Architect, contractor build homes from shipping containers

Unusual material and design make for a pair of stand-outs in Brooklyn

Rendering of 2 Monitor Street
Rendering of 2 Monitor Street

Building a house out of shipping containers is becoming ever more prevalent in Brooklyn.

Contractor David Boyle constructed his 1,600-square-foot Williamsburg home at 351 Keap Street from six containers, in an effort to inspire others to also build with inexpensive materials. The water pipes are left exposed and therefore less challenging to repair. The three-story home’s estimated construction cost was roughly $400,000.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

By signing up, you agree to TheRealDeal Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Meanwhile, Italy-based architecture firm LOT-EK is taking a more elaborate approach, building a single-family home at 2 Monitor Street in Greenpoint out of 21 shipping containers, the New York Times reported. The four-story property will also feature a backyard pool and screening room.

“We definitely wanted to distinguish it very much from the building you see next to it,” LOT-EK architect Giuseppe Lignano told the New York Times, regarding an adjacent condominium building with glass walls. [NYT]Mark Maurer