Yes We Can

They call it The Can House – a compact family home built inside a ’can’ or shipping container lined with warm plywood, clever storage and ingenious ideas.

- Sarah Lang

At first glance this shipping container house across the harbour from Wellington city looks like it could be made of Lego. But up close it is a mix of tough materials and eco-friendly style. On the bottom level, two six-metre containers serve as a workspace for Kimberly Andrews and James Innes, who run Tumbleweed Tees, a screen-printing company that donates part of its profits to conservation projects. But it’s the cantilevered top level they – and baby daughter Nova – call home. The 21-squaremetre “living container” feels bigger than a large caravan, but where’s the bed? The dining table? The drawers?

Kimberly pulls a double bed from beneath the floor of the raised lounge, then long drawers (which also serve as bench seats) on either side of the bed, where the couple keep their clothes. In one quick movement, the living/dining area has become a bedroom. But where do they eat? Kimberly rolls out a folding table from behind the kitchen cabinet. In the tiny bathroom, a baby-change table is mounted on the wall. It’s all a feat of clever design.

“It’s been satisfying to work out how to use a small space with all its constraints,” Kimberly says. “We call it The Can House, because it’s a metal container or ’can’ – a phrase from TV show The Wire.” It’s also the perfect description of this creative couple’s can-do attitude.

WHY GO SMALL?

During a visit to Canada, Kimberly and James were inspired by a friend’s conversion of an Airstream trailer into a home. Upon their return to Wellington, Kimberly’s parents let them convert two shipping containers into a workspace on their land.