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- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"People in the neighborhood call it Casa Blanca," says contractor David Boyle of his four-level white house in Williamsburg, but there's something else besides the color of the home that makes it stand out from the others on the block. A labor of love between Boyle and his wife, architect and <a href="http://www.nyit.edu/">NYIT</a> professor <a href="http://michelebertomen.net/" target="_blank">Michele Bertomen</a>, the residence is made up of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyn-couple-moves-into-stacked-shipping-container-home-in-williamsburg/">six shipping containers</a> stacked atop one another, and is the first and only legal residence of its kind in Brooklyn. Bertomen and Boyle understand that the home may be unconventional, but for them, it's the perfect example of the American dream (not to mention a way they could afford a 1,600 sq. ft. property in the middle of NYC's priciest locales). We recently had a chance to visit this very special home on Keap St., and snapped photos of everything from the two amazing <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-couple-moves-into-stacked-shipping-container-home-in-williamsburg-brooklyn/williamsburg-container-hous/">rooftop decks</a> to the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-couple-moves-into-stacked-shipping-container-home-in-williamsburg-brooklyn/wburg-shipping-container-ta/">clever repurposed furniture</a> to the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-couple-moves-into-stacked-shipping-container-home-in-williamsburg-brooklyn/wburg-shipping-container-ho/">house's furry mascot, Zero</a>. Click through our <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-couple-moves-into-stacked-shipping-container-home-in-williamsburg-brooklyn/wburg-shipping-contalead3/">gallery</a> to take your own tour through this inspirational abode.1
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeZero, the shipping container home's mascot.2
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeMany of the home's doors, windows and other materials were purchased from <a href="http://www.bignyc.org/">Build It Green!</a>, a resource for salvaged building supplies in Astoria.3
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeA kitchen space leads out onto a balcony that was created by cutting away pieces of the shipping container.4
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeBertomen and Boyle used recycled elements for many of the fixtures. This toilet roll holder used to be a pipe.5
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeMore sprinkler pipe acts as a towel rack.6
- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"I just picked this up at LaGuardia place," said Boyle of this mini sink that fits perfectly into a corner of one of the home's three bathrooms.7
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe spiral staircase was one element that wasn't purchased used because the couple wanted the sturdiest, safest one they could find that would also fit perfectly into the space.8
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe energy-efficient home features radiant heat and Super Therm insulation.9
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThis upcycled dining table/desk is actually an old bank teller window. It can also be expanded using a slatted series of boards designed by Michele.10
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe lower rooftop deck is the perfect place to grow vegetables and host gatherings.11
- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"The adversity we experienced had to do with something that shouldn't exist," said Bertomen of the many layers of paperwork and back-and-forth with city officials she went through trying to complete the shipping container house. "People should be able to build their own homes, even in New York City."12
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeA model of the shipping container home sits proudly in the living room.13
- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"Trust in your community. A community of people built this house," said Bertomen when we asked her what advice she might have for someone wanting to take on a similar project. "We weren't closed. We trusted and we were cautious, but we didn't go through Angie's List, you know? I called on my community." Boyle also explained how they entrusted much of the home's steeelwork to a neighbor and even had teens from across the street install much of the drywall.14
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe sprinkler pipe was also used as a clothing hanger.15
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe downstairs "guest room" can be partitioned off using a simple clear plastic screen that Boyle rescued from one of his work projects.16
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe upstairs bedroom is a serene space that even has its own balcony.17
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeAn upstairs bathroom.18
- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"It feels great and we'd like to empower other people to do this too," said Bertomen of being able to finally move into her self-built home.19
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeAs you can see, the windows and balconies are basically all just cutouts.20
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeA "guest room" on the first floor features custom bookcases and the bathroom was created by cutting away parts of the shipping container walls and bringing them downstairs.21
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeLooking up to the bedroom through the cavern created by the two side-by-side shipping containers.22
- Williamsburg Shipping Container Home"This is Michele's favorite piece of technology in the house," said Boyle as he gestured to a clothesline on the lower roofdeck. "Our clothes smell so good." The pulley system shown above is used to pull objects from the first level up to the rooftop decks.23
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe home's containers are help together by locking connectors, which is the same way they would be secured when traveling overseas on a ship.24
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeLooking down from the lower roofeck on Zero.25
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe couple operates their initiative for neighborhood improvement through small changes, Practical Urban Solutions, out of the office/library on the ground level.26
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeDesigned by Bertomen and made by Boyle, this smart shelving system uses the actual shelves as bookends.27
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe main living space.28
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeThe space between two shipping containers creates a staircase.29
- Williamsburg Shipping Container HomeAt the end of the day, the home ended up costing the couple $400,000 (with an estimated $100,000 due to the interest accrued during the delays caused by the Department of Buildings).30