A month and a half into construction, 3 of the 14 High Cube 40-foot shipping containers for Campus CIAE are nearly complete. Only final doors, AC units, low-E glazing and interiors remain. This post isn’t a press release: it’s the work as evidence. 19 photos sorted by stage.

Important: the container intervention is being executed at a shop, not on-site. Once completed —cuts, R-18 insulation, MEP rough-in, drywall and finishes— each container will be transported to the Predio Benjamina in Hermosillo and set on the point concrete pads already waiting there. Site work (foundations, exterior urbanization) is advancing on a separate track.

The photos are not chronological either — they’re organized by stage because we have several containers advancing simultaneously at the shop. Within the same day in May, you’ll see fresh cuts and pieces with porcelain already laid.

1. The container before we touch it

Each container enters the shop in its original color (military green, in this batch). The final destination at the site is point concrete pads — not a slab — that will allow natural stormwater infiltration to the subsoil. It’s the first LEED v5 decision underpinning credit SSc3 Stormwater Management without requiring an active cistern. For now, at the shop, containers rest on numbered work supports that identify each unit through the fabrication flow.

Exterior view of a military-green shipping container with original doors open and a metal access ramp. The large lateral cut for a horizontal window is visible, along with the structural framing already assembled inside. Another container with a window cut sits in the background, on concrete pad #102.

Three-quarter exterior shot of a green High Cube container on concrete pads, with recent cuts for a horizontal window and door visible on the long side. A green spray-paint mark indicates the on-site nomenclature.

2. The cut that redesigns the box

Next step: redesigning the box. Openings for horizontal windows, doors, service panels. The cut is done with plasma on the long side, preserving the container’s structural corners (which carry vertical and roof loads). Each opening’s width is sized by the dynamic energy model Tribo delivers as a LEED deliverable: not one window more, not one less.

Interior longitudinal view of the container with windows already cut on both sides letting in symmetrical lateral light. Galvanized profiles lie on the floor pending assembly.

Longitudinal view of the container with large lateral cuts already executed for horizontal windows on both sides. Exposed roof structure with transverse beams and perimeter galvanized profiles recently placed.

3. The interior skeleton

Before drywall, the interior structure of galvanized drywall profiles goes up (perimeter tracks at ceiling and floor, vertical studs every 40 cm). This skeleton defines the wall thickness and leaves the exact space for the R-18 insulation that follows. The container’s original floor (treated wood) is preserved during this phase to avoid damage to the steel sheet.

Container interior with galvanized vertical profiles mounted as the skeleton before drywall, with window openings already cut at mid-wall height. Power tools (drill, pliers) and a backpack rest on the container's original wooden floor.

40-foot container interior with the galvanized profile structure mounted on walls and ceiling, ready to receive insulation and drywall. Lateral cuts open for horizontal windows let in natural light.

Longitudinal view of the container with drywall perimeter tracks already fixed to ceiling and floor, ready to receive vertical studs. Two people review plans or stockpiled material in the corridor at the rear.

4. The R-18 insulation that seals the oven

Hermosillo runs above 45 °C in July. Thermal insulation isn’t cosmetic — it’s the difference between a building consuming 60 kWh/m² and one consuming 30. We install R-18 fiberglass between galvanized profiles, in walls and ceiling. That’s 50 % above the NOM-020-ENER minimum (R-12). It underpins LEED credits EAc2 Peak Thermal Loads and EAc3 Enhanced Energy Efficiency together with the Low-E windows installed later.

Worker on a bench installing pink fiberglass insulation between galvanized profiles of the side wall. Orange conduit for the electrical wiring is already laid in the ceiling, and the window opening sits without a frame. Thermal envelope phase active.

Container interior with R-18 pink fiberglass installed between galvanized profiles on walls and ceiling. Orange conduit for electrical installations and stacked drywall panels ready to mount are visible.

5. The invisible installations

In parallel with the insulation, IED runs cables, flexible orange conduit and prepares lighting points, outlets and panel boards. This phase finishes before the drywall closure: once drywall is in, walls don’t reopen. Points are pre-wired with enough slack for fine adjustments during commissioning.

