AUSTIN, TX - From the music to the trailer parks dedicated to food, it is no secret Austinites like to think outside the box.
Mark Meyer is the exception. The University of Texas architecture school grad prefers to think inside the box -- a giant metal one, to be exact.
Beat up cargo containers cover the grounds at Meyer's design studio, but give them just a few changes and Meyer can transform metal boxes into usable, even liveable spaces.
Meyer is now part of a global movement recycling metal boxes into businesses and even dream homes.
"They're like LEGO blocks to a certain extent," said Meyer.
True, but these cargo boxes are a little bigger. An eight-by-20 foot box tips the scales at two-and-a-half tons. "There are some constraints there, but within those constraints you have this sort of freedom to really play around."
Two years ago, Meyer's container creations were just an idea. Then his dream merged with a couple's in search of creating a new type of coffeehouse. La Boite Cafe on South Lamar is known for its coffee and baked goods, but it is the box that sets it apart.
Owners Dan and Victoria Bereczki bought the container in Houston for $1,600, then turned it over to Meyer. The designer turned 160 square feet into the quaint cafe by replacing walls with windows, even adding air conditioning. Now instead of cargo, the small but functional space holds nothing but customers.
Cost estimates for renovating these cargo containers start low and can go as high as the buyer wants. Meyer tells KVUE a basic box including electricity, running water, and air conditioning can be outfitted comfortably around $20,000.
