The Starburst House is the most famous modern house to never break ground, but that could change any day now. James Whitaker is the founder behind Whitaker Studio, a London-based firm that more or less designs odd, unconventional, and beautifully weird buildings. But even he was taken aback when commissioned to create an office building in Germany using shipping containers as his building blocks. Still, it didn’t take him long to wrap his head around the idea. Once he changed the way he looked at shipping containers, he drafted a concept that ensured the rest of the world would do the same. While the German office was not to be, it had planted the seed of the
In 2017, film producer Chris Hanley reached out to Whitaker with a blank canvas. He wanted to punctuate more of his Joshua Tree land with something interesting. When Whitaker visited the site with some friends of Hanley’s, one off-handedly suggested taking the aborted idea of the German office building and dropping it into the seemingly limitless desert vistas. Whitaker ran it by Hanley, and the Starburst House began inching closer to reality.
Riding the high of creative inspiration, Whitaker wasted no time working with his team to whip up photorealistic images based on his schematics. It’s these images that have made the rounds on news sites, social media, and everything in between. By 2020, the three-bedroom Starburst House was already on the market with a modest (for California) price tag of $3.5 million. Yet, it was still simply a concept.
Bringing a project as unique as the Starburst House to life requires a team effort. In addition to Brunner, Danziger, and the staff at Whitaker Studio, Whitaker is collaborating with Beverly Hills company PanoramAH! on the specialty windows and external doors needed for the structure. Prioritizing eco-consciousness, he’s also outfitted the carport with solar photovoltaic panels to protect automobiles from the desert heat while powering the home. And for anyone worried about residing in a shipping container in brutal desert temperatures, Whitaker has of course taken the climate into consideration. The Starburst House is insulated and ventilated in a manner fit for desert living.
So when will the Starburst House make the great leap from concept to tangible sanctuary? Whitaker has stated groundbreaking will happen this year, but we all know how fast new construction moves in California. Perhaps the the home’s shipping container composition will add some grease to the wheels. In any case, we look forward to the evening when Joshua Tree gains another star, even if it’s one a bit closer to the Earth.