Container Homes and ISO Container Technology
Container Homes and ISO Container Technology
To inform, promote, educate, and protect...
Purpose And Mission Of The Container Home Association (CHA)
The principle focus of the Container Home Association is to develop and promote accurate CHA educational programs, information, materials and tools globally.
The Container Home Association was founded in 2006 and is a “grassroots” global trade organization consisting of architects, engineers, building contractors, designers, military, colleges, universities, financial agencies, relief organizations, shipping container dealers, and, of course, avid DIY enthusiasts.
Our organization now serves thousands of global members in more than 200 countries of the world.
The original name in 2006 was the ISBU Association, and our name was later legally changed to the Container Home Association in 2020 to better represent the broad use of this fast growing Container technology globally.
Our organization is a dedicated advocate for promoting Container technology and promotes laws and ordinances globally that allow more straightforward and less complicated use for building and construction.
Our purpose and responsibility are more important today than ever before. The Shipping Container Home trend continues to grow rapidly, but so does the sale and discussion of bad information and improper construction concepts.
There is a lot of inaccurate information out there regarding this versatile and important Container technology.
Back in 2006, the global landscape for Shipping Container dealers and the Container technology was devoid of any International trade organization, NGO, or associations. The absence of a centralized source for guidance, statistics, specifications, and credible purchasing options was keenly apparent.
Out of necessity, the Container Home Association was formed in 2006 by a few International businessmen who were passionate about the concept of using Shipping Containers for construction and emergency applications but found no information or organized body globally from which to obtain credible information.
The organization was first based in Hong Kong and used the offices of an American businessman who spearheaded the creation of the new ISO shipping container organization.
In the beginning the Organization was known as the ISBU Association.
Within the first year, we discovered that our readers and Members were using the Containers for a variety of construction projects, including housing. This evolution marked the dynamic nature of our organization and it's purpose.
Both names for our organization are often used. However, the legal name of the ISBU Association changed when the Advisory Board moved its headquarters to the United States in the fall of 2016.
We often use the word ISBU, the technical term for an ISO shipping container used for storage or construction purposes. That name was ISBU or ISBU module. The term ISBU was adopted by the US military in the early 1970s to clearly distinguish the ISO Container from one used for shipping cargo or one used for storage and construction. Thus, ISBU was the overall appropriate term to use.
Today's formal Container Home Association has been serving the container trade and DIY consumers. The people involved in its formation were a simple group of "grass roots" individuals who saw the potential of shipping container technology, its valuable strength and recyclability.
Through our persistence and advocacy since 2006, we have been influential in changing City/County building requirements, International Building Codes globally, and also filtering deceptive dealers and construction information. Although both issues still exist, the issues and deception are much less than they were 10-20 years ago.
The Container Home Association was officially formed to coordinate the explosion of interest in Container Homes, Container Offices, Emergency Housing, Safe Rooms, Tech pods, Grow Rooms, and Storage units by interested American consumers, designers, building contractors, and businessmen. By 2007, the interest support and membership in the Container Home Association were also surging globally, and the Green Quest Research Institute stepped in with funding and support.
The principal Founder of the Container Home Association was a third-generation American businessman who owned an international consulting business with offices in China and Hong Kong. These cities were the point of origin for most of the surplus of thousands of shipping containers sitting idle in the US in 2006, not including the thousands more shipping containers sitting idle in other countries throughout the world.
However, by June 2008 and through 2009, the number of surplus shipping containers sitting in the US and other countries of the world was nearly zero.
Many people have been very interested in the recyclable ISBU construction for years, however the Container Home Association is the only organization to finally research, organize, promote and educate on the use and benefits of ISBU shipping container construction.
There are many US and European companies and individuals who have been key players in the growth and interest of ISBU architecture and housing development. The Container Home Association is a vital advocate that promotes, educates, and highlights all these critical advancements.
Not Just Recycling
Our purpose is not simply to reduce the stores of shipping containers globally, but to also promote the use of ISBU modules, new or used, as one of the safest, strongest, and most flexible, recyclable and sustainable construction and storage technologies available. This emphasis on quality and versatility is what sets ISBU construction apart.
Global Benefits Surged
As the US & International housing and economy was quickly sliding downward in 2008 and 2009, the interest in ISBU housing, including ISBU Integrated housing, and storage units was rising at an even faster rate. By January 2009 the interest and growth of ISBU technology and Green Quest Research Library had grown more than 300% over the 2008 figures, even with the global economic downturn. The interest in Eco-Green construction is a certain trend--the interest in the ISBU technology has become one of the fastest growing Eco-Green trends. The global interest in ISBU modules for housing and construction has remained steady globally and continues the surge substantially each year.
Since 2024, our emphasis has been less on Memberships and more on producing critical and useful education materials, tutorials, and Container drawings for global professionals and DIY consumers.
Shipping Container technology is sustainable and highly adaptable to other Eco-Green technologies.