Affordable Twin Homes

My name is Parker Coe, and I will be a senior in high school this fall. I love using online software to design houses. My favorite class in school is architecture, and I plan on becoming an architect.

I decided to make twin homes for my affordable houses. I decided to make twin homes because where I live, there is a big need for affordable family housing, and twin homes are a very popular way to solve that problem. There are a lot of twin homes around where I live, so I used them as inspiration for my design. I used Revit because it is my favorite Autodesk software that I have learned.

Each side is made of six containers, plus a loft space and two-car garage that are roughly 20' X 22'. Even though it isn't completely made of shipping containers, using some is still more cost effective than using all wood. Each side can house a family of four to six, and has three beds and two and a half baths. This could function as a family home for just a few years, or for a long time.

All of the furniture, electronics, decorations, doors, and many of the windows came from either Polantis or Bimobject.

The first step was to figure out the best way to layout the containers. I came up with this design with the containers for the main floor. I knew I wanted to include a decent sized garage, so I left a space for that. The size of the containers didn't work the best to create a garage, so I left that to be made of wood or other building material. Because the loft is the same size, that is made out of other building materials as well.

The first image is the main floor floorplan of one side. I included a big kitchen, big master suite, half bath, and a living room on the main floor. I used the space under the stairs for stacking laundry and storage.

The second image is the second floor floorplan of one side. Upstairs I included two smaller bedrooms, a full bath, and a bonus room.

The third image is how I arranged the six shipping containers on the bottom floor.

The other side of this house would be the exact same floorplan mirrored.

I used pocket doors and doors that don't come out all the way for tighter spaces so that the space feels bigger. I also wanted to make sure there was plenty of natural light so I included many windows. I wanted to make this house feel a lot bigger than it is. It is only 1,470 square feet per side, so it isn't a very big house.

The first rendering is of the kitchen as if you were standing in the living area. The kitchen includes a fridge, oven, range, microwave, dishwasher, sink, and many cabinets. I put a small dining table in as well. There is a sliding door out to the patio that you can't see, but you can see the light coming in from it in the kitchen.

The second image is of the living room, as if you were standing in the entry. It shows the door to the half bath and part of the sliding door to the deck. I did the best that I could with the small space that I was working with, and was able to include two couches and a TV.

The third rendering is of the master bedroom. It isn't a ginormous master, but it is big enough and could even have enough room for some chairs or other seating if desired. It fits a queen sized bed easily.

The fourth rendering is the master suite. It includes a stand alone tub, freestanding shower, lavatory, and double vanity. The door to the closet is also in the suite, but you don't see it in the rendering.

The fifth rendering is under the stairs. Under the stairs includes a stacking washer and dryer and storage. The floating shelves go as far as the stairs will allow them, and they have varying heights. The bottom two are a foot and a half, and the rest are one foot. I feel that space under the stairs is one of the biggest wastes of space in a house, so I made sure to fill it up with storage so that it isn't wasted.

There is hardwood flooring throughout the public areas of the main level. The master and master closet have carpet, and the half bathroom and master suite have tile. I don't like hardwood in bedrooms, so I used carpet.

The second floor is much smaller, so there isn't as much to talk about or show.

The first rendering is of one of the bedrooms. The bedrooms are practically the same. Inside there is a twin bed and a dresser, as well as a window. You can see the closet door.

The second rendering is of the full bath. There is an alcove tub/shower combo, a lavatory, and a vanity. It isn't super cramped, and could fit a few kids or adults easily.

The third rendering is of the bonus room. It is long and narrow, but it can be used for many different things. I have it set up with a big table for a game night, but you could easily put in a few couches and a TV, some desks and chairs, or other things to make it the space that best fits you.

All of the flooring in the second floor is carpet, except for the bathroom. The upstairs is mainly for kids and I think it is best to keep a consistent flooring throughout. The bathroom has the same tile as the bathrooms do downstairs.

You don't just live inside your house, you live outside too. I believe that it is important to have a decent sized outdoor area, especially for family homes. I made sure that the backyard was decently sized for kids to play in. I put a few bushes in the front, but left most of the yard for the kids. A garden could easily be planted in a corner if desired.

I put brick on the outside of the house to make it look more welcoming. It also keeps a cohesive look as it would be exteriors because of the different materials. The house is shipping container, but the garage and loft are made of wood. Thicker walls also allow for more soundproofing and insulation.

I didn't add any gables to the house because that would add more supplies. The containers are flat, and they would have to build up to a point if there was a gable. I left it as a hip roof to keep costs down, even though gables would have looked better.

There is a privacy fence in the center of the backyard, separating off the two sides, one separating from a completely different home, and one along the back of the yard. I also put a fence separating the front and backyard, so there is more privacy.

The first rendering is of the deck. I wanted to include a good sized deck to have barbecues and hang out on, an outside living area. I added a grill close to the door, so you don't have to carry food as far. I also added a table with chairs and an umbrella so that it there is a space to sit and hang out.

The second rendering is just another view of the backyard, from a different corner.

The third rendering is another view of the front yard.

I wanted to make an affordable house for a family. The best way to do that without making a tiny house was to make a twin home. I used the twin homes around where I live as inspiration. I arranged six containers for the main floor and added a two-car garage and a loft over the garage. I was able to make it a three bedroom, two and a half bath house with a full kitchen and two living areas. It is 1,470 square feet. I used the space under the stairs for laundry and storage, so there is no wasted space. Outside there is a decent amount of space in the backyard and front yard for kids to play in. There is also a patio and space to make a garden if desired. You could easily put these in a row and make a bunch of twin homes at one time.