Building Post-Covid Zero-Net Energy Shelters with Shipping Containers

Almost 40% of all energy is consumed by buildings; therefore, there is a high demand for the construction of sustainable residential units with zero or low energy consumption. This study presents a proposal for a green building design for a touristic village located on the Ionian Sea coast. The project brings to Albania a new concept of building sustainable houses by reusing shipping containers. This design aims to build self-sufficient vacation houses that are ideally suited to an ‘off-grid’ rural setting and, at the same time, can be used as shelter in case of a pandemic. The energy is generated entirely by the solar panel system, which is placed on the roofs of houses. The project includes a water harvesting system that will provide the water for each house and also a gray water system collection, which can be used for gardening. Warm water is provided by a solar water heater. The project is based on the evaluation of the capacity of one shipping container to fit several living activity zones. Modular units are joined together in order to provide different housing typologies suitable for all types of families. The project utilizes the concept of the reuse of the shipping containers that can be found locally, the transportation of them by sea, and the conversion of them into prefabricated living cells that can be easily assembled on site. The autonomy of the house, the use of renewable energy, the recycling of wasted materials, and the speed of construction contribute to the resiliency of the housing design and make it suitable for application in emergency situations.