Earlier this summer, we shared a story about the “Airbnb of pools,” but what if that rented pool was also made out of a recycled shipping container? This is the vision of Modpools. Conceptualized by Paul Rathnam, Modpools turns old shipping containers into convenient, sustainable, and efficient home swimming pools.
Unfortunately, most shipping containers are not reused once they make a voyage across the sea. The US just doesn’t have much to export to other countries and nobody wants to pay to send empty containers back, so most end up rusting in landfills. Enticed by the idea of having a home swimming pool for his kids to use, Vancouver-based Rathnam decided to experiment with converting something that would otherwise be discarded into a summer of backyard fun. After a few successful prototypes, Modpools was born to scale up the idea.
The company uses a modular approach to build the pools. They source the cleanest and most dent-free containers from shipping companies and cut them down to a customized size and shape. Then, the completed form is taken to a home for installation. As reported by FastCompany, the company has made pools of all shapes and sizes including models with infinity edges, window features, and even attached hot tubs.
Rathnam has been in the container conversion business since 2017 and today, his pools can be found across the US and Canada. So far, there are 800 Modpools installed in North America. The pandemic has only ramped up demands for home swimming pools, and although shipping containers are more difficult to source due to reduced industry activity, this past year has been their busiest yet.
