High Desert House: A Masterpiece in the World of Organic Architecture.

Photo by Lance Gerber

Better known as an Innovator and Pioneer of  Organic Architecture in the USA, leave it up to Architect Bangs Kellogg to take Design to a another level. Located on a hillside of  Joshua Tree , California , The High Desert House by Kellogg is one of the most unconventional and organic modern projects to date. The residency masterpiece came to be after artists Jay and Bev Doolittle, fascinated by Kellogg’s work, commissioned him and offered carte blanche to design the  project in 1988. 

Photos by Lance Gerber

It took the Architect about 5 years to complete the structure which consisted of a cluster of sculptural piers sunk into the bedrock of the landscape. Not only the home is embedded to the ground, but its shape and form makes it look like it’s part of the natural environment of the place.

“The idea was that the house would be settled in the landscape, like it was crouching on the rocks, maybe like an animal asleep.” – Bangs Kellogg

In the exterior the columns overlap at the top , creating a layered canopy-like roof that blends inside , like a ceiling that seamlessly connects all the spaces in the house without the existence of walls. Instead, sandblasted glass panels bind the columns together and protect the interior from the elements while providing natural light and extraordinary views. 

Photo by Lance Gerber

Although the construction of the building was completed in 1993, it wasn’t until 2014 that the house was completely finished with all the details of interiors , crafted meticulously by the Artisanal Designer John Vugrin. The furniture as well as décor elements were very particular and characteristic of the residency, from glass toped-tables and shelves with skeletal forms to lighting fixtures with alienlike shapes, most of the elements were built into walls , making it a part of the overall structure of the place.

Photo by Lance Gerber

As of today , The New York Times has described this House as the “most unsung great residence in America by one of architecture’s least-known major talents”.

While Kellogg has been compared to other colleagues such as Gaudí and Frank Lloyd Wright, he continues to stand apart in his own category when practicing Organic Architecture, with a distinctive aesthetic that has been often described as “an architecture so full of life that it seems to breathe.” 

Photo by Lance Gerber

Cover Image by Lance Gerber

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