What is a Soulbox
SoulBox is a sub brand of ldFabric Tanzania limited that specializes in converting old shipping containers into functional, luxurious, modern mobile spaces for your living or working needs. The modular nature of a shipping container offers unlimited potential to serve as office, bar, hotel, mobile shop, sanitary space, residential home and many more. Live as large or tiny as you want! Our professional team of engineers, interior designers, and well-trained craftsmen ensures every SoulBox is designed and produced to match each customer’s personal need and desire.
Why build a SoulBox
- Eco Friendly & Durable. We use recycled wood and plastic material to make floor planks and wall panels for a high-quality finish of your interior and exterior space in a used shipping container.
- Comfortable. With our in-factory developed wall- and ceiling panels using fiber cellulose insulation and the knowledgeable, customized room climate solutions by us engineers, interior comfort is ensured despite unfavorable exterior weather conditions.
- Mobile & Functional. As our units are made from shipping containers, you are free to take them with you whenever you need to move. We design and build with YOU in mind: From budget planning, room layouts and functionality of spaces, to feel and final finish.
- Prefab. The majority of craftwork for your SoulBox is done in our factory in Kibaha. This brings the advantage of faster and higher quality fabrication as well as lower labor cost compared to on-site manufacturing.
Our Product Range
See our portfolio
Our Process
4 Steps to your SoulBox that ensure efficient production and the best Price
FAQ
Q: WHAT DOES A SOULBOX COST?
Each soulbox is designed individually to fit your specific needs and since it can consist of as little as a single 20ft container, it can also be a combination of several containers of different sizes. Depending on the class of finishings as well as features desired, on average a bespoke, fully converted SoulBox with all fit-outs and fixtures roughly ranges from 1.2M -1.7M tsh per sqm. This is understood exclusive of VAT, furniture and transportation to your location, foundation and infrastructure on site (water, waste water, power outside the SoulBox) as well as any extras such as solar systems, (rooftop-) terraces etc. For your reference, a 20ft container (6.09mx2.44m) roughly has a 14.9sqm footprint, and a 40ft container doubles this to 29.7sqm.
Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET MY SOULBOX?
Production of a SoulBox takes from two weeks to several months, depending on the complexity, design and size of your SoulBox project as well as our current workload and current delivery times of our suppliers for custom made items like high quality windows or sliding doors.. We will prepare your specific timeline on request.
Q: ISN’T IT HOT IN A CONTAINER?
Our SoulBoxes are well insulated and can be equipped with fans or AC as in any brick-and-mortar house, if necessary. During the design process we consider different measures to achieve a comfortable room climate, first and foremost through design elements such as openings for natural ventilation, but we also take the climate in your location, the orientation and placement of the SoulBox on your plot, as well as external shading through an off-set roof or vegetation
Q: DOESN’T A CONTAINER RUST? HOW LONG CAN MY SOULBOX LAST?
Our SoulBoxes are proudly made from pre-used shipping containers, a conscious action of repurposing ressources. Your SoulBox has probably already seen a lot of our beautiful planet, before finding its new home with you. Most of the time, these travels leave their marks on the body of the container, damages that eventually lead to rust usually occur during handling of the container as cargo. Our team does its best to get it back into shape by removing damaged or rusty parts and replacing them with good sheets that had been cut out for the windows and doors of yours or another SoulBox. They repair, weld, grind, do putty and sanding works, finished up with several coats of primer and paint to ensure the best protection for its future life. You will nevertheless see smaller dents in the container here and there – it is a used container with character after all. If you treat it well (after all, being hit by another container or a forklift is usually not so likely in its new function), your SoulBox will stay happy and healthy for many years to come. Apart from that, during handover we also give you detailed information on how to best take care of your SoulBox.
Q: IS THERE WATER AND ELECTRICITY IN MY SOULBOX?
Certainly! Our SoulBoxes are designed and fabricated for your daily use. Depending on what type of SoulBox you need, professional plumbing and wiring, a thought through lighting concept and proper earthing is already provided. You just need to move in with your furniture. That said, how you access power, water and wastewater outside your SoulBox is up to you. We provide consultancy on this matter if wished, and it is upon you to organize for access to the mentioned infrastructure, which we will connect your SoulBox to during installation. This can either be off-grid solar powered and with a refillable water tank or connected to the public power grid, or a hybrid solution.
Q: IS A SOULBOX ACTUALLY MOBILE AND MOVABLE?
Well, let’s say that depends. If you want it to be movable and have plans to move it in the near future, we will design and construct it that way. Please note that some designs aren’t made for movability, which are mostly, what you probably might have seen online, designs with containers stacked at angles other than the ones used during cargo. That said, you can always disassemble a Soulbox, but it will take more effort to do so and might take replacement interior fit-out materials during reassembly than with designs that are planned with movability in mind.
Q: CAN I ADD MORE ROOMS LATER ON?
Planning is key – also in this aspect. Since all our SoulBoxes are custom made and designed tailored to your needs, we have the flexibility to plan ahead for different life situations. You are currently living by yourself or as a couple, but want to add a room or two later on for guests, kids, creative space? Your budget allows for an office with just 2 rooms right now, but as your company grows you would like to add more offices, kitchenette, board room, and have it all in one place? Whatever the case, we can keep this in mind during concept design and design development, provide the necessary structural support, water and electricity connections and think of easily accessible openings, plan the whole big project at once and build in phases. Even if the first phase lasts for 10 or 15 years, when time is ripe, you will have the masterplan in your pocket and just need to reach out for us to start building.