The development of shipping container modular buildings stems from the transformation of waste shipping containers. The designers modified the shipping container, opened the doors and windows, and carried out interior decoration, and then equipped them with furniture and electrical equipment such as beds and sofas to transform it into a shipping container house. This kind of mobile house that can be prefabricated in the factory and ready to be hoisted on site is widely used in various fields. It can be used as outdoor temporary offices, conference rooms, employee dormitories, canteens, and power distribution in construction sites, mines, and oil fields; it can also be personalized and designed for commercial retail shops, car camps, and permanent residential buildings.

With the development and application of single shipping container houses, some architects were inspired by the use of shipping containers as a unit module, multiple container splicing and combination applications, and use them to build hotels, student dormitories, hospitals, apartments, commercial office buildings, etc. building. According to the functions and requirements of the building, a single container is used as a unit module, and various space placement postures are combined to form various styles of buildings.