To finish off the internal living space I built a plywood shelving unit to fit specific items required for a weekend away. This included space for a sink, commercial esky, gas cooker, water filter, crockery and all those other items that accrue over time. Taking into consideration the requirements for gas storage/use, we anticipated cooking outside, but it would be possible to create an external storage unit for a gas bottle (similar to a caravan) if you wanted to have a more permanent set-up.
To heat the space we installed a second hand pot belly stove. This was flued through the roof and fitted into a corner of the room and beneath one of the smaller windows. Beside the pot belly stove is an additional door leading out the original end doors of the container. Our concept was to create a wet area within the footprint of the doors and close it in with a canvas or plastic curtain, making space for a portable toilet and shower. Additional furniture was selected to make the most of the space and double up on functionality where possible. By the end it became an extremely comfortable, solid and inviting space to be in.
At this point I should let you know about our experience in getting this container onto our land and into use. Prior to construction we investigated the rulings on temporary structures for our local council. Everything we found allowed us to use this container on our block of land, unfortunately, after 12 months of weekend work and shipping the container to our site, we found ourselves with a council that had changed their rulings for structures and use of temporary dwellings on land without a primary dwelling. After going through the process of working with the council as they deciphered their own new rules, we were presented with two options, to submit a DA for a primary dwelling or remove the container. With our limited funds we were forced to remove the container and have since sold it on for other use. A devastating result after investing so much time, energy and money into a low impact solution, but one that only opened up other opportunities and highlighted the good people that helped out in delivering and supporting our project.
You can see a short video on the Transatron project on youtube
