An unbuilt office project designed years before by the London practice of James Whitaker was the source of inspiration for this house in a desert zone near Joshua Tree National Park, in San Bernardino County, California. The client, a film producer, had taken to the original design and now saw the chance to use it. The structure is formed by intersecting various metal shipping containers. The private rooms are distributed in the resulting branches, while the shared spaces are concentrated at the intersection. The volumes are positioned to optimize views and provide different degrees of privacy. The roof of the garage container is clad with solar panels that supply energy for domestic use. Construction work is to begin in 2018.

James Whitaker