Small room with drywall already painted white and an electrical panel mounted on the wall. On the unfinished concrete floor: cable ends, painter's tools and a bucket, before the final flooring.

6. The drywall closure

With insulation in and installations ready, the wall is closed with drywall panels screwed to the galvanized structure. Then comes taping and joint compound: panel joints receive tape and compound in several coats, then sanded smooth before painting.

Interior corridor with drywall already installed on the right wall and ceiling, contrasting with the left wall still showing exposed pink fiberglass. Two workers screwing panels near the window opening at the rear.

Container interior with drywall installed and joints taped, a worker cutting profiles on improvised scaffolding. Window openings are already cut and pre-wired electrical points emerge from the walls.

Longitudinal interior of the container with drywall installed and joints with compound applied but not yet sanded, before painting. Window openings covered with kraft paper and loose cables on the concrete floor.

7. Paint, windows and porcelain

Three details before module closure:

Low-VOC paint in white — white is not an aesthetic decision but a thermal one: it maximizes internal reflection and reinforces the daylighting of EQc2 credits.
Window openings protected with kraft paper until the final Low-E glazing arrives.
Porcelain tile (wood-look) set with leveling spacers over cement-based adhesive. Resistant to industrial traffic, it keeps the “warm” interior reading without using actual wood (which degrades in this climate).

Three workers applying joint compound on drywall seams in walls and ceiling, with mixing buckets on the floor. Finish stage before painting, with window cuts open to the exterior.

Container interior with drywall mounted and painted white, three windows open to the hill view, electrical outlets placed and floor still raw. Very advanced stage except for floor and carpentry.

Interior module with drywall painted white and a high horizontal window. A worker laying wood-look porcelain tile in progress, with adhesive buckets and leveling spacers visible.

Long container interior mid-installation of wood-look porcelain tile with visible leveling spacers, and a worker cutting tile pieces at the back. White walls already finished and two high horizontal windows let in natural light.

What remains

To close these 3 containers at the shop and ship them to the site ready to anchor, what’s left:

Low-E window glazing (double-pane with low emissivity) — pending supplier delivery.
Exterior doors and interior leaves — in production.
Minisplit AC units, SEER 18 inverter with R-32 refrigerant — installation scheduled for July.
Interiors: furniture, blinds, final luminaires, accessible signage.

After shop closure: transport to Predio Benjamina on flatbed, anchoring to the concrete pads, interconnection of installations with the campus utilities, and commissioning. In parallel, the remaining 11 containers are starting at the same shop. The schedule still targets civil works closure in February 2027 with pre-occupancy IAQ testing, and issuance of LEED v5 Platinum + EDGE Advanced in March 2027.

Why offsite fabrication

Building at a shop instead of on-site reduces total construction time, raises quality (controlled light, tooling, weather), and allows several containers to advance in parallel without saturating the site. By the time containers arrive at Predio Benjamina, they arrive essentially ready to occupy — only anchoring and utility tie-in remain. This is industrial prefabrication applied to LEED-grade construction.

Who’s making it happen

Project Manager: Arch. Reyna Quiñónez Munguía (UNISON)
Architectural design: Arch. Luar Petterson (Petterson · Kinetec)
LEED consulting: Tribo Soluciones Sostenibles (4 LEED APs)
Electrical engineering and installations: IED
Operational coordination and spokesperson: Joaquín Corella Puente, Eng.

Two workers on the job inside the container in the framing stage: one sitting reviewing notes in the foreground, another walking toward the back of the module. A large opening recently cut on the left.

July 2026: arrival of Low-E glazing, SEER 18 minisplit installation, and kickoff of the next 4 containers at the shop. If you want to see this in person, schedule a technical visit — we’ll coordinate a walkthrough at the shop (the 3 advanced containers are available) and/or at Predio Benjamina (concrete pads, urbanization, native landscaping in progress).

— Joaquín

First month on site: from cut to finish in three containers