The original 1950s homesteading shacks are sprinkled all over the high desert around Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, many of them untouched for a generation or two. Many people have upgraded those to be like small cabins with an outhouse for rustic living, or connected to the power grid for their utilities. Unlike this example, most of the homestead properties were built with cinderblock walls. Many of the neighborhoods still have dirt roads with fully equipped on-grid homes. Unfortunately, the remoteness and accessibility of so many abandoned homesteading shacks in the high desert created a perfect environment (back in the 90s especially) for home meth-lab production. Per capita, this area has a high frequency for addiction and related compulsion disorders and crimes including domestic violence and child abuse as a result. This high desert area is super dry: we moved there from Phoenix and thought we knew all about living in the desert - but the Sonoran desert of AZ was a lush paradise compared to the Mohave. For the first 2 weeks we were in Yucca Valley (next to Joshua Tree) we woke up with bloody noses each morning because it was just so DRY. Seasonally, the wind will scream through the area in a terribly powerful 2 to 3 day constant wind storm that for us newbies seemed terrifying. Sometimes, it will snow! The high mesa in Yucca Valley is at about a 4,000ft elevation; therefore the town on the main highway below might only get a sprinkle of snow, but up on the mesa the snow will be a thin blanket and stay a while. All of it is beautiful in its own way. Just like any other environment, it might take a little while to adjust.

The indoor-outdoor aspects were great, right down to the shower boulder. I really like that it was incorporated as a seat.

It is quite aesthetically pleasing. I love the boulder in the shower. In terms of wildlife, there are snakes (especially rattlesnakes), scorpions, huge spiders (sun spiders!), coyotes, lizards, and fire ants. I deal with all of those and I live close to town. The AC bills would be incredibly high in the summer to cool that whole space. You would have to run a split unit like that 24 hours a day for months at a time to constantly resist the extreme heat. It can’t be powered by solar. Also, he didn’t mention insulation. It’s very important. Desert summer highs are 120 and winter lows in the 30s. It snowed last week! Also, it looks like the neighbor is too close... although I think I saw trees in the drone footage. I do think the stargazing would be absolutely wonderful there. I understand it’s a design project. And, I think it is an “experiential” AirBnB. Nice.

Home owner: "It's a folly with a purpose..." Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word...I don't think it means what you think it means."

The neighbors 10 feet away must be stoked

Wow. Very rough exterior but modern interior. Love all that off grid stuff. Great use of space. Well done. Must be wonderful sleeping outside.

I like his mastery of the "off grid" technology. Very creative space in a challenging environment.

omg, so beautiful. and only $700 a night. what a bargain!!! essentially, it really accentuates my minimal wage.

It is hard to believe all the negative comments about the "folly". It is a nice, thought out structure in the middle of a unique location. True, this, as well as most "tiny" houses are made for the young, who don't get up several times a night to go to the rest room and can climb ladders to go to bed. I wish the tiny house with solar was viable when I was younger, I would totally go for it. But being 72, I want my living a little easier. Thanks for sharing this very nice video.

"It's a folly with a purpose..." Oh ok, so not a folly. 😅😅

My favourite thing has to be the boulder in the shower. Overall that folly's a stellar design.

Ingenious and so beautiful in its honesty….thank you for sharing these astonishing homes! My dream is to live in a house just like that one!

Beautiful project! Thank you for sharing this.

dude really likes to say "essentially" and "accentuate." I didn't know I could accentuate my way into a room.

i still come back to view this place. I'd want one for myself.

That that place is much more practical and great use of the space.

This is absolutely fantastic! Here in Brazil we have a lot of huge and desert spaces to build.

would have loved seeing more of the systems

Right off want to compliment your channel. Its been one of my favorite starting with, "Dan Price", like BOOM!!! Shared with my entire tree that got a giggle from everyone cuz it's pure Me. So m a huge fan, hands down. Discovered your channel about a year ago and admit not a single one has come to disappoint. So it's liken this, I never post - Never, but this one has got to be the Top. Found only one flaw which is impossible for me. This home is pure art, genius, fills every corner. From the moment you left the highway it was hi art... balance and simplicity. Like that.

Very nice off grid cabin love the design aspect thank you for sharing Kristen

if we could dub over this guy's voice, this would be a great vid

Yes! This is cool! And I even Habe the tub, one town over from this place. Great Build!

