Sleek Shipping Container Home Rises Like a Starburst in the Desert

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

The stunning landscape of Joshua Tree is about to receive a futuristic twist when architect James Whitaker builds a contemporary shipping container home that rises up like a starburst. Construction will begin in the California desert next year for Whitaker's film producer client and his wife.

While we've seen some innovative shipping container homes, Whitaker's sleek, sophisticated design is as sculptural as it is functional. The Joshua Tree Residence will serve as a vacation home for the couple, who owns a 90-acre property near the wilderness preserve. In fact, the project came about after the client and his friends were visiting the Joshua Tree National Park.

Looking out into the landscape, a friend pulled up an image on the internet—an unrealized shipping container office concept from Whitaker. From there, the client met up with Whitaker at his London office and the work was adapted into a sophisticated 2,153-square-foot (200-square-meter) residence. The holiday home will contain a living room, kitchen, dining area and three bedrooms with concrete floors and minimal decor.

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Painted white, the shipping containers give the home a clean, breezy look, reflecting the rusty oranges and greens of the environment and harmonizing with the landscape. A nearby carport fitted with solar panels will power the home and the container's starburst configuration was carefully planned by the architect.

“Each container is orientated to maximize views across the landscape, or to use the topography to provide privacy, depending on their individual use,” explains Whitaker. With the client in the creative arts, he was able to embrace the visionary style of the contemporary shipping container home, giving the British architect a chance to build his unrealized concept. “With a background in nurturing creative projects to fruition, he is, in many ways, the dream client!”

This modern shipping container home is a vacation retreat that rises like a starburst from the California desert.

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Concrete floors and minimal decor emphasize the open space and landscape views.

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Joshua Tree Residence - Whitaker Studio

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Each shipping container has been carefully placed by Whitaker Studio to maximize views or create privacy.

Joshua Tree Residence modern shipping container home

Joshua Tree Residence - Whitaker Studio

Whitaker Studio: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [dezeen]

All images via Whitaker Studio.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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