Perched in the Mojave Desert, the Joshua Tree Invisible House Is Now on Sale For $18 Million
Located in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the Joshua Tree residence blends into the surrounding landscape to create an illusion of invisibility. This amazing optical illusion of invisibility is created by the home’s reflective glass exterior that mirrors the surrounding natural landscape. Every corner of the home is covered with glass creating the illusion that the property is not there.
The Joshua Tree invisible house is a minimalist architectural wonder perched in the middle of the desert and appears to disappear and reappear depending on the position of the sun, the angle of viewing and weather conditions. The property is owned by indie film producers Chris and Roberta Hanley best known for their work on the blockbuster film American Psycho.
Chris and Roberta purchased the 70-acre land where the property now stands in early 2000. Chris designed the property himself based on inspiration garnered from another blockbuster film; 2001: A Space Odyssey. The design was meant to appear as a skyscraper on its side. In his own words, Chris stated he drew a rectangle on paper and decided to proceed with construction.
The design was further refined when legendary architect Tomas Osinski teamed up with Chris to complete the home in 2019. One amazing feature of the property is a cantilevered portion that is supported by concrete columns designed to avoid disturbing a giant boulder formation.
The entire façade is wrapped in heat reflecting Solarcool glass that cost a whopping $700,000 to be delivered and installed. The glass filters out ultraviolet rays and gives the home its mirror like appearance when viewed from a distance. The home is sustainable with eco-friendly roofing and a solar-thermal system that produces electricity and hot water.
The property’s footprint is spread over 5,500 square feet and features concrete floors, three ensuite bedrooms, a kitchen, and a dining area. Interior furnishing is minimal, and the glass left uncovered so as not to obstruct views of the surrounding desert environment.
To stay cool in the blazing desert environment, the home features a 100-foot indoor pool that can be heated or cooled and glass walls that can be opened on three sides to allow the cool desert air to enter at nights.
For those looking for an amazing modernist, minimalist home far away from urban areas, the Joshua Tree residence is now on sale for $18 million.
