Exterior view of a contemporary multi-unit housing development constructed from stacked shipping containers. The building is lit by warm exterior lights at dusk and includes outdoor gathering areas with stairs and planters. Close-up upward view of the building’s façade, showing rust-colored corrugated shipping containers and a black steel balcony system under a partly cloudy sky. Courtyard perspective from one building toward another, highlighting stacked container modules with large windows and private balconies, along with exterior staircases and rooftop railings. Exterior walkway along the upper floor of the building, showing a spiral staircase, exposed metal piping, and a resident entering their unit. Shipping container markings are visible on the wall. Interior corridor view showing weathered shipping container walls with stenciled weight and volume markings, positioned next to a wall-mounted mail delivery system. Interior of a furnished apartment with an open floor plan, including a modern kitchen, living room, and visible bedroom. Features include exposed ceilings, polished concrete floors, and contemporary furniture. View of the same apartment from a different angle, showing floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, and mid-century modern furnishings with indoor plants and decorative lighting. Kitchen and living area of a second apartment with large windows, open shelving, neutral-toned cabinetry, and colorful décor, including a patterned rug and terracotta vases.

83 Freight

Located in Nashville’s Wedgewood Houston neighborhood, 83 Freight provides unique, sustainable living options through an architecture of reflection, inspiration, and a sense of place representative of this location. One hundred seventy-three shipping containers stacked, rotated, and offset from three buildings of 83 residential units of varying sizes: micro-studios, 1BR, and 2BR. The design intentionally expresses the raw materiality and simple utilitarian construct of the box inside and out.

Exposing the weathered container exterior and the ISO identification codes and numbers exposes the remains of an environmentally imbalanced transport economy. Inside, exposed cambered fluted ceilings and original marine-grade plywood floors remind the user of the journeys their homes once took.

Year:

2021

Location:

Nashville, TN

Client:

FMBC Investments

Services:

Architecture, Interior Design, Master Planning, & Entitlements

Awards:

Multifamily Executive Awards, Merit Winner - Garden Style, 2023 American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum Museum, Residential Category, 2022 World Architecture News (WAN), Short List, Residential Category, 2022 ENR Southeast Best Projects, Award of Merit in Residential/Hospitality Category, 2022 AIA Middle Tennessee, Merit Award, 2021 AIA Tennessee, Excellence Award, 2021 AIA Gulf States Region, Citation Award, 2021 Aurora Awards, Grand Honor, Best Multifamily Housing Community (Up to 4 Stories for Rent), 2021 Aurora Awards, Golden Honor, Best in All Categories, 2021