It’s incredible what some people manage to build simply by turning something that’s overpassed its use into something useful again. A perfect example of this is this incredible studio built entirely out of former cargo containers located deep in the Mojave Desert.

The home designed by architect Walter Scott Perry of ecotechdesign out of was built to explicitly meet the needs of his client-requested photography studio and separate storage building. Constructed out of six re-purposed steel shipping containers, the home not only shines through its ingenuity and aesthetics, but also thanks to its efficient – energy conservation features are implemented through out the home such as a solar home shading system, a movable living green roof, and a 10,000 gallon water storage tank plus a separate 3,000 gallon tank for rainwater harvesting capability. It actually exceeds California efficiency code requirements by 50%!

If you think dwellers will get cooked inside the metal containers middle-of-the-desert home, think again. The 2,300 square foot studio features a extensive protection against the desert heat and winds, like a perforated metal shade which wraps the roof, south-facing walls and the solar breezeway, and serves to direct a natural flow of air into the home.

On its 160 square roof, a decently sized desert garden can be found, filled desert plants desert plants and sedums irrigated by greywater to absorb heat, dust, and CO2.

According to ecotechdesign, the total building cost was $150 per square foot, with more hybrid building projects in the works, the company announced.

Enjoyed this article? Join 40,000+ subscribers to the ZME Science newsletter. Subscribe now!