Cantilevered shipping container coffee shop pops up in Johannesburg

Made from stacked and cantilevered shipping containers, the Foghound Interactive Coffee Company in Johannesburg is a sustainable flagship for the ambitious company.

The clients called upon Earthworld Architects & Interiors to create a multi-use space from recycled shipping containers. The two story building houses a public café , showroom and offices for Foghound employees.

On the ground floor, two shipping containers are adjoined to form the public coffee shop, where visitors can sip on Foghound’s caffeinated treats. To expand the café’s space, floor to ceiling glass windows and doors were added, which also maximizes sunlight, making the café a bright and airy place to relax with a cup of coffee. The café’s ceiling is made from warm reclaimed wood, which adds to the cozy atmosphere.

The company showroom sits atop the café, accessible by a glass-encased staircase. The second floor is situated with cantilevered shipping containers, which create a shaded covered overhang for outdoor seating below. In the showroom, the shipping container ends are left open to create a natural sunshade, then fitted with floor to ceiling glass which opens onto a small elevated outdoor patio. The showroom is lit from these endcaps as well as light brought in from the ground floor through the staircase.

Continuing in the vein of sustainable design, Earthworld also installed a highly insulated wall panel system that blocks solar gain in the summer and keeps the interior cozy in winter. A solar hot water heating system completes the green structure, with efficient and cost effective heating.