Alternatives to Permanent Buildings: Portable Cabins, Modular Buildings & Shipping Containers

There are alternatives to permanent buildings and traditional construction methods that can provide additional space when businesses expand and no longer have enough space in their workplaces. When this happens, businesses often relocate premises, squeeze staff into smaller working areas or undergo a large building project.

However, portable cabins, modular buildings and shipping containers can be built to high quality standards and provide very comfortable workplaces that are on a par with permanent buildings.

Whether a portable cabin, modular building or shipping container conversion is most suitable for you will depend on your requirements but all three alternatives share these benefits over permanent buildings:

• Low cost. They are much cheaper to buy and set-up and used portable cabins and shipping containers can be bought at relatively low prices. Many portable building suppliers will also hire cabins and containers out if they are required for short periods.
• They are quick to put up compared with building a new space. Portable building suppliers normally provide their own trucks, cranes and staff who will deliver the units to your site and place them where you need them within a day.
• As their name suggests, portable cabins can be relocated and shipping containers can also be moved to new positions without being taken apart. Some modular constructions are permanent but temporary modular buildings are designed to be dismantled easily.
• Sometimes a temporary building solution is required to ease staffing issues, such as when construction work is being carried out on your main offices. In this scenario, hiring a portable cabin, modular office or shipping container would be a low cost solution.
• A greener solution than constructing a new building. Materials can be re-used and used portable buildings and shipping containers can be refurbished to very high quality.
• Modular buildings and containers are extendible can be joined together to make custom sized buildings. Containers and cabins can also be stacked on top of each other to make multi-floor buildings.
• If security is a consideration then shipping containers are about as secure as a building can be. Constructed from steel and with heavy steel doors and lockboxes, it is very difficult to get into a container building.

Portable Cabins

Portable buildings come in two varieties. Timber framed units are generally older models and therefore tend to be the cheapest type. Portable buildings can also be plastic coated steel units and these are more hard wearing.

Portable buildings are often used as canteens, store rooms, offices and site buildings. Anti-vandal varieties are available that have protection for windows, doors and locks. A portable building is a good choice if the unit will be temporary or may be moved to different locations.

Modular Buildings

Modulars can be relocatable or permanent buildings. Relocatable modulars are generally made from prefabricated materials. Permanent modulars may be made from timber, steel and concrete, with sections being delivered to the site where they are put together to create a whole building.

Modulars are quite often used as classrooms, medical centres and offices. Buying or hiring a modular building is a good choice when high quality workspaces are required.

 

Shipping Containers

Steel shipping containers are used for a surprising variety of needs including secure stores, offices, accommodation, changing rooms, welfare facilities and workshops. Because of their inherent strength and versatility they can be converted for almost any purpose. There are many shipping container conversion specialists who can transform containers into any building type imaginable. They can even used in house building as an alternative to bricks and mortar.

Shipping containers are good choice when security is the most important consideration. Buying or hiring a used shipping container can be very cost effective compared to the other solutions.