A Recycled Plane Is Malibu's Next Dream House

Clear the runway, this plane home's coming in for a landing.

When California Mercedes dealership owner Francie Rehwald purchased a 55-acre plot of land above the ocean in Malibu, she knew that she wanted something unique. The land had history: It was the site of Tony Duquette's eccentric residence made of found structures that was destroyed in a 1993 fire. Rehwald wanted to continue on with Duquette's original vision and create something unique using recycled materials.


She wanted a feminine structure featuring sensual curves and rounded edges, and she had been interested in green building, so she began discussing her needs with LA-based Architect David Hertz. Hertz specializes in upcycling and sustainable architecture. When Rehwald mentioned her desire for a curvy house, Hertz had a crazy idea: What if they used a retired plane to build Rehwald's new house?

He didn't tell her his idea at first. He wanted to do some research. So he took gallery of plane wings from his window seat when traveling. He walked through airplane graveyards in the California desert, photographing planes from various angles. Then, at a subsequent meeting, he told her: He wanted to build her a house from a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.


And why not? There are lots of planes just hanging out in the California desert waiting to be recycled. It was the perfect marriage of supply and demand: A 747 airplane at over 230 feet long, 195 feet wide and 63 feet tall provides more than enough raw materials to build a generous home (one wing is over 2,500 square feet!). Rehwald loved the idea and jumped "on board" immediately.

Using the airplanes as inspiration, Hertz designed Rehwald more than just a home -- he made her a compound. The plane's wings are designed to function as the home's roof, with two stabilizers from the tail section putting a roof over the master bedroom. A section of the fuselage is being used in the kitchen; a row of several of the plane's windows are now between the kitchen and office.


In addition to three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 4,000 square feet of living space, a 50-foot long section of the upper fuselage will serve as the roof of an art studio. The upper first class cabin will become the guest house's roof, and the lower half of the fuselage will cover the animal barn. Finally, a fire pit and water feature will be created from the engine cowling. What isn't used from the plane -- which isn't much! -- will be recycled. One extra cool bonus: Hertz cut off the nose of the plane and created a 45-feet-tall meditation pavilion in which the cockpit window serves as a skylight.

You're probably wondering the same thing that I was -- Where do you find a plane? And how do you buy one?


Many of the planes in the desert graveyards are owned by large airlines and some by private owners. Hertz was able to purchase one of these planes and give it a whole new lease on life as a home. For the price of its raw materials -- primarily aluminum -- Hertz bought a full 747 plane for the reasonable price of $35,000. Comparably, a brand new 747 costs about $200 million.

With 4.5 million parts to use, the plane was ready to go, but Hertz now had to figure out how to get it to its new home. Unfortunately, he couldn't just fly it there. Most of the pieces were cut up and transported by helicopter. They had to close five highways at night to get it all there.


One of the biggest challenges in making this project happen was getting government clearance. Hertz had to get the OK from 17 agencies, which took a year and a half. Using an old plane that still kind of looks like a plane also required registration with the FAA so that it isn't mistaken for a downed aircraft.

The Wing House -- as it is has been dubbed -- is almost complete. Hertz says that Rehwald should be able to call it home by next summer.

If this has given you a major case of travel fever, be sure to check out our sister site, AOL Travel.

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