The present invention relates to shipping containers modified to contain a residence or workplace.

Shipping containers or standardised intermodal containers are durable, closed, steel boxes used for global freight

transport. A range of size and shapes are used for different purposes, but the most common are 8 feet (2.44 m) wide, 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) tall and either 20 feet (6.10 m) or 40 feet (12.19 m) in length.

The 1972 International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) is a regulation by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the safe handling and transport of containers. Containers used in international transport must be safety- approved by or on behalf of a Contracting State. Approved containers receive a CSC safety approval plate which is recognised by all other Contracting States and permits containers to move

internationally with the minimum of further safety control formalities .

Shipping containers have often been repurposed for use as buildings such as residences, office spaces and school

buildings. Pre-fabricated homes can be built into shipping containers and delivered to a desired location. However, there is a constant need for improvements in safety and ease of transport .

There are great pressures on housing markets. Space in cities is becoming incredibly tight and, to a vast section of

society, increasingly unaffordable . Micro-living — compact homes and buildings strategically designed to maximise usable space — is becoming a common theme. Problematically, the real estate industry has become exceedingly unfair in that "old money" and the privileged throughout history have bought up all the land and now profit enormously from reality of limited space .

Additionally, the world is becoming more connected and travel is becoming more accessible. People need to be able to work anywhere and relocating is essential to modern life. There is a need for the home-buying market to shift focus from investing in a house for the long term to short term

solutions. With the housing crisis that faces the economy today, there is a need to challenge the very nature of a house from being permanent and landlocked to an affordable space that provides mobility and flexibility.

The present invention provides a mobile building comprising: a shipping container; and an accommodation block; wherein the accommodation block is secured inside the shipping container without modifying the structure of the shipping container and is moveable from a position entirely within the shipping container, enabling transport of the building, to a position partially outside the shipping container, enabling use of the building .

Preferably, the building comprises two accommodation blocks, positioned at opposite ends of the shipping container.

Advantageously, the present invention enables a shipping container to be used as a mobile building without changing the structure of the shipping container which would invalidate its existing CSC certification. All windows, doors and other access to the interior of the building is provided via the accommodation block to avoid having to modify the structure of the shipping container. In another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile building comprising: a shipping container; and an

accommodation block; wherein the accommodation block is moveable from a position within the shipping container to a position at least partially outside the shipping container and wherein the accommodation block is formed as an I-beam with an interior wall of the accommodation block forming the web of the I-beam.

This second aspect of the invention also enables a shipping container to be used as a mobile building. Advantageously, the I-beam configuration of the accommodation block provides structural strength to the accommodation block, reducing or removing the need for other supports that would waste valuable and limited internal space.

Embodiments of the invention change the nature of a house or other building from being something permanent and grounded, to something that is mobile and adaptable. The invention meets the needs of a growing market of people who are flexible and free to change cities. The container buildings are strong, can be transported easily, and provide efficient living, work and office space.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a mobile building where an accommodation block is located inside a shipping container;

Figures 2 to 4 illustrate a mobile building where an

accommodation block has been partially removed from the shipping container; and Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views through a shipping

container illustrating movement of the accommodation block.

The Figures illustrate a mobile building 100 comprising a shipping container 200 and an accommodation block 300.

Preferably, the building comprises two accommodation blocks 300, one at each end of the shipping container 200.

In use, the shipping container 200 is moved to a desired position while the doors of the container 200 are closed and the accommodation blocks 300 are safely and securely contained within the container 200. When the container 200 is in the required position, the doors are opened (as illustrated in Figure 1) and the or each accommodation block 300 is partially moved out from within the shipping container 200 (as

illustrated in Figures 2 to 4) . The shipping container 200 and accommodation block (s) 300 together form the finished building 100 which can then be used as a home, a place of business, a school, or any other suitable use.

In general, the building 100 comprises an expandable shipping container home or workplace which is designed to be portable and is able to be moved anywhere in the world. The building 100 is a pre-fabricated unit that provides flexibility and cost savings in manufacturing. Use of the building 100 creates real estate opportunities by tapping into disruptive markets such as homestay and short-term rental of home and office space, and the changes occurring in real estate and

development space. Movement of the building 100 between suitable locations is aided by use of an online computer program or application (app) .

The (or each) accommodation block 300 comprises a hollow cuboid frame having rails, preferably at top and bottom of the block 300, to permit it to slide in and out of the shipping container 200. The building 100 uses a cantilevered setup to support the weight of the accommodation block 300 when it is expanded. Alternatively, or in addition, legs and support railings that fold out from underneath the accommodation block 300 to the ground to support the accommodation block 300 can be used. Other configurations are described in connection with Figures 5 and 6 below.

When correctly balanced, a user will be able to slide the accommodation block 300 in and out of the shipping container 200 by hand or at least without the use of heavy lifting and/or moving equipment.

The expansion of the building 100 happens from the inside of the shipping container 200 to avoid modifying the structure of the shipping container 200. The block 300 together with its rails is fitted inside the shipping container 200 without bolting or welding to the walls of the container 200, which would invalidate the CSC certification.

