LOT-EK erects a stunning single-family mega-home from 21 shipping containers in Williamsburg

It would hardly raise an eyebrow to note that the Brooklyn couple behind the wildly popular Williamsburg barbecue joint Fette Sau hired an architect to build them a 25-by-100-foot home on a corner lot in the neighborhood. But in this case, the architects are Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano of the firm LOT-EK, which means the house in question is likely to cause at least a few double-takes. Rising from that corner lot, this remarkable single-family residence was made from 21 steel shipping containers, tamed and transformed into a sleek and surprisingly livable home.

At first almost indistinguishable among the new-construction apartments that surround it, the home’s steel containers were collected and stacked, then cut diagonally along both top and bottom. According to the architects, this angular profile of corrugated steel invokes the neighborhood’s industrial past, “while providing a sculptural nod to the rapidly changing neighborhood.”

Transforming the containers’ assembly into a single-family home, the diagonal cut creates an enclosed monolith of a space with complete privacy from the surrounding streets.

The diagonal cut also upends the conventional ground-floor rear yard setup, allocating private outdoor space for each level of the house. Large glass doors lead to each floor’s deck and allow light and cross-ventilation throughout. A steel stair along the home’s north wall connects the outdoor spaces.

LOT-EK Carroll House from LOT-EK on Vimeo.

Razor-thin slices of glass on the home’s side allow both light and privacy to exist on a city street corner. See more from LOT-EK here.

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• LOT-EK Turns a Humble Shipping Container Into an Ultra Cool Penthouse with Empire State Views
• LOT-EK Turns a Humble Shipping Container Into an Ultra Cool Penthouse with Empire State Views

Images courtesy of LOT-EK.