A Prefab Home Takes Shape Among the Boulders of Yucca Valley

For Yoni and Lindsey Goldberg, it all started with a pink flyer on a random dirt road in Joshua Tree that simply read: "Land for sale."

Yoni and Lindsey considered themselves, at the time, quintessential Los Angeles "city folk" who weren’t looking to buy a vacation house, but the flyer seemed like an invitation to—at the very least—imagine a different way of life.

The couple had visited Joshua Tree on one of their early dates and, now on their anniversary trip a year later, it all seemed more kismet than random, according to the couple.

That number led them to a realtor, who then led them down many other dirt roads and eventually to what they now call the Graham Residence.

Yoni and Lindsey experienced the light-gauge steel structure for the first time much like their now-visitors do: wondering where exactly the house even is.

"This treacherous road seemed kind of crazy, but the moment we stepped foot into this space, we just knew that this was it," says Lindsey. "And we had to find a way to buy this house."

The Graham Residence emerges—almost floating—from the boulders. The hybrid prefab residence sits on upright columns that are bolted to isolated concrete footings, which is what makes the home look like it’s levitating over the landscape.

It sits on a 10-acre parcel at 4,000 feet above sea level in Rock Reach in the heart of the Yucca Valley, surrounded by juniper berries, rugged terrain, and pinyon pines. All around it is public land, and the only neighbors are blue jays, hummingbirds, and the occasional coyote.

"I love that push and pull of beautiful design and comfort with an adventurous road and feeling like you’re really outside your comfort zone," says Yoni.