipping Containers
The school opted to use one trip shipping containers for their triple 20ft storage unit. One trip shipping containers are exactly what they say they are, they have only done one trip from China to the UK before they are sold and are the closest thing to a ‘new’ container that you can buy in the UK. Being a one trip container means that these containers are in a much better condition than used ones, they will have less damage, like dents, scratches and rust. These containers are generally used when a buyer wants a smart looking unit, perhaps something that will be seen by the public or even just by the buyer themselves! One trip containers also hold their value more, as they are younger than used containers which are typically around 15+ years old and far less presentable.
The school chose to use one trip containers as the containers would last a long time before any maintenance, repairs or replacement would be needed. Working with one trip shipping containers will usually offer the best very long term value.
Converting one trip shipping Containers
Three one trip 20ft shipping containers were used for this build, taking the sides off and fitting the lengths back together to create one, triple width (24ft wide), 20ft container storage unit. As the sides were being removed, we suggested additional work would need to be done to the containers to prevent sagging, so the roofs were reinforced with top and bottom rail supports. Due to the nature of this conversion, the three 20ft shipping containers were taken to the school site and then the work began. The containers were sent to the school site with the sides removed already, leaving only the joining of the lengths and the cladding of the whole unit to be done by our operators on site.
The school also wanted at least two of the cargo doors to be usable in order to get larger equipment into their storage unit more easily. Our depot left two of the cargo doors operational and then cladded them in timber to blend them with the rest of the converted containers.
We also installed a double personnel door into one side. This door allows easy, fast access to the container. Shipping container cargo doors can often be quite difficult for people to use as they are heavy and sometimes stiff, so personnel doors are a useful addition if the containers will be accessed often. The personnel doors that we fit are high security steel, and can have hinges either side and can be fitted to open inwards or outwards – whatever will work best for you needs!
Cladding is a great addition to smarten up your container. Cladding is a popular choice for helping your containers blend into there surroundings and make the containers look less ‘containery’ – sometimes a big metal box isn’t what you want to look at all day! Containers are commonly cladded in either steel or timber.
This school decided to have their triple container storage unit cladded with timber, and I think you’d agree, it looks pretty smart!
We would like to add a huge thank you to Hockerill College for their custom and allowing us to be a part of this amazing project. Hopefully, this unit will provide the college with all the storage space they need for a very long time!
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If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).