Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Take in Panoramic Desert Views in This Off-Grid Cabin

Take in Panoramic Desert Views in This Off-Grid Cabin

An entrepreneur-turned-DIY builder expands his eco-friendly Yucca Valley property with this translucent desert structure.

After selling a successful car parking app (called ParkMe), Los Angeles-based tech developer Sam Friedman craved an absorbing, hands-on experience somewhere far away from the California city's infamous car culture. When he discovered a neglected but sprawling property of 112 acres in the Yucca Valley, a short drive from Joshua Tree National Park, he boldly snatched it up. Its centerpiece was a run-down, poorly designed, 1,600-square-foot geodesic dome. Armed solely with determination, Friedman, with the help of his pals, gut-renovated the skylight-topped structure in 2017, renaming it Hawkeye House.

Now, Friedman has enlivened the property with a petite new cabin.



The walls of this contemporary one-room cabin are covered in insulating polycarbonate siding.



Large expanses of glass lead to the deck and panoramic desert views.

With the help of Venice, California-based Stephen Vitalich Architects, Friedman spent three months building a 160-square-foot cabin. The final scheme was designed to appeal to sustainability-minded, outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Myriad hiking trails can be found just mere steps from the cabin's wrap around deck.



A table and chairs encourage alfresco dining on the deck.



Even in the chilly evenings, guests spend ample time on the deck thanks to a warming fire pit.

Originally, Friedman planned to build a group of these cabins on site, "but before I do that, I wanted to see how guests would enjoy it, how it held up in the elements, and if it was a good idea in reality," he says. "So far the feedback has been wonderful and it has had an occupancy rate of close to 100 percent every day for the last two months."



Like the Hawkeye House geodesic dome, the cabin is fully off the grid, powered by a small 12-volt system.



As a construction rookie, Friedman learned a number of lessons while putting together Hawkeye House, and although he describes the cabin as a more seamless experience, it came with its own set of challenges. As a new build instead of a renovation, foundation needed to be poured, for example, and a pier and girder system put into place. Reminiscent of a greenhouse, the cabin also flaunts open framing, so nothing could be hidden in the walls.

High on the desert, the cabin's greatest draw is its environs.

Hawkeye House runs on a full solar system with an inverter and the cabin, equally green, is fueled by a smaller, alternative 12-volt power system, including a duo of 300-watt solar panels and USB chargers. "Finding the right fixtures, lights, heating elements, and fans-that also looked okay-was somewhat difficult. We are basically running the same system as an RV," Friedman explains.



Natural light fills the white-and-wood cabin.

Although the structure is simply framed with wood easily sourced from any local home-building warehouse, the multi-wall polycarbonate siding creates a distinctive contrast. "It’s a unique choice to provide an indoor/outdoor feeling while also offering some insulation," Friedman explains. A Cor-ten steel roof, he adds, was chosen because of its significant weathering capabilities: "It rusts quickly and stays at a certain level without going beyond and sacrificing any structural integrity. We thought by choosing a rusting steel it would look like the cabin has been there for years. It blends in with the natural environment."



With a well-stocked kitchen and grill, there is little incentive to leave the property.



For a change of scenery, guests can enjoy the warm, rustic kitchen.

It is this landscape, remote and mystical, that bolsters the cabin’s personality. Solely comprised of an airy bedroom with pops of black and peekaboo views, it magnifies the mighty surroundings with a wraparound deck, where guests can sit down to breakfast, unwind on a cushioned bench by the fire pit, or just spend the afternoon with a book and cup of coffee planted down on the tree-stump table. A kitchen and bathroom, complete with outdoor shower, are contained in separate buildings.



An outdoor shower lets guests fully connect with nature.



Lovely woodworking even graces the bathroom.

Julia Ehrlich, a stylist friend of Friedman’s, handled the interiors of the dome, but for this contemporary cabin, the dedicated Friedman and his friend Nick Stolz made all the furniture by hand. Fittingly, says Friedman of the wood pieces, "We got a lot of inspiration from Donald Judd."



The cabin's floor plan.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×