Architecture

Off-grid desert retreat lets star gazers sleep under the night sky

Off-grid desert retreat lets star gazers sleep under the night sky
For those interested in spending the night, the Folly is available to rent
For those interested in spending the night, the Folly is available to rent
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The Folly's deck area features a sunken soaking tub
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The Folly's deck area features a sunken soaking tub 
The Folly gets all its electricity from solar power
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The Folly gets all its electricity from solar power
The Folly is clad in steel, which naturally patinas with the desert conditions
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The Folly is clad in steel, which naturally patinas with the desert conditions
The Folly takes its place well among the rugged desert landscape of Joshua Tree, California
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The Folly takes its place well among the rugged desert landscape of Joshua Tree, California
The Folly's interior includes a living room and dining area
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The Folly's interior includes a living room and dining area
A ladder leads up to the Folly's bedroom
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A ladder leads up to the Folly's bedroom 
The Folly's dining area
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The Folly's dining area
The Folly's loft bedroom
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The Folly's loft bedroom
The Folly's outdoor shower
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The Folly's outdoor shower
The Folly's sunken soaking tub
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The Folly's sunken soaking tub 
The Folly's stargazing bedroom has a missing roof section, allowing people to sleep out under the stars
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The Folly's stargazing bedroom has a missing roof section, allowing people to sleep out under the stars
The Folly's indoor shower
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The Folly's indoor shower
For those interested in spending the night, the Folly is available to rent
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For those interested in spending the night, the Folly is available to rent
The two structures that make up the Folly have a combined total floorspace of 850 sq ft (79 sq m)
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The two structures that make up the Folly have a combined total floorspace of 850 sq ft (79 sq m)
The two structures that make up the Folly are connected by a wooden deck area with sunken bathtub and outdoor shower
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The two structures that make up the Folly are connected by a wooden deck area with sunken bathtub and outdoor shower
The Folly gets all its power from a solar panel array
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The Folly gets all its power from a solar panel array
View gallery - 16 images

Cohesion Studio recently completed the Folly, an attractive rusted retreat that takes its place very well in the rugged desert landscape of Joshua Tree, California. The dwelling runs off-the-grid with solar power and features a novel bedroom with a removed roof section that lets visitors fall asleep beneath the night sky.

The two structures that make up the Folly have a combined floorspace of 850 sq ft (79 sq m). They're based on the site of an old dilapidated homestead that previously existed on the property and sport a steel cladding that's meant to naturally patina with the desert conditions.

The buildings share a wooden deck area with a sunken soaking tub and outdoor shower. The smaller of the two stores off-grid gear downstairs, with the stargazing bedroom upstairs.

Providing you're willing and able to make the climb up the ladder on the outside of the structure, it looks like a cosy place to take in the night sky (or the sun for that matter), and has the bed positioned towards the missing roof section, as well as a small dining area, a bio-ethanol fireplace, and a fridge.

The Folly's stargazing bedroom has a missing roof section, allowing people to sleep out under the stars
The Folly's stargazing bedroom has a missing roof section, allowing people to sleep out under the stars

The larger of the buildings includes a living/dining area with a two-person sofa bed, a kitchen, and a toilet. The indoor shower has a boulder installed and a large window offering views of the desert. Elsewhere, an indoor ladder leads to a loft bedroom that has integrated storage and is topped by a skylight.

The Folly gets all its power from a solar panel array and also features a greywater system. Visitors can control lighting and monitor energy usage via an iOS device.

Cohesion Studio is now working on building additional off-grid dwellings in The Hamptons and southern California, but for those interested in spending the night in the Folly, it's currently available to rent on Airbnb.

Sources: Folly, Cohesion Studio

View gallery - 16 images
1 comment
1 comment
Martin Hone
So what does it cost to rent ? There are a number of similar places in Australia that do precisely this.