A unique property within the Mojave Desert in California has gone on the market, but you'll need a good chunk of change to call it your own.
If you can find $2.1 million down the back of your couch, you can invest in a home that could have been ripped from the set of Star Wars.
A bizarre home located in the middle of the Joshua Tree desert in #California for sale at $2.1M
— Mr Pål Christiansen (@TheNorskaPaul) February 16, 2023
Known as Bonita Domes, it was completed in 2014 & drew on concepts by #NaderKhalili who was commissioned by #NASA to design dome-based structures for celestial habitation.🤔👽 pic.twitter.com/Hj9kPyPa9x
The structure is made from SuperAdobe and features several dome-like constructions.
SuperAdobe uses sandbags filled with excavated earth, often from the site itself, that are then piled in coiled formations to make a dome. Each layer can be held together using barbed wire.
Lisa Starr, who built the Bonita Domes in 2014, said she wanted "a home for myself and my children" that would help to "create a sustainable lifestyle." It was bought by Jeffrey Weiss in October 2020.
Listing agent James Bianco told Business Insider that Iranian-American architect Nader Khalili was "a pioneer" of SuperAdobe, and his methods received some attention from high-profile organizations.
"He was assigned in the mid-'80s by NASA to design for lunar and space habitation, so the result was a shelter using the most stable of all the architectural elements — the arch, or dome — and he also found local materials that would insulate and protect," Bianco said.
In addition to SuperAdobe homes' durability — they have withstood earthquakes up to a 7.6 magnitude in Nepal, according to CalEarth, which was founded by Khalili — they are also well insulated and fire-proof. These factors are especially important as Earth heats up as a result of human-caused pollution, which increases the risk of wildfires.
California is an area prone to these extreme weather events. In August 2020, a 43,273-acre wildfire burned through the Joshua Tree woodland of Cima Dome, as the National Park Service detailed.
Construction is one of the most polluting industries in the world and a significant contributor to global heating, but SuperAdobe houses don't typically use energy-intensive materials such as steel, brick, or (high quantities of) concrete, making them much more environmentally friendly to build.
With materials sourced locally, too, and construction carried out by hand, the process produces little dirty fuel pollution from machinery.
The house in Joshua Tree has five bedrooms and a cocktail bar, and the setting is remarkable, too.
If you can't find $2.1 million, you can also stay at the property for $780 a night — until it finds its next owner, at least.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article stated that the house was located within the bounds of Joshua Tree National Park, rather than its correct location within the nearby village of Joshua Tree. We regret the error.
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