Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) A "smart" container house has appeared on the bustling streets of downtown Taipei recently, with its creators hoping to promote a lifestyle that brings people closer to nature, and yet retains the comfort and convenience of modern life.

The house, built from a shipping container that measures 12 meters by 3.5 meters, was exhibited in Taipei's Xinyi District from Aug. 11-13.

It will be displayed at the Huazhong Riverside Park in the city's Wanhua District over the weekend, before being transported to southern Taiwan to join the 2017 Kaohsiung Building Show Sept. 1-4.

Solar panels are installed on the roof of the portable house to supply electricity for the building.

"As many as 12 solar panels can be installed on the roof, enough to generate sufficient energy for a small family," said Paul Shen, executive director of C-ing Studio and one of the designers of the house.

The walls of the structure are also designed with materials that can absorb moisture and dissipate heat, noted Joe Chen, initiator of the house project and executive vice president of Jon Yei E-Tech Co., a building material company.

In the next phase, Shen said his company plans to install a rain storage system on the roof of the house so that rainwater can be collected and reused as shower and toilet water.

Another eye-catching feature of the house is its intelligent home system, which allows residents to control home appliances, lights, the security system and other household items through voice commands.

The intelligent system can automatically adjust the light and temperature levels inside the house to save energy, noted Mimmy Huang, marketing executive of Jon Yei E-Tech Co.

Among those who have expressed interest in the house are designers looking for a studio and people hoping to start a creative coffee shop, hair salon or other businesses, she said.

But Chen said he has bigger dreams. The ultimate goal is to promote the idea that people should co-exist with the environment, he said.

Although it may be difficult for ordinary people to own such a house without also owning a piece of land to place it on, Chen said his team is hoping to gradually promote a new lifestyle and a new business model, in which owners of these portable houses can rent land from land owners and bring their beloved homes with them wherever they go.