Living Area

The house is constructed of two 40 foot by 8 foot containers (aluminum, high tops) placed ontop of 20 pillars sunk 4 feet into the ground. Central walls were cut out, with rounded corners creating an "arch" between the two containers. The space is narrow and compact but has proven to be very comfortable for our purposes. As you come through the front door, you are in the living area. The entertainment center at the far end consists of six pieces of rosewood desks and side tables purchased from a hotel salvage company. The wood is very high quality and cost $35. each (recycled!). They are narrow pieces that stack nicely to provide a bookcase that reaches the ceiling and two desks, stacked to provide a computer center and placement for a large flat screen television. Two recliners provide a comfortable place to rest, watching the television or just gazing out the windows at the lush greenery outside.

Tour of the house

Welcome to our Bungalow in the Jungle-o!
As you drive up the rough road, into the jungle, you arrive at the isolated property we call home. I built a 40' x 8' wooden deck onto the front of the container home. The pitched roof included an 8' overhang to accomodate the planned porch. We enclosed it with lattice and included space for hanging plants, plants on the railing and plants on the outside of the fenced area. We have a great deal of rain and with the high humidity, most plants grow as if in a perpetual greenhouse! Orchids are easy, as are ferns, gardenias, hybiscus, and even fig trees. The lattice work keeps the poodles enclosed and safe, and the overhang ensures shade, even on the hottest days.

Planning an Eco-Friendly Container Home

Facing retirement years in a world full of turmoil, social issues and environmental concerns, we spent many hours researching how to build our ideal retirement home. Living on Guam, we must deal with high heat, high humidity, termites, earthquakes and typhoons. After much research, dreams, conversations and revisions, we decided on building a container home.



Most homes on Guam are constructed of concrete to withstand the typhoon winds. These homes, although strong, tend to have cracks and structural problems after a quake. Years ago, Guam was hit with an 8.1 quake. We've also had supertyphoons with direct eye passage. Guam has always been resilient, and rebounded after these calamities.



On this blog, we will describe the process of designing and building our ideal home. It has taken several years. We basically did self construct with sub contractors, and much of the interior finishing done on our own.



As it turns out, our home is extremely energy efficient, very comfortable and attractive. We've been living in it for nearly three years, doing finishing work while residing in the home. It has become our dream home!