An IT professional quit his job and spent 2 years building a luxury hotel out of 4 shipping containers in downtown Singapore — take a look at how he did it

Marielle DescalsotaSep 23, 2022, 12:03 IST

Garden pod by Shipping Container Hotel.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

A Malaysian former IT professional founded Singapore's only shipping container hotel chain.
Seah Liang Chiang estimates that spent around $700,000 building his chain's first hotel complex.

Seah Liang Chiang spent a decade working in IT. But after watching the Netflix show 'Tiny House Nation,' Seah decided to make a career change. He set his sights on becoming a hotelier — specifically, on building tiny hotels out of shipping containers.

Seah Liang Chiang building his shipping container hotel.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

Seah Liang Chiang spent a decade working in IT. But after watching the Netflix show 'Tiny House Nation,' Seah decided to make a career change. He set his sights on becoming a hotelier — specifically, on building tiny hotels out of shipping containers.

Seah's first step was to purchase shipping containers, which form the main living space of the hotel. Seah said he bought 10 containers from a container yard in western Singapore.

Shipping containers.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

Seah's first step was to purchase shipping containers, which form the main living space of the hotel. Seah said he bought 10 containers from a container yard in western Singapore.

The first step was to make sure the containers were sturdy enough to be transformed into living spaces. At the yard, the containers were cut open and reinforced with steel beams.

Shipping container being cut to fit windows.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

The first step was to make sure the containers were sturdy enough to be transformed into living spaces. At the yard, the containers were cut open and reinforced with steel beams.

The hotel structure was built on site in Gardens by the Bay. The land was flattened, and reinforced slabs and steel bars were used to fortify the ground so it could withstand the weight of the containers.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

The hotel structure was built on site in Gardens by the Bay. The land was flattened, and reinforced slabs and steel bars were used to fortify the ground so it could withstand the weight of the containers.

The hotel is not a permanent structure at Gardens by the Bay. Seah built the hotel in a modular fashion so it could be reassembled elsewhere.

Placing the staircase into the hotel complex.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

While the complex looks like it was built completely with shipping containers, the first floor is made out of metal that mimics the look of a container.

Placing the shipping container into the hotel structure.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

Seah wanted to build sustainably and without concrete, so the hotel's structure is made entirely out of metal.

The shipper containers put together into one structure.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

The hotel was fitted with fire-rated walls and ceilings according to Singapore Civil Defence Force guidelines, Seah said.

Building up the interior of the hotel.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

Seah hired experts from local company PV Foundry to install solar panels.

Solar panels installed on top of the shipper containers.Courtesy of Seah Liang Chiang

The interior of each loft is designed with a modern touch. Marble counters and floor-to-ceiling windows create the illusion of a spacious living area.

The finished interior space.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The outdoor patio is surrounded by greenery as the hotel is located in the middle of the gardens.

The Garden Pod's outdoor patio.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The bedroom has a minimalist design with wooden walls and large windows. It comes with a double bed and a convertible sofa bed.

The second-floor bedroom of the Garden Pod.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Seah said that while the process of constructing the shipping container hotel complex was challenging, it was worth it, as it's the "closest thing we have to living off the grid."

Garden pod by Shipping Container Hotel.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Seah said that while the process of constructing the shipping container hotel complex was challenging, it was worth it, as it's the "closest thing we have to living off the grid."

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An IT professional quit his job and spent 2 years building a luxury hotel out of 4 shipping containers in downtown Singapore &mdash; take a look at how he did it

Seah Liang Chiang spent a decade working in IT. But after watching the Netflix show 'Tiny House Nation,' Seah decided to make a career change. He set his sights on becoming a hotelier — specifically, on building tiny hotels out of shipping containers.

Seah's first step was to purchase shipping containers, which form the main living space of the hotel. Seah said he bought 10 containers from a container yard in western Singapore.

The first step was to make sure the containers were sturdy enough to be transformed into living spaces. At the yard, the containers were cut open and reinforced with steel beams.

The hotel structure was built on site in Gardens by the Bay. The land was flattened, and reinforced slabs and steel bars were used to fortify the ground so it could withstand the weight of the containers.

The hotel is not a permanent structure at Gardens by the Bay. Seah built the hotel in a modular fashion so it could be reassembled elsewhere.

While the complex looks like it was built completely with shipping containers, the first floor is made out of metal that mimics the look of a container.

Seah wanted to build sustainably and without concrete, so the hotel's structure is made entirely out of metal.

The hotel was fitted with fire-rated walls and ceilings according to Singapore Civil Defence Force guidelines, Seah said.

Seah hired experts from local company PV Foundry to install solar panels.

The interior of each loft is designed with a modern touch. Marble counters and floor-to-ceiling windows create the illusion of a spacious living area.

The outdoor patio is surrounded by greenery as the hotel is located in the middle of the gardens.

The bedroom has a minimalist design with wooden walls and large windows. It comes with a double bed and a convertible sofa bed.

Seah said that while the process of constructing the shipping container hotel complex was challenging, it was worth it, as it's the "closest thing we have to living off the grid."

An IT professional quit his job and spent 2 years building a luxury hotel out of 4 shipping containers in downtown Singapore — take a look at how he did it