Two Bedrooms Affordable Shipping Container Homes with Energy-Efficient Appliances, Evansville, Indiana

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Location
About Community Action Program of Evansville (CAPE)

Initiative	Community Action Program of Evansville (CAPE) and Department of Metropolitan Development
Bedrooms	2
Area	640 square foot
Containers	Two 40 ft
Location	Evansville, Indiana
Year	2024

The 640-square-foot shipping container homes − one at 1108 Cody St. and another at 1107 Cody St. − are fully furnished, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a porch and small yard. The project, a joint effort with the Community Action Program of Evansville and the city's Department of Metropolitan Development, is part of a long-range feasibility study to see if this design works for the city.

CAPE CEO Gary Roan presented the homes during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November 2024:

"It's always been my philosophy affordable housing doesn't mean sacrificing quality or having fewer amenities," he said. "To me it means providing the type of housing I would want to live in."

Roan said builders invested in energy-efficient appliances, solar energy and landscaping.

Shipping Container Lookout Tower, Epworth (Blue Ridge), Georgia, United States

Tour Video
Construction Process
Early Build Concept and Construction Video
Plans
Location
About Bill Seeber - Structural Engineer

Project	River Forest Lookout
Designer and Owner	Mark Derenthal
Structural Engineer	Bill Seeber
Containers	Two 20 ft
Location	Epworth (Blue Ridge), Georgia, United States
Year	2023

The River Forest Lookout is an interesting project that puts shipping container-based architecture on a pedestal – literally. The tiny retreat takes the form of a fire lookout tower-style design that consists of two containers raised 60 ft (18 m) above the forest floor in Whitfield County, Georgia.

The River Forest Lookout is situated on 14 acres (5.6 hectares) of rural land and was constructed by owner Mark Derenthal and his family. It was a painstaking job that involved transporting everything to the rural site and assembling the base and stairs, then craning the heavily modified shipping containers into position.

Visitors access the dwelling by staircase. One of the shipping containers serves as an open plan living area. This hosts a some chairs and a dining table, plus a basic kitchen with a mini-fridge, a two-burner propane-powered stove and a microwave. The bedroom area is adjacent and has a double bed. There's plenty of shelving and some storage nooks, and the container has floor-to-ceiling windows and a skylight to maximize natural light inside. The second container, meanwhile, is totally taken up by a spacious bathroom which features a walk-in shower, a flushing toilet, and a sink.

Elsewhere lies a small balcony area with a table and seating for two, plus a BBQ. There's also a rooftop terrace, which is reached by a spiral staircase and contains a fire pit and some more seating.

Naturally there isn't a power grid in such a remote location so the River Forest Lookout runs fully off-the-grid with a rooftop solar panel array. Water comes from a nearby well and it has propane-powered heating, plus a small wood-burning stove, to keep the chill at bay.