Vietnam hostel's shipping containers stay put to create unique communal vibe

As those who travel often would attest, sleeping arrangements in other countries tend to differ dramatically. Whether it’s a villa over the water in Bora Bora or a tiny capsule hotel in Tokyo, hospitality comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Adding to this never-ending list of peculiar arrangements is a unique new abode in the Vietnamese city of Nha Trang that just became the first hostel built out of shipping containers. Dubbed Ccasa Hostel, this unusual travel stop is comprised of three recycled shipping containers modified into dormitory-style quarters and finished with a particularly modern aesthetic.

Designed and built by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based architecture firm TAK Architects, Ccasa Hostel aims to make everyone who stays there feel like one big family. Operating under the motto “everyone around the world can be connected into a big family,” the architects leaned heavily on creating large open areas throughout the hostel. The finished product allows for an abundance of natural light to pour through the lodge, which almost gives off the feeling of being outside. Ccasa Hostel even features a few outdoor netted lounge areas where guests can kick back and take in the area’s beautiful surroundings.

“[By using] revived old containers, combined with reused materials, Ccasa would like to [create] a completely different space than an ordinary hotel,” reads the hostel’s website. “[Using] ideas from the cabin of a train, [the interior housing] of Ccasa containers [features a] bedroom as a cabin with your own fully equipped garage, quilt-pillow-mattress, reading light and power socket, and personal lockers to store your own belongings. Each bed is designed with the blinds pulled — just pulling the curtain above [and you] can get an extremely private space when needed.”

Structurally, the three shipping containers comprise the sleeping areas for the guests — each of which features a different sleeping layout — with TAK Architects adorning them in bright blue, yellow, and red paint. Dubbed a washing block, the hostel’s bathrooms are clad heavily in concrete and brick, giving off a supremely modern feel. The residence’s kitchen resides on the first floor just past the entrance to the building itself.

Located in a typically humid tropical city, Ccasa Hostel’s floor plan embraces openness to allow it to avoid the pitfall of being just another stuffy place for visitors to lay their head. With much of the hostel featuring open-air windows, patios, and walkways, the constant airflow gives it an incredibly high level of comfort — something the designers were aiming for. Ccasa Hostel is currently open for business, but, boasts just 10 rooms available for rent.