Pioneertown, California, USA

Category:           Private Homes
Year:               2025
Architects:         Mutuo and There There Architecture
Design Team:        Jose Herrasti and Monica Lamela
General Contractor: Jerry Sohn
Client:             Private
Photographs:        Courtesy of the Architects

“Wasted No More” is an off-the-grid desert home in Pioneertown, California, prioritizing construction waste reclamation using “Castoff” blocks (bin blocks). These 2′ x 2′ x 6′ blocks, formed from excess concrete leftover from other construction, offer an economical, ecological prototype. The home’s design uses passive measures: Castoff blocks’ high thermal mass buffers desert temperatures, absorbing daytime heat and releasing it at night for interior stability. Its orientation and stepped exterior walls reduce solar heat gain, while inviting daylight and enhancing cross-ventilation. The insulated roof incorporates recycled concrete gravel for thermal protection.

This commitment extends to efficient construction. Locally sourced Castoff blocks have a low carbon footprint; their monolithic use for foundations, floors, walls, and finishes reduces material consumption. Reclaimed materials, fixtures, and furniture from rebar and concrete waste (including recycled concrete gravel from an on-site pool demolition) underscore waste utilization. The project’s integration with the landscape and biodiversity is important, minimizing disruption by repurposing the previously disturbed pool area, requiring minimal grading, and ensuring its small 1.5% footprint relative to the parcel preserves most of the desert ecosystem, aligning with the California High Desert’s low-density ethos.

Completely off-the-grid, the home relies on solar energy and water from an existing 300-foot deep well (previously used for the pool, now repurposed for the house) via an existing windmill, promoting a sustainable future. “Wasted No More” showcases construction with waste and recycled materials, addressing concrete’s embodied carbon challenges while celebrating its positive attributes like fire resistance and thermal mass. It also encourages declining masonry crafts, a practice with historical roots in the area.

Financially, it challenges conventional economics as a low-cost project. Modest material expenses from Castoff blocks, efficient installation, and minimal operational costs make it ideal for owner-builder construction. Finally, “Wasted No More” achieves aesthetic qualities and cultural integration, blending into the high desert landscape by mimicking its rugged topography, strategically framing views, and employing earthy, raw materials that reflect the desert’s character, creating a unique dialogue born from necessity and ingenuity in the face of a changing climate.