Bath's stone, stars's bed...just amazing!! 😍

THAT WAZ A PRETTY KOOL CONCEPT BROUGHT TO LIFE & WORKING GREAT FOR THEM... 👏 .......

The owner said there is a roof cover for that stargazing loft. Would have loved to see that mechanism. Otherwise, another interesting alternative dwelling . Thanks.

The Mojave is a tough rugged place to live. Hated going out there as a kid in the 50s through 70s visiting relatives. Dry dry dry.

Calling it a folly...don't call it that, if it had no purpose, thats a folly, by definition. This "house" is a cool off grid house. No need to get more attention to it by calling it a folly. Also, the cabinetry is from ikea, I know that dresser, I have one, I built it myself. Otherwise, another great video!

I love the idea of this being an "ice breaker"- a sort of transition home, a palatable form of off grid! We are off grid in yurts in New Zealand and are in no way a halfway house! Although we did just switch from compost bucket loos to compost flushable toilets and hopefully even just that little change might help our lifestyle seem slightly more accessible to others! Thanks for another awesome video :D

Hi Kirsten, thanks! We love yours videos!

6:43 The pioneers used to ride these babies for miles.

5:27 "I took that existing footprint and _extenuated_ all the walls..." LOL OK, I would've _extended_ them, but whatever floats your boat.

I personally would not want to have to tap on a screen several times to turn a light on or off. When it's 2 am, and I am trying to get to the bathroom, I am not in any kind of state to deal with tech. "Who left the tablet in settings mode, dammit?! Now I gotta reset the whole damn thing! Where are my glasses?" "Turn the light on, please!" "Sorry, I cant. The system is updating"....Give me a switch on the wall that I don't have to think about. And those ladders to the beds are wack. How you gonna carry your snacks up there? Forget trying to have a bowl of cereal in bed.

Awesome job! Did you consider putting a Murphy Bed in the star gazing deck? This way it could be hidden from the outside elements and when up, it would/could have a bench for more the observation experience. I could find myself living in that beautiful home! Cheers.

It does bother me that so many of these beautiful architectural spaces are ultimately just airbnb's. How can we talk about what a beautiful experience it is to live in a place when no one lives it more than a weekend.

I've been here when I was a kid. Very hot during the day, but very cold at night.

Beautiful design. I can see Malek is going to continue to do great things.

Dc powered airconditioner split system was interesting.

Malek , your design has so many fantastic features I can't believe it ! I am thinking of incorporating some of them for a cabin that I want to build in the U.P. of Michigan . The climate in the UP is totally opposite of your desert Folly and we get snow !

He is "off grid" yet he has Power and Telefone lines in his front yard on the property..?

Well done. Small and to the point.

Whenever a person asks "if it was affordable to build..." and the response is simply, "..yes...blah blah" lol My guess is this is a Airbnb and nothing more

I enjoy Ms. Dirksen's videos. This "folly" is a business, a rental, that goes for $257 in July, probably more in cooler months. Jumbo Rocks in the park is more affordable, and you can still shag under the stars. Nice passive income though.

I love old becoming modern stories. That’s what I am doing with a 1900 Adobe school house in n NM

You avoided the most important question of all: where does the WATER come from!!!?

What a amazing off grind smart home.

Most amazing ideas I have ever seen... if we were younger I would want that... WTG

Like to see how the bed roof works, bird poop is an issue and wind storms

nice concept to live in mojave with old and simple external materials but inside its modern spaceship galactic

Such a lovely home

I'd stay there only to enjoy the Bluray clarity of the starlit night skies. Nightskyflix and Chill...

Beautiful place, another interesting video from Kirsten .

The only folly I see here is calling this a Folly.

I'm sure it probably cost 25K just for permitting and various engineering costs. Before anything was even built. California is expensive AF!

I like the off grid systems because I just don't like having a Power Company Noose around my neck like I have now. To me it's more about being self sufficient than being one with Gods Creation. Don't get me wrong I love being in Gods Creation and I love a house that is modern or old that can blend well with Gods Creation with minimal impact. To me that's part of being in Gods Creation as we are part of it and do have an impact on it, just as a river, a tree or a flood does on ground creatures. We are not foreign in Gods Creation, it was created for us and we are a part of it and should respect His gift to us and only impact it as needed for our self sufficiency and pleasure with respect to Him as a guest in His house. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes n Blessings. Keith Noneya.

