The artist plans to build a house out of a rubbish bin in London, England and live there for a year. The aim is to draw attention to the “insane” price of renting a room in the British capital these days.
Harrison Marshall, 28, moved into a converted container on a grass field in Bermondsey, south London, a month ago. The young man explains that the only way he has found to get paid is to live in a center close to where he works.
Returning to the town after some time, he says that it is difficult to find a place to live as there are no houses.
“Like thousands of people across town and across the country, the prices are crazy. The returns are unbelievable,” says Marshall. “Even when I found a place within my price range, there were a hundred other people looking for that room.”
Reuters/Henry Nicholls
Price inflation in the UK reached 11.1% – a 41-year high – in October 2022 and remains in double digits, fueling a cost-of-living crisis as wages fail to keep pace with rising housing and food costs.
Marshall’s creative solution to the problem was to build a 4500 euro wooden shed with a curved roof and attach it to a shipping container. Inside is a small kitchen and a Mezzanine With a bed. the words “Avoid home” (or “container house”) is a yellow container stamped in black, typically used for construction waste.
“The shipping container gave me the opportunity to create my own tiny house,” he says.
There is a garden leading to the entrance steps to Marshall and a public bathroom located in the corner of the complex. At work, a ten-minute bike ride or a trip to the gym, he can get water from a tap from a neighbor’s property.
“All the neighbors have been incredible, they’ve been really supportive. I’ve had neighbors come over and bring homemade food,” she says. “It’s a big bonus to the whole project. There’s a good community in this area.”
“Hardcore explorer. Extreme communicator. Professional writer. General music practitioner. Prone to fits of apathy.”