A triumph of regenerative design, the 747 Wing House upcycles airplane components into poetic roof forms. The Boeing was bound for the garbage pile before S.E.A. intercepted and reimagined it as architecture. The wings and tail stabilizers were all pre-engineered as self-supporting structures, making them perfect lightweight long-span roof profiles. The project represents S.E.A.’s commitment to maximizing the longevity of building and product life-cycles in novel ways.

A tradition of radical reuse defines the site’s storied genius loci. The fifty-five acre property is part of the historic Tony Duquette estate, defined by diverse follies that the Hollywood set designer built with repurposed industrial scrap. Continuing that legacy, other parts of the Boeing 747 are planned to become new pavilions and sculptures around the site. The Wing House is thus an artistic response to Duquette’s legacy for the 21st century.

Many of the previous pads and retaining walls were kept in order to minimize project’s impacts on the landscape. The main building uses one wing as well as the tail stabilizers for the roof, while the guest house is covered by the remaining wing. The roofs appear to float by utilizing steel brace frames which strategically connect to points on the wings where engines were previously mounted. This liberates the exterior walls to be frameless, floor-to-ceiling self-supporting glass, providing sublime panoramic views of Boney Mountain and Serrano Valley