With its starburst design, the Joshua Tree Residence thwarts sand and spectators

By Ananth Pandian December 14, 2017

With its futuristic build and opaque exterior, Whitacker Studio’s Joshua Tree Residence is a diamond in the California rough. Architect James Whitaker designed the structure using a series of shipping containers arranged in a clever starburst formation. Even though the design may look a bit chaotic, it was intentional, as each container was positioned to provide privacy for residents.

The privacy is an essential part of the interior, which is minimalist and filled with natural light. Despite the asymmetrical design of the private residence, there is an openness to it, namely due to the open living area located in the heart of the home. This privacy aspect also extends to the back of the home, which features a secluded deck that’s built into a cove of rocks, thus providing protection from the desert winds.

Have a soft spot for modern architecture? Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up some of the coolest shipping container homes on the planet.

Topics

Ananth Pandian

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Cars

Most badass motorcycles from science fiction movies

We grabbed the 14 most badass motorcycles ever featured in sci-fi movies

While we were choosing the most badass motorcycles from sci-fi movies, the suggestions came faster than a 74-Z speeder and with more authority than a Lawmaster. In the end, what we originally intended to be a "top 10" list quickly grew to a "top 14." If we included television shows -- looking at you, Battlestar Galactica -- the list could have easily grown longer. Either way, sit back and check out some of the more memorable motorcycles from science fiction (clips included)

Terminator 2 "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle" 1080p
Stolen 1990 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the 1991 sequel to 1984's original Terminator, both directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In T2, Schwarzenegger's cyborg character must protect a 10-year-old boy, John Connor (Edward Furlong). After landing in a parking lot on Earth, Schwarzenegger finds clothing and transportation in the form of 1990 Harley-Davidson Fatboy at a nearby biker bar.

Photo Galleries

This Norweigian Airbnb is the fairy-tale retreat of your childhood dreams

Airbnb recently added its 4 millionth listing worldwide -- for perspective sake, that ungodly number is more than the combined listings of the top five hotel chains. Needless to say, with this much real estate there are plenty of options to choose from, to say the least. We've covered a number of dreamy Airbnbs over the years and this latest listing in the Land of the Midnight Sun should be on your wanderlust bucket list. If you've ever wanted to stay in a 17th-century Norwegian guesthouse, you're in luck.

Nestled in the quaint town of Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, the Nordigard Blessom is situated on a sprawling, functional 17th-century sheep farm that has been maintained continuously by the Blessom family for several hundreds of years. A series of 16th- and 17th-century wooden loghouses pepper the property as well as a livestock barn.

Emerging Tech

A faithful satellite drifts stunningly close: The best supermoon photos

From the first total solar eclipse to grace the continental United States in nearly 40 years to the recent Leonids meteor shower, we earthlings have been spoiled with a regular collection of astronomical events this 2017. And although the year may be coming to an end, the awe-inspiring events just kept coming over the weekend. Recently, skywatchers had the opportunity to take in a rare supermoon overhead -- the first and last supermoon of this year. Above, we curated a list of some of the best supermoon photos snapped around the globe but what exactly is a supermoon?

Rather than a perfect circle, the moon orbits around our home planet in an elliptical pattern and one full orbit around our planet takes roughly 29.5 days. Depending on the moon's location on this elongated orbital trajectory, our faithful natural satellite is sometimes closer or farther away from our planet. At the closest point of this orbit (perigee), the moon is a more than 31,000 miles closer to our planet than it is during its farthest point of orbit (apogee).