Though the housing market in Denver is becoming more balanced, given our high home prices, it can still be challenging for people – especially first-time buyers – to find a home they can afford. A company by the name of Stack House wants to change all that.

Stack House is a new affordable-housing option under construction on West Colfax. An article in 5280 describes Stackhouse as looking a lot like a traditional apartment building, with rows of balconies stacked atop a redbrick storefront. But behind that façade is a steel structure comprising 62 docking stations for shipping containers that have been transformed into 320-square-foot private homes. And what looks like an atrium at the building’s core is an eight-story-tall hoist-way, through which the portable containers can be lifted up and down as new residents move in, and former ones move out.

According to Stackhouse, the ability to come and go is an important perk. Just as boat owners can sail from marina to marina, docking at slips for a pre-arranged fee, Stackhouse owners will be able to park their containers at any Stackhouse tower where space is available. They plan to expand nationwide by 2025, and to Europe, Asia, and Australia after that.

Each unit offers 320 square feet configured in a studio, one-bedroom, or one-bedroom-plus floorplan. All include living and sleeping areas, kitchens, private baths, washer/dryer units, and an additional 120 square feet of outdoor living space. And unlike traditional tiny homes, Stackhouse container homes don’t require their owners to find a plot of land to put them on.

Stackhouse’s studio, one-bedroom, and one-bedroom-plus units are priced at $110,000, $120,000, and $130,000 respectively, and shares in the tower range from $200,000 for a ground-floor space to $350,000 for a top-floor space with mountain views, making all-in ownership between $310,000 and $480,000.

Currently more than 2,000 people have expressed an interest in living at Stackhouse Denver. The application process is open until the end of September, when a randomizer will narrow the list to 40 lucky new homeowners.

While it’s not an ideal solution for growing families or those wanting more space, the concept of stacked living is certainly a creative solution for a very real problem. It will be interesting to see how Stackhouse moves forward and the quality of life these types of places provide.