September 11, 2014

Hong Kong and Australia-based company G-pod has unveiled a new shipping container home that it hopes will stand out from the sizable competition thanks to a novel expandable design that increases usable floor space significantly. The G-pod Dwell can also operate off-grid and optional extras include a rainwater collection unit and solar array.

Not to be confused with the G-POD we reported on back in 2012, the Dwell is currently in production, and a company rep told Gizmag that the first unit is about to roll off the factory line very soon. It takes just three hours to "unpack" the Dwell from shipping container into a home, and another three hours to ready it for transportation again – which shouldn't be too tricky given the existing international infrastructure for moving around shipping containers.

The Dwell's expandable design involves manually pushing out the east, west, and south push-outs (though a push-button hydraulic system is also an option), and is a one-person job. The deck is lowered manually too, and is fitted with a spring compensator system. G-pod told Gizmag that all this effort increases the usable floor space of the Dwell from 14.8 sq m (160 sq ft) to 37.1 sq m (400 sq ft), including the deck.

Inside, the Dwell is small but quite fully-featured and it sports a kitchen and dining area, bathroom, bed and couch, a study nook, and a laundry area. There's also a deck, some seating and a BBQ bench. The furniture is built from sustainably-sourced bamboo.

The Dwell is designed to operate on or off-the-grid, and additions include an optional rainwater collection system, composting toilet, and solar array. The latter has an integrated battery system that allows the shipping container-based home to operate for up to three days without sunlight.

Insulation is always a real concern with shipping container-based homes, but G-pod says its various glazing, insulation and screening options (air-con is an option too) should have you covered in all weather, "from the Australian Desert to the Ski- Fields of Japan."

In addition to the Dwell, G-pod also sells the Pop, a similarly expandable shipping container-based unit that's intended to serve as a pop-up store. G-pod Dwell pricing starts at US$49,000 and the G-pod Pop will set you back from US$19,000.