Container Classroom Conversion - Primary School Eco Unit

Our client wanted to teach children of primary school age about nature in an outdoor environment.

This container classroom conversion enables eco-friendly, outdoor learning. Given the normal British weather, they needed to have something which could be watertight to keep the children dry if the weather suddenly changed, but that could still be integrated into the outdoors. This container was converted into a miniature outdoor classroom using a once-used 10ft container and S1 flat panel,  easy opening doors – we fit S1 doors as a more manageable alternative to the original doors found on shipping containers.

We fitted out the interior with 9mm Redwood ply and insulation, wooden benches, coat hooks, overhead shelving and stand-alone shelving racks, electrics and porthole windows for the children to see outside. Our conversions for schools often feature wooden benches and coat hooks, usually  for changing rooms or temporary classrooms when building works require them. The exterior was painted green using rubberised marine paint, and we fitted a steel framework to the roof to enable our client to add a living roof to the conversion.

The living roof structure was built by welding extra steel box section to the roof to support the weight of the soil. Although shipping containers can be stacked, the weight is carried through the corner posts and top rail, not the corrugated roof, so supports are required for any extra weight which will go directly on top of the container roof. The roof was then finished with a treated timber top rail – both for aesthetics as much as practicality. We used the same timber as we use when cladding our containers, so we know that it is durable and treated for external use.

• Project Details:
• Once-used 10ft container with S1 style easy opening doors
• Repainted in RAL6002 - Leaf Green
• Two 18" porthole windows
• Ply lined and insulated - 9mm Redwood
• Electrical installations - external hook-up, consumer unit, 1 x 5ft strip light, 2 x double sockets
• 5 tier shelving fitted to the back of the container
• Timber benching
• Coat hooks
• Overhead shelving
• Living roof with timber frame and steel supports