flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Must see: Developer stacks shipping containers atop grain silos to create student housing tower

Must see: Developer stacks shipping containers atop grain silos to create student housing tower

Mill Junction will house up to 370 students and is supported by 50-year-old grain silos.


By BD+C Staff | February 14, 2014

In a different take on shipping container student housing from Christian Salvati's work in Connecticut, a new student development has just opened to tenants in South Africa.

In less than a year, developer Cintiq built a 15-story structure, using pre-existing concrete grain silos and shipping containers. Mill Junction will house 370 Johnnesburg students, providing rooftop decks and free WiFi. 

Gizmodo reports that the basis of the structure, the approximately 50-year-old silos, sat empty for years. They were retrofitted with floors, dorm rooms, and windows as a part of the process. The development is also wheelchair accessible reports The Citizen

A massive crane lifted the shipping containers onto the silos, and the final step was to decorate the containers' interior. 

 

Balanced on 50-year-old silos, the shipping containers are actually wheelchair accessible.

 

Windows had to be cut out of the thick concrete of the silos.

 

The shipping containers were lifted on to the silos with a crane. 

 

Rooftop balconies are a feature of the development.

 

The shipping containers were fitted out with new paint and interiors as a final step before habitation.

Related Stories

Architects | Sep 16, 2016

Former architect now builds architectural wonders out of LEGO blocks

Adam Reed Tucker’s creations are currently on display at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Architects | Sep 15, 2016

Implicit bias: How the unconscious mind drives business decisions

Companies are tapping into the latest research in psychology and sociology to advance their diversity and inclusion efforts when it comes to hiring, promoting, compensation, and high-performance teaming, writes BD+C's David Barista.

Museums | Sep 14, 2016

Architectural model museum opens in Japan

The museum includes models from Japanese architects including Shingeru Ban, Kengo Kuma, and Riken Yamamoto.

Designers | Sep 13, 2016

5 trends propelling a new era of food halls

Food halls have not only become an economical solution for restauranteurs and chefs experiencing skyrocketing retail prices and rents in large cities, but they also tap into our increased interest in gourmet locally sourced food, writes Gensler's Toshi Kasai.

AEC Tech | Sep 6, 2016

Innovation intervention: How AEC firms are driving growth through R&D programs

AEC firms are taking a page from the tech industry, by infusing a deep commitment to innovation and disruption into their cultural DNA.

Office Buildings | Sep 2, 2016

Eight-story digital installation added as part of ESI Design’s renovation of Denver’s Wells Fargo Center

The crown jewel of a three-year makeover project, the LED columns bring the building’s lobby to life.

| Sep 1, 2016

TRANSIT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top transit sector design and construction firms

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Perkins+Will, Skanska USA, Webcor Builders, Jacobs, and STV top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 1, 2016

INDUSTRIAL GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top industrial design and construction firms

Stantec, BRPH, Fluor Corp., Walbridge, Jacobs, and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest industrial sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 1, 2016

HOTEL SECTOR GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top hotel sector design and construction firms

Gensler, HKS, Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Jacobs, and JBA Consulting Engineers top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest hotel sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 1, 2016

CULTURAL SECTOR GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top cultural sector design and construction firms

Gensler, Perkins+Will, PCL Construction Enterprises, Turner Construction Co., AECOM, and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest cultural sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Resiliency

Austin area evacuation center will double as events venue

A new 45,000 sf FEMA-operated evacuation shelter in the Greater Austin metropolitan area will begin construction this fall. The center will be available to house people in the event of a disaster such as a major hurricane and double as an events venue when not needed for emergency shelter.



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021