Beautiful Buildings Around The World Part 4–747 Wing House
Is it a bird? Is it a Plane? No it’s a house… the 747 Wing House in California was designed by David Hertz of Studio of Environmental Architecture. David wanted to design a home that had unobstructed views of the stunning mountain ranges surrounding the site. The client — Francine Rehwald requested a floating, curved roof and David noticed an airplane graveyard whilst he was flying back from site and had the idea of using airplane wings for the roof.
Airplane wings and tail stabilisers are all engineered to be self-supporting structures which makes them perfect light-weight long span roof profiles.
David Hertz and his team were able to use every part of the fuselage along with the wings and tail. The main house is made up of two buildings linked together on three levels using two wings and two horizontal stabilisers from a Boeing 747. The ceilings on the lower part of the house are 5.49m high (18') and are roofed with the left plane wings. The upper level uses the right wing as the roof and two horizontal stabilisers above the Master Bedroom and En-Suite Bathroom.
The suspended wings rest over self-supporting glass walls. Simple steel brace frames attached to the mounting points on the wing where the engines once were support the roof. Parts of the aeroplane tail shelter the Master Bedroom and its fuselage covers a Guesthouse, Barn and Artist’s Studio that are each housed in separate buildings.
The planes cockpit created a roof with a large skylight which became the Meditation Pavilion located at the edge of the site. Aviation experts and aerospace consultants were consulted to make sure that there would be no uplift created by the wings once they were installed.
The 55 acre property is part of the Tony Duquette estate which was defined by more than 20 structures that the Hollywood set designer built with up-cycled industrial scrap. After the Green Meadow fire in 1993 the Duquettes sold the land.
At the back of the house there are concrete and rammed earth walls, by incorporating most of the existing retaining walls and pads David Hertz was able to keep the multi-level structure and minimise any environmental impact.
There was a lot of red tape — 17 government agencies (including Homeland Security) had to give their approval. The house had to be registered with the Federal Aviation Authority so that pilots flying overhead would not mistake it for a crashed jet. Fortunately FAA requirements for huge red “X”s on the roofs to deter pilots from calling in a crash were retracted.
The Plane that became the Wing House was sourced from one of California’s many aeroplane “boneyards” where retired aircraft wait to be sold or converted into scrap. A Boeing 747 was bought for $30,000 (it’s original price in 1970 was $25 million). The 747 was originally a TWA plane and was the 28th off Boeing’s assembly line.
Francine Rehwald bought her plane via Aviation Warehouse based in Adelanto. Its owner Mark Thompson was a former corporate and stunt pilot and sells flightless “birds” for T.V. and movies and often ships them to Asia for reassembly as restaurants.
The plane was detoxified and cut apart at Victorville Airport using a laser and cut-off saws. Before power-sawing a jet into transportable pieces, his crew blocks it up to avert tipping and fills the fuselage with carbon dioxide to prevent fire.
Three major freeways were closed overnight so a truck accompanied by seven California Highway Patrol vehicles could transport the plane parts to Camarillo Airport. As each wing weighed 20,000lbs the only way to transport them onto site was by cutting them in two and flying them in by helicopter — a Columbia Model 234 Commercial Chinock and then setting them down on a pile of tyres.
The precipitous roads leading to site were bypassed using the helicopter at a cost of $18,000 per hour! The build gained an enormous amount of material from the aircraft which was over 230ft long, 195ft wide and 63ft tall with 17,000 cubic feet of cargo space. Pre-manufacturing lightweight components off site saved a significant amount of carbon dioxide output and construction waste.
Having the material transported to site by helicopter also saved a lot of money when compared to the cost of getting traditional labour and material up and down the mountain to the remote site.
As we analyzed the cost, it seemed to make more sense to acquire an entire airplane and to use as many of the components as possible, like the Native American Indians used every part of the buffalo. Therefore, the property is to consist of several structures all made with components and pieces of a Boeing 747–200 aircraft.
David Hertz
The recycling of the 4.5 million parts of this “big aluminum can” is seen as an extreme example of sustainable reuse and appropriation. American consumers and industry throw away enough aluminum in a year to rebuild our entire airplane commercial fleet every three months.
