INDIANAPOLIS — Driving on College Avenue, you've probably seen some strange buildings pop up near Fall Creek Parkway on the near north side of Indianapolis.
They are hard to miss! That's because the homes are literally made from shipping containers.
The three homes are the city’s newest short-term rentals that are about to go online Sunday, Aug. 18.
"Reactions are all over the place,” said JB Rapp, the owner of the container homes. “I have some people that are fanatics about it. They love it. I had some people call them disgusting, ugly and rust buckets."
Rapp started “Indy Urban Jungles” in 2018 after renting out his Mass Ave property on Airbnb.
“I started trying it, and the money was good. I enjoyed getting the place ready for guests, and from that point on, I’ve kind of incorporated the whole green thumb aspect into everything I do,” Rapp said.
The idea for this project started in 2020. After that, Rapp bought the lot a year later and went through a long rezoning process.
The first containers were dropped off in early 2023. He worked closely with Custom Container Builders.
Each home consists of seven shipping containers, with an added greenhouse on the second floor and a rooftop patio.
In total, it took 21 containers to complete the project. Rapp said they all came from a local container depot.
“What happens in Indiana and other Midwestern states is that most of the time, we are larger importers than we are exporters. So we have a surplus of containers that just sit here,” Rapp said.
Rapp said the majority of the containers are beat up, and the rest were only used for a few trips.
“On some of the ceilings, you can see of those dinks and dents. It tells a fun story of this container that’s been around the world, and now, it's right here in Indianapolis, and you are sleeping in it,” Rapp said.
Each home also has its own theme: The Marley, The Sycamore and The Gotham.
“The Marley”
The Marley is a modern boho-themed house with earthy tones, wooden features and animal art. It includes artwork from Baron Batch and photography Rapp took during a trip to Africa.
It also pays tribute to the legend of reggae himself.
“My personal favorite is The Marley. Bob Marley has been an icon to me for as long as I can remember. That home has everything that speaks to my soul,” Rapp said.
PHOTOS: "The Marley" Container Home Rental
“The Sycamore”
The Sycamore is a coastal contemporary home with a classic beach house feel.
“For this theme, I was thinking about my grandparents’ home in Sanibel and what features a coastal home has. The first thing that came to mind was the color blue,” Rapp said.
The home also features artwork from Indy artist Stuart Alter.
PHOTOS: "The Sycamore" container home rental
“The Gotham”
The Gotham is a New York-style loft with a grayscale paint scheme, Cosmo-like black counters and black accent lighting.
It includes nods to pop culture with Legos, skyboard art, nerf guns, comic books, action figures, pinball, Nintendo 64 and a Blu-ray DVD collection.
“A little bit of everything to emphasize the pop culture,” Rapp said.
PHOTOS: "The Gotham" Container Home Rental
Rapp plans to do phase two of the project in a few years. It includes spraying the home down with clear epoxy and building some trellises with climbing plants.
“I have a big plan here, and it will end up looking even better than it does now,” Rapp said. “Kind of just creating an extremely unique vibe that you don’t really see every day.”
The properties are available right now on Airbnb. The earliest date you can request is Thursday, Aug. 22.