Cargotecture

September 2018 - June 2019 • Architecture Thesis

September 2018 - June 2019 • Architecture Thesis

For my final year thesis at Leicester School of Architecture, I explored how architectural intervention could address Berlin's housing crisis through sustainable upcycling of shipping containers. The project proposes a factory in Kreuzberg that combines container conversion with a novel worker-housing program, creating both employment and housing opportunities for the local community.

My contribution

Architectural Design

Research

Design Concept

The proposed factory's form evolved from studying the container conversion process, which I broke down into eight distinct stages. Each stage occupies its own bay in the building, creating a unique architectural profile that makes the industrial process visible to the public. The facility's location on the River Spree allows for direct container delivery and creates an engaging public interface along the waterfront.

Berlin's urban fabric analyzed to identify optimal container factory placement along the River Spree.

Berlin's urban fabric analyzed to identify optimal container factory placement along the River Spree.

Social Impact Through Architecture

This academic exploration demonstrates how architecture can address multiple urban challenges simultaneously. The design proposes a system where workers earn housing credits through production, creating a sustainable cycle of housing creation and community development. The transparent factory design makes industrial processes visible to the public, encouraging engagement with local manufacturing.

Modular structural framework enabling efficient stacking and arrangement of converted shipping containers.

Modular structural framework enabling efficient stacking and arrangement of converted shipping containers.

Conceptual renderings showcasing the dynamic visual rhythm of staggered container housing units.

Conceptual renderings showcasing the dynamic visual rhythm of staggered container housing units.

Technical plans and sections revealing the spatial organization of the factory-housing hybrid.

Technical plans and sections revealing the spatial organization of the factory-housing hybrid.

You can email me here. I’m pretty active on Twitter, occasionally pop into LinkedIn, and surfing the internet through Are.na.

©2019-2025 SURYA NARREDDI.

You can email me here. I’m pretty active on Twitter, occasionally pop into LinkedIn, and surfing the internet through Are.na.

©2019-2025 SURYA NARREDDI.