David Hertz
In searching for inspiration, I imagined a roof structure that would allow for a un-obstructed view of the mountain range and distant views. The client, a woman who co-owns a Mercedes car dealership, requested curvilinear/feminine shapes for the building.
David Hertz
The 747 represented the single largest industrial achievement in modern history and its abandonment in the deserts make a statement about the obsolescence and ephemeral nature of our technology and our society. As a structure and engineering achievement, the aircraft encloses a lot of space using the least amount of materials in a very resourceful and efficient manner.
David Hertz
The wings with their tips cantilevered out 45 feet seem to float. The floor to ceiling low-e glass walls face North and West with a long clerestory up slope to the South. You can look diagonally through the house across the valley.
The sole fact that an entire 747 is being used to construct a main residence and 6 ancillary structures, is environmentally sustainable in that the material being used is 100% post-consumer waste, and the plane has already been engineered so that additional material and man power are not necessary as they would be if the structure was to be built from the ground up.
David Hertz
Wing house, as a work in progress, has many plans for the implementation of environmental features. Solar power, radiant heating and natural ventilation will be incorporated as well as high performance heat mirror glazing.
David Hertz
Several other components are contemplated for use in a sublime manner, which include a fire pit and water element constructed out of the engine cowling.
David Hertz
It’s not just the majestic sweep of the airplane wings that make this building incredible, it’s the way they’ve been positioned to float above concrete walls cut into the hillside and frame-less self supporting glass windows and doors.
The 747 Wing House represents Studio Environmental Architectures commitment to regenerative design and up-cycling. It’s an incredibly elegant building.
The Team -
Owner:Francine Rehwald
Architect
David Randall Hertz FAIA and S.E.A. the Studio of Environmental Architecture
Design Associate and project manager: Lucas Goettsche
Structural Engineers: Cristobal Paniagua, Katie Baad and Carl Howe @ CW. Howe Partners.
Mechanical Engineers: Abe Stallcup and David Knight @ MEG- Monterey Energy Group
Civil Engineer: Thomas Murphy@ M3 CivilAerospace Consultant-Matthew Giles
Deconstruction and Transport: Mark Thompson- Thompson Aviation
Consultant(s)
Geotechnical: Grover Hollingsworth
Septic systems: Ensitu Engineering
Helicopter Transportation: Columbia helicopters
Landscape: Aaron Landsworth
General contractors: Ron Senso and Rod Spector
Photographers:
David Randall Hertz FAIA-S.E.A
Carson Leh-S.E.A.
Douglas Hill
Sara Jane Boyers
Laura Doss
Drawings and renderings: S.E.A Studio of Architecture
Sources —
https://davidhertzfaia.com/747-wing-house
https://www.dezeen.com/2011/09/23/747-wing-house-by-studio-of-environmental-architecture/
https://inhabitat.com/retired-747-airplane-transformed-into-striking-malibu-home/
https://www.archdaily.com/165172/747-wing-house-david-hertz-architects
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/8797-the-747-wing-house
Call Claire +27 82 399 0180
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I love Architecture. I think it’s vital to talk about all aspects of Architecture — whether it be planning, construction, design or green building. I have written 3 E-Books & over 110 articles. Please feel free to let me know if you have any queries regarding architecture, planning & construction & I will assist you.
I am originally from the UK and moved to South Africa in 1999. I started Blue Designs in 2004 after working as a driver for Avalon Construction on a luxury home in the Featherbrook Estate. In my spare time I am an artist and writer (The Naked Architect — https://www.bebee.com/group/the-naked-architect & https://www.facebook.com/groups/258263907906727/ ).
Other Articles I have written include :-
Building Green? Here are some tips.
Common Mistakes People make when Designing a House
The Advantages of Sustainable Building
Considering Buying or Renovating a Heritage Home? Pros and Cons
Renovation vs New Construction — which is Greener and Better for the Environment?
Bizarre Buildings Part Two — Space Age Fantasy
Weird and Wonderful Buildings Part Three — Three Buildings that make Music
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