Modern shipping containers repurposed as residential units, situated on a city street with parked cars and tall buildings in the background, framed by trees in the foreground.
Three-story modern building made of repurposed shipping containers with staircases, glass doors, and metal railings against a blue sky with clouds and trees.
A modern, multi-story building designed with shipping containers, featuring exterior stairs, balconies, and large windows, located in an urban setting during evening.
A modern, three-story modular building with a metal exterior, illuminated at dusk, featuring an exterior staircase, balconies, and large windows.
Studio apartment with open kitchen, white dining table and chairs, white sofa on wheels, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a door to a balcony or outdoor space.
Small kitchen with black and white cabinets, a white countertop, a microwave, a sink, and a sliding glass door leading to a balcony with a view of trees outside.
Floor plan of a residential house with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen/dining area, viewed from above.
A large, white prefabricated modular building with a glass door, placed on a flatbed trailer inside an industrial warehouse with shelves, equipment, and metal framing.

The aim is to create a blueprint for post-disaster housing by utilizing the latest construction technology in conjunction with stringent requirements for safety, sustainability, durability, and universal design. The modules are infinitely flexible: they can be deployed in vacant lots, private yards, or public spaces. When needed, the modules are trucked to a site, craned into place, and plugged into utilities.

With 1- and 3-bedroom configurations, every unit features a living area, bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and storage space. Units are built with completely recyclable materials, cork floors, zero formaldehyde, a double-insulated shell, and floor-to-ceiling balcony entry doors with integrated shading to lower solar-heat gain, provide larger windows, and add more habitable space. Units can be equipped with photovoltaic panels, which will not only alleviate pressure on the city grid, but also ensure the units are self-sustaining.

Architectural diagram showing the exploded view of a building's wall, roof, balcony, and interior assembly components with labels and key descriptions.

Developed for the New York City Office of Emergency Management, Garrison Architects was hired by American Manufactured Structures and Services (AMSS) to design a modular post-disaster housing prototype for displaced city residents in the event of a catastrophic natural or manmade disaster. The multi-story, multi-family units can be deployed in less than 15 hours, in various arrangements calibrated for challenging urban conditions.

Architectural layout of three different types of apartment complexes: typical 200x600 block, MEWS, and hybrid, each with labeled buildings and parking areas.

Client
NYC Office of Emergency Management

Status
Complete

Info
2014
Institutional/Modular/Technology/Multi-Family
2,100 sf
Brooklyn, NY

Awards
AIA / NYS Design Merit Award
The Municipal Art Society of New York, MASterworks Award, Best New Infrastructure
After the Damages International Winner
Core77 2015 Built Environment Award

Publications
→ Crisis Housing Advances
→ New York Times: "Post-Disaster Housing That Stacks Up"