PROVIDENCE — Shipping containers, the corrugated steel boxes that are piled high on cargo ships then loaded directly onto tractor trailers, revolutionized the way goods are transported and helped make the modern, global economy possible.

But as the economy sputters, containers are piling up in ports, and there is a movement to give them a second life as apartments and offices. Here in Rhode Island, the first such project will open in the city’s West Side in March on the site of a former lumber company.

Architect and developer Peter Gill Case announced Tuesday his plan to build the Box Office, a three-story building made from 32 recycled steel shipping containers. The 10,000-square-foot building is targeted at start-up businesses and artists, with up to 12 office and studio spaces ranging from 640 square feet to 2,560 square feet.