Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts


Piece by piece, a Boeing 747 is being taken apart … and rebuilt as the ultimate recycled Malibu home. Nearly 450,000,000 individual plane parts (totaling 400,000 pounds) are participating in this radical transformation process, with wings standing out as the dominant roof form.

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Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts view

The aptly-titled Wing House is being constructed by David Hertz Architects in California, a state home to many retired planes that are frequently sold for their constituent materials, making this a clear (relatively) cheap and green choice for the location.

Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts from below
Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts front

But how could something so expensive be cost-effective? With remote sites like this one, building everything on the lot can require as much labor as simply transporting largely-prefabricated elements (like pieces of an airplane) and assembling them according to an architectural plan.

Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts wing
Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts lights

The structural steel and light-weight aluminum shell are being reused as one might expect, for load-bearing and enclosing purposes respectively. From above, the finished product does not resemble an airplane exactly, but could be the site of an emergency crash-landing gone badly wrong.

Everything is has been accounted for as well, from the fuselage and first-class cabin to the cockpit itself, incorporated strategically so as to utilize every last bit of the vintage jet from which it is built. Anything not used in the primary residence is employed in the creation of a guest house, barn, viewing platform and art studio spread around the core domicile.

Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts inside

More from the architects

“Inspired by the remote hills of this Malibu property, David Hertz Architects wanted to come up with a design for this home that allow for unobstructed views of the beautiful mountain ranges surrounding the site. With the architects’ goal of incorporating found objects into their design and the homeowner’s vision of a floating, curved roof, the idea of using airplane wings as roof material surfaced. After conducting more research, it was decided that airplane wings would be ideal for maximizing the views from the home.”

Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts corner
Malibu Home Made of 747 plane parts roof

“By incorporating many of the existent retaining walls, the architects were able to keep the multi-level structure and minimize any additional impact to the existing topography and landscape. The home has rammed-earth walls that were cut into the hillside as well as strong concrete walls to support the roof. Simple steel brace frames allow the roof to ‘float’ above the rest of the structure, while self-supporting glass walls give the homeowner spectacular views overlooking the city of Malibu.”