An Incredibly Unique Brooklyn Townhouse Made From 18 Upcycled Shipping Containers

Architectural Digest toured an incredibly unique 6,000 square foot townhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that was completely built using 18 upcycled shipping containers that had come from a lot in New Jersey. Designers Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano of LOT-EK Architecture explained that they are driven to create luxury out of simple items.

The idea that one can create something very exciting like this house out of something very humble, like these 18 old containers that we got out in a yard in New Jersey. It’s a way to really understand that our creative potential is giant. …This houses is a very good example of a very comfortable and beautiful home created from these very common objects. It’s a continuous invention because we are always trying to push against it and push new boundaries and go to other places.

The townhouse was originally built for the Carroll family, but has since changed hands. It features six bedrooms, five bathrooms over multiple levels. While the house is large, its footprint is pretty standard for the neighborhood. The designers used simple geometry to get more space.

The house is located in a typical corner lot in Brooklyn, measuring 25×100-feet. Transforming the containers’ assembly into a single-family residence, the diagonal cut generates a very enclosed and private monolith from the surrounding streets. The diagonal also modifies the conventional ground-floor rear yard type and use, allocating private outdoor space at each level of the house. Large glass doors allow access to each deck, offering light and cross ventilation at all levels. A steel stair along the north wall connects all outdoor spaces.

The townhouse is featured in the Thomas Piper film, We Start With the Things We Find.

The Townhouse Being Built