In Long Island, NY, architect Maziar Behrooz placed two 8-foot by 40-foot shipping containers side-by-side to create a simple yet groundbreaking artist's studio.

The two-story studio, which was built in 2009, doesn't have a bath or kitchen, but it does offer a second floor with huge windows and amazing views of the surrounding woods.

The rust-colored containers were painted a deep shade of blue and the interior finished in a bright, open layout.

Behrooz won an award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the container studio. His firm, MB Architecture, is now taking orders for three container home models - ranging from an artist's studio to a two-bed, two-bath home -- that can be made in a factory, shipped to a building site and installed within a week.

The homes range in price from $99,000 to $150,000, not including land and site preparation costs.