Gina Heslop
Harrison Marshall, a London resident, found himself facing the exorbitant housing costs in the city after returning from work in Central America and Asia. With traditional housing beyond his financial reach, Harrison came up with a truly unconventional solution – he turned a dumpster into a livable home.
Harrison, who heads a small architecture company called CAUKIN Studio, specializes in creating environmentally friendly structures. This expertise allowed him to transform a dumpster located in Southwark, London, into a cozy dwelling. His dumpster home, which he shares via his Instagram page @theskiphouse, offers a small sink, a cooktop, and a mezzanine-style bed above built-in storage for his clothes. To maintain personal hygiene, he uses the local gym for showers, a laundromat for clothes cleaning, and an on-site portaloo for other necessities.
While living in a dumpster might seem cramped, Harrison spent around $5,000 to create this unique space, which is a stark contrast to the £3,660 ($4,620) spent on building supplies and £300 ($380) for interior furnishings. This is significantly more affordable than the staggering $2,100 per month for a one-bedroom flat on the same road.
Harrison sees his dumpster home as an art piece that sheds light on London’s housing crisis, making people both smile and think. While he doesn’t recommend everyone replicate his living situation, he hopes to move out soon, aiming for a more traditional housing option but not at the expense of his savings and comfort.
Harrison’s unconventional approach to housing may not be for everyone, but it’s a creative and cost-effective solution to the challenging issue of housing affordability in a major city like London. His story serves as a unique and eye-catching example of how innovative thinking can address the absurdity of housing costs in cities, offering a thought-provoking alternative to traditional living arrangements.
