A Well-Contained Space

This compact home set among blueberry fields and overlooking the Mostertshoek mountains is the perfect spot for a bit of rest and relaxation.

 

- Marie Opperman

Watch the last rays of the sun tint the mountain peaks pink, take a shower under the stars and relax with your pooch by the fireplace...

Sounds idyllic? Then Claire and Duncan Dicey’s eco home – a self-contained cottage made with shipping containers – on the farm Palmietvlei near Wolseley in the Western Cape will definitely tickle your fancy.

“The stoep and small jetty on the dam that my husband Duncan and I built are my favourite features,” says Claire. “And, of course, the outdoor shower!” The couple started building their getaway spot in October 2017 and it was completed in January this year.

“We call the house FamTin, short for Family Tin. Shipping containers are made of metal, after all, and this one is big enough for an entire family.”

Claire had always liked the idea of a container home. “Recycling and re-using is very important to me. I love giving new life to discarded items.” 

The process

The house consists of two containers, side by side, with a stoep out front.

Claire did a lot of research before she and Duncan tackled the project. “We found a company online that specialises in converting containers into homes and ordered ours from them. The builders began construction in October 2017 but we later parted ways with them and a builder from Bredasdorp, Deon Morkel, completed the project. I drew up the plans and he handled construction.

“Our first task was to construct the base on which the containers were set – this was built with bricks, as was the stoep. The containers were delivered by truck and erected on the base using a crane; then the welding, carpentry and roofing was done.