''...to minimize the plumbing use''... oh and there's bunch of iPads over the place to keep track of energy

I love your videos. All from Zambia Africa

A great design project! Lots of ideas here.

Very nicely done.

Wow! I LOVE that shower!

Super cool !!!

Amazing place, thanks for sharing, brilliant design 🌵

Trophy house on the inside! Very well-planned!

gutsy. brilliant.

Genius... wonderful place. Hats off to you!

Boulder in the shower is so awesome!

If you didn’t know this area gets about 4 inches of rain per year and it can get cold enough to snow and 115 in the summer so it’s really harsh up in the high desert I lived near there for 7 years the park is very interesting to experience and close by

that's a great idea to make that bedroom totally open to star gaze. maybe you can fit a chair or two in there so you can sit and look at the stars or read in the open.

once more an awesome find and great presentation...…...

Joshua Tree is full of CRAZY bugs and spiders. I would never sleep in an open zone like that.

I'd be worried about desert critters in that outdoor bed. YIKES.

One of your best ....loved the audio also.

This is really nicely designed for the limited space.

All these haters leaving comments about the super wealthy. Did I miss something or did I not see this guy design it, help build it including making his own cabinets? The land is cheap in the desert and it already had the slab. Also by the look and sound of it, he built it with the intention of renting it out

Nice place.. until the tweakers find it and break in .. it’s a real problem out there. Also, who needs a blow dryer in the desert?

Here in the UK now and again a Folly comes onto the market. Some have been turned into home's. Some need renovations.

No toilet in the open-air loft? Can you imagine having to negotiate the ladder in the middle of the night? Maybe not, at least it would not work for me.

Beautiful!Folly system of power management is advanced!The whole concept seems luxurious and in the expensive range!

Like the sleep sofa. Great for a lower level if you have extra guests.

Gotta imagine that ac unit struggles to keep the place cool during the hot summer months

Why do people continue to use pipe ladders for loft access!? I've seen these in a number of video tours of tiny houses. Round ladder rungs are very uncomfortable to climb with bare feet. A flat rung/tred is far more comfortable.

This would make the ultimate bug out shelter. Love the colors.

I used to live out there. Water is delivered by a tank truck to your buried or above-ground water storage tank. I didn't do it but a rain-water catchment would be of some use - not much since there's so little rain, but some. I don't remember how far down the water table is. Probably not a huge distance. Interesting area. I lived to the north, Landers, near Goat Mountain. Lots of UFO's.

The West Coast up speak, it's like nails on a chalk board.

Such a creative and beautiful space. Who wouldn't want to sit on a boulder while taking a relaxing shower? I love that boulder! I love this!

"a folly with a purpose". I.e. Not a folly. Cool place, but why the need to be so pretentious about it? It's a house.

Now this is super cool!!! 😎😎

SUPER KIRSTEN THANKS FOR YOU VIDEO ARCHITEKTURES:p)

Drove through Joshua Tree back in the late 60's. Hot, dry, windy, snakes and spiders galore! You really, really, really have to like the dessert big time in order to live there. And because of it's distance to employment, is this individual a homesteader? And water used to be a problem out there and can't imagine that it's easier to come by now. So, just wondering why? Even if this project is successful, the State of California will make it financially impossible to succeed in a community elsewhere.

What happens when a dust storm comes up ? It must be awesome to sleep in all that sand.

We think this is totally cool some people just are so ingenious

follies are probably not what you think my friend, but great video!

Feeling very inspired!

Wow people such negativity about a family traveling with their children to experience creative ways people have build unique homes 😒😒😒🤫🤫. Before u complain or judge. Let that sink in 😒😒😒😜 Thank you Kristen 🙏 for showing us what is possible xx

Brilliantly designed home, beautiful aesthetic and function. Inspiring film!

My paternal grandfather had 5 acres and a cabin in Joshua Tree very similar to that old pic ..he passed when I was 7 ..early 60s...I recall going there with him watching the stars on old lawn chairs..they had tortoise races for the kids..great times..it was sold off after his death..I wonder if this place was it

Great channel, gained a sub

Off grid with 4 ipads for sqare meter. AC, shower all that lighting, fridge, heater. tell me that magic.

I assume that was a Prius?

Great vid

Kirsten's husband: _"looks like a ship or something from the future"_ 9:46 Kirsten in robot-alien voice: *_IT DOES_*