Shipping containers have been used for housing in several European cities over the last several years and now Detroit-based architect Steven Flum has proposed using used shipping containers for a 17-unit, 4-container-high residential development near a local university. The project is expected to cost 25% less than an equivalent traditional development. Since containers are cheaper to fabricate new than to ship back for refilling, they are generally used once and discarded, which creates an environmental concern in hub cities around the world. Image courtesy of The Power of Green Housing