Architecture

Luxury residence blends beautifully into the desert landscape

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The Invisible House, by Tomas Osinski, blends into the desert with its reflective facade
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House cantilevers over some rocks that were already on the site
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House is finished in Solarcool glass, which has a reflective coating
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House is available for rent for private use, events and parties
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's reflective facade helps it blend into the landscape
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's interior is arranged on one floor and centered around a large 100-ft (30-m) swimming pool
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House measures 5,500 sq ft (roughly 500 sq m)
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House includes four bedrooms
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House, by Tomas Osinski, blends into the desert with its reflective facade
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's kitchen is equipped to host small parties and includes two ovens
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's glazed walls slide open at several points
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's pool helps keep the interior a comfortable temperature, says architect Tomas Osinski
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House is situated on a large 90-acre (36-hectare) desert plot near Joshua Tree, California
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House, shown illuminated at night
Tomas Osinski
Aside from the dirt road required for access, the land surrounding the Invisible House was not landscaped
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's bedrooms allow visitors to wake up to views of the desert
Tomas Osinski
One of the Invisible House's bathrooms
Tomas Osinski
Each of the Invisible House's four bedrooms contains its own bathroom with shower
Tomas Osinski
The Invisible House's bedrooms open up to the outside with sliding walls
Tomas Osinski
View gallery - 18 images

Located in the Californian desert, the Invisible House blends into the rugged landscape with its mirror-finish facade. Hidden away inside are some nice features too, including a large pool area that's also home to a projector for movie screenings, and four bedrooms that open to the outside.

The Invisible House was designed by architect Tomas Osinski, with input from owner Chris Hanley, who is best known as the producer of movies like American Psycho and The Virgin Suicides. It measures 5,500 sq ft (roughly 500 sq m), and is situated on a sprawling 90-acre (36-hectare) plot near Joshua Tree.

Other than the house and a dirt road required for access, the plot surrounding the house has been left alone. The house itself is partially raised over the ground on concrete stilts and juts out over some rocks. It takes the form of a simple glass rectangle and is finished in Solarcool glass, which has a mirrored coating. According to Osinski, this is highly heat reflective and helps keep the interior from being unduly warmed by the sun.

Its interior layout is all on one floor and centered around a large 100-ft (30-m) indoor pool that Osinski says helps keep it a steady temperature too. Several sections of glazing, including much of the west-facing wall slides open, and the pool area hosts a projector to turn the end wall into a home cinema for screening films.

The Invisible House's pool helps keep the interior a comfortable temperature, says architect Tomas Osinski
Tomas Osinski

The kitchen is nearby and is well-suited to hosting parties, with two ovens, a heating drawer, a fridge and freezer, and some seating. Elsewhere is more seating, as well as four bedrooms, each with a sliding wall that opens to the outside and a bathroom with a glass shower.

The Invisible House is equipped with solar thermal panels on the roof that produce hot water to reduce energy needs. Additionally, while we often worry about local bird populations with these kinds of projects, Hanley has reassured Dezeen that no local birds have been harmed. The producer also plans another house in the desert in the future that's made out of shipping containers named the Joshua Tree Residence.

The Invisible House's bedrooms open up to the outside with sliding walls
Tomas Osinski

If you'd like to live in the Invisible House yourself, you can – at least for a little while. It's available to rent for private use and events such as photoshoots and parties, though we've no word on rates.

Source: Tomas Osinski

View gallery - 18 images
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7 comments
NewThings
Invisible to all the bird that will smash into that ridiculous piece of .
Douglas Bennett Rogers
I have had birds crash into my regular windows!
Username
Better stock up on squeegees!
The deerhunter
Deer being chased by coyote or lynx? BANG!!!
mediabeing
The reporter gets a thumbs up for at least mentioning the possibility of bird strike death.
I suspect folks aren't being honest about the number of bird deaths that occur there.
ArdisLille
I'm with the commenters, below. I'd ask builders of these kind of homes to stop considering fragile ecosystems as potential neighborhoods.
Nelson Hyde Chick
How about we just leave the place to nature by not building monstrosities like this in sensitive Eco systems.