Accommodating students is something many Universities struggle with. As enrollment continues to climb, the need for cost-effective housing solutions arises right alongside. Shipping containers are an excellent alternative to creating the old-school-style dorms of generations past. Fisk University has decided to utilize 40 ft customized shipping containers to house their students. These units provide benefits over traditional builds with lower costs, far less time to unit readiness, and ease of upkeep. If you are interested in a solution similar to this, reach out or schedule a meeting to discuss your needs. We are experts in creating solutions to fit any need.
Rising Needs for Student Housing
The growing middle class is a demand driver for higher education, and subsequently, the need for student housing. Campuses all over the world were not prepared for the enrollment growth we have seen over the past several years. In 20 years, the number of students in higher education is expected to nearly double. Creative and innovative solutions will continue to emerge, such as utilizing shipping container homes and other types of affordable buildings. On top of regular enrollment, we must consider internationally mobile students who mostly elect to live in student housing while they are abroad. When evaluating each of these trends, we can see the need for student housing continues to grow.
Fisk University and Container Housing
Fisk University’s enrollment has grown by more than 60 percent in the last five years. This growth has forced some inefficiencies into light, namely a lack of student housing. Instead of renting out hotel rooms or other short-term rentals while student housing is being built, Fisk has invested in 100 units to be built from prefabricated shipping containers. The Vice President for institutional advancement referenced cost and speed as the driving factors in his decision-making. To have a “unit ready to move in within a matter of months” is something most other providers could not offer. Fisk University is in a fortunate position to explore innovative and creative housing solutions for its students and is convinced this futuristic approach will reflect in student retention for years to come.
Benefits of Shipping Containers as Student Housing
As noted above, shipping containers provide excellent solutions in comparison to traditional builds that can take years to complete. Shipping container student housing units can be produced in as little as a few weeks. When evaluating timelines and overall costs, this shortened timeline can cut your costs drastically. Another benefit of using shipping containers for student housing is minimal upkeep. These units are designed to be energy efficient and easy to maintain. Each piece needing to be maintained can be in the same spot on every unit, depending on your design needs. This makes maintenance as easy as possible by eliminating redundancies.
Bob’s Containers Student Housing Solutions
Here at Bob’s Containers, we are proud to be pioneers of innovation. We are constantly on the lookout for opportunities just like this to show how effective shipping containers can be for a variety of needs including container homes, field offices, and more. If you find yourself in need of innovative housing solutions for your students, schedule your meeting today to start the discussion. We can walk you through the ins and outs of the process and start to build your custom solution together.
We have implemented the agile methodology into our construction process. With many of us having a background in software, the implementation of this process was an easy decision. The agile method breaks larger projects up into smaller chunks to help each project move more quickly. The old method of handing a build team a spec sheet and having them complete the build from start to finish is long gone. For example, we have our team of interior finish experts who fit into the fold as soon as the previous task is done. This allows us to accelerate the already fast-paced build times of a container home in comparison to traditional builds. We love talking through our process so if you are interested in the process as a whole, schedule your meeting to discuss further. Below you will find a few of our custom-designed floorplans as well as a few conceptual renders of how these housing units would look in the wild.
