61919 Mountain View Drive, Joshua Tree, California 92252

Almost a stone’s throw from Joshua Tree National Park, the Desert Moon Retreat by Christopher Payne/FIN Architecture is a boldly geometric demonstration of innovative Modernism. Clad in Cor-Ten steel panels & stucco, the house rises from the cacti, wildflowers, Mojave yuccas and Joshua Trees like a sacred site anchored in nature. Equipped with solar electric power and multiple Tesla Power Walls, the property is designed to be “islanded” aka fully off-grid. Its windows, materials, systems and orientation are carefully calculated for maximum thermal efficiency both winter and summer–and day and night. On a 2+ acre lot in Joshua Tree Highlands, bare miles from the National Park’s entrance, yet a short drive to restaurants and services, a more inspiring place to commune with the natural world is hard to imagine. 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2-car carport, electric car charger.