The walls of the accommodation block 300 comprise a

significant amount of glass or other suitable transparent material to allow plenty of light to enter the accommodation block 300 when the building 100 is expanded. This avoids the need to cut windows in the walls of the shipping container 200 which would again invalidate the CSC certification. One or more doors permitting access to the building 100 are also provided in the accommodation block 300. The accommodation block 300 also includes electrical wires, recessed lighting and other features required for the building 100. Wiring in the accommodation block 300 connects to sources of power such as a battery, solar panel, wind turbine, and/or a mains supply located outside the building 100. Plumbing also connects to a suitable external water input and waste output. The accommodation block 300 is provided with suitable

insulation, such as spray foam insulation and insulation panels, and ventilation to maintain air quality and ensure that the space is able to support for healthy living.

Insulation is also used to create a tight fit between the accommodation block 300 and the interior of the shipping container 200.

The building 100 has the ability to expand to almost double the size of a shipping container 200, without having to modify the structure of the original shipping container 200. This has implications for ease of transport since the shipping

container 200 will retain its CSC certification, meaning that it can be shipped globally without further safety approval. This means the building 100 can be naturally transported cheaply and safely, as well as creating manufacturing

advantages since fabrication can be focused in one or a few desired locations almost anywhere in the world, and the finished building 100 can be shipped globally.

The fully transportable building 100 allows dramatic cost savings for international orders. Preferably, the shipping container 200 used for the building 100 is a 20 foot container rather than a 40 foot container to further reduce transport costs. At present, typical costs for transporting a 20 foot container are £1.08 per mile. For a 40 foot container, the cost is approximately £2.11 per mile. Consequently, the approximate cost to transport a building 100 having a 20 foot container 200 from Edinburgh to London would be £447, or £873 for a 40 foot container 200.

Suitable locations for the building 100 are prepared in advance. Due to the nature of the building 100, locations will be less encumbered by regulations such as zoning laws and other restrictions on conventional building projects. An owner of a building 100 can review and select available plots from London to New York or elsewhere using a computer program or app on a mobile device. Selecting a plot initiates the process of transporting the building 100 to the new location.

The building 100 can also be used as part of a modular city. A large plot of land has frames for receiving shipping

containers 200 with space for the accommodation blocks 300 to expand. In addition to homes, different buildings 100 can be adapted into coffee shops, cafes, gyms and other facilities required by a community. Companies can quickly move a business into an area, test a market, and move and relocate as desired.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate one configuration of the building 100 in a sectional view. The building comprises a shipping container 200, at least one accommodation block 300 having a central wall 400, and a support structure 500 having a

plurality of rollers 600. Figure 5 illustrates two accommodation blocks 300 located inside the shipping container 200 and Figure 6 illustrates one of the accommodation blocks 300 located outside the shipping container 200 in the extended configuration of the building 100.

Each accommodation block 300 is structurally similar to an I- beam with the ceiling and floor being top and bottom flanges, respectively, and a vertical wall 400, located centrally in the accommodation block 300, being the web. This configuration provides structural strength to the accommodation block 300 since an I-beam efficiently carries both bending and shear loads in the plane of the web. This removes the need for rails and cantilevered supports that would waste valuable and limited internal space. The wall 400 has a door or other access-way from one side of the accommodation block 300 to the other without significantly reducing the structural strength of the wall 400.

The I-beam design allows the most height possible to be used inside the already limited height of the shipping container. Other configurations, such as a rails and cantilevers, would mean the height is decreased and the accommodation block 300 itself would be structurally weak, reducing durability. The central wall 400 also acts as a layer of insulation separating the interior of the building 100 into compartments. Where a large proportion of the exterior of the accommodation block is made from glass (on a frame made of carbon fibre, steel, aluminium or similar material) such insulation is important to climate control and energy efficiency.

The support structure 500 is fixed relative to the shipping container 200 and supports the or each accommodation block 300. The support structure 500 is fixed without modifying the structure of the shipping container 200 or putting bolts or other fixings through the shipping container 200, which would invalidate the CSC certification. The support structure 500 provides flexibility when making buildings 100 since it can be easily inserted into any standard shipping container 200. The support structure 500 also improves a layer of insulation between the shipping container 200 and the accommodation blocks 300, and prevents unsightly view of the shipping container's 200 interior surfaces through the accommodation blocks 300 or any gaps between them.

The support structure 500 has as a plurality of rollers 600 which enable the accommodation block to slide smoothly in and out of the shipping container 200 as required and use up only very little valuable vertical space. The support structure 500 improves the aesthetics of the building 100 since insulation, recessed lighting fixtures and any required supports for the accommodation block 300 can be hidden. The support structure 500 also acts as interior walls, ceiling and floor when the accommodation blocks 300 are extended .

In one arrangement of the building 100 with two accommodation blocks 300, the accommodation blocks 300 are sized to leave a gap between them when they are retracted inside the shipping container 200. Permanent fixtures, particularly plumbed fixtures such as a shower, toilet, sink and so forth are located close to the centre of the building 100, within that gap, and are supported by the support structure 500. One or more points for connecting the permanent fixtures to local water, electrical and/or gas services are provided in the support structure 500 adjacent the entrance to the shipping container 200 so that a connection can be made when the doors are open without making any holes in the shipping container 200.

In another arrangement, fixtures such as plumbing, electrical and gas connections pass through any of the floor, walls, ceiling and/or the framework of the accommodation block 300. When the accommodation block 300 is extended out of the shipping container 200, connections between these fixtures and the local water, electrical and/or gas network are made without any holes needing to be made in the shipping container 200.