![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_hero2-852x479.jpg)
MB Architecture constructs university building from shipping containers in one day
American firm MB Architecture has used shipping containers to quickly and cheaply build a media lab for Bard College in New York's Hudson Valley.
Bard College Media Lab comprises four containers that are stacked two wide and two high, forming a larger rectangular structure.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_3-852x639.jpg)
It took just half a day for MB Architecture, led by Maziar Behrooz, to assemble the units on site. A few days later, the 960-square-foot (89-square-metre) university building was fully operational.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_9-852x639.jpg)
"The project arose out of a grant of $100,000 (£72,000) and was prefabricated, delivered and installed in half a day at a cost slightly over $200,000 (£144,000)," said MB architects. "The budget required that we explore options beyond conventional construction."
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_6-852x639.jpg)
The design is based on MB Architecture's prototype prefabricated Insta House – a two-storey home with a bedroom upstairs and main living area on the ground floor, built in the Hamptons in 2009.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_5-852x639.jpg)
Adapting the layout for educational purposes, the studio kept a similar open-plan main living area for the media lab, but included a smaller lofter section upstairs that serves as a private office.
To construct the prefabricated building, the site just needed a concrete foundation. Fabrication of the black-painted containers was completed by Maine-based SnapSpace Solutions.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_8-852x639.jpg)
The dark industrial-looking structure contrasts with the wooded site, located in the middle of the Bard College campus and close to the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts designed by Frank Gehry.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_7-852x1065.jpg)
The building is intended to be multi-purpose, and will rotate between various departments at the college, so flexibility was critical. A large pivoting garage door along the back left side opens to a grassy space. This indoor-outdoor design allows the building to transform into a large place for hosting performances and other events.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x1094.jpg)
From the front, three of the four shipping containers have glazed sections, and the front door leads to a large work table. On the rear facade is a double-height wall lined with windows.
![New York Bard College Media Lab by MB Architecture](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/new-york-bard-college-media-lab-mb-architecture-usa_dezeen_2364_col_10-852x639.jpg)
Shipping containers continue to be repurposed for architecture projects, from wooded weekend retreats and urban dwellings on tight sites, to a speculative proposal for a splayed home in the California desert.
Photography is by Matthew Carbone.