Volcano House, California

A private house not open to the public, it has nevertheless attracted attention due to its prominent location and striking design.

[5][7] The house was commissioned by engineer, inventor and draftsman Vard Wallace,[8] who had made his fortune drafting machines and airplane parts to Lockheed Corp. during and after World War II, through his company Vard, Inc.[7] Wallace was introduced to the site by his personal secretary on a weekend trip.

He was able to buy the cone and surrounding land,[9] and intended the house to be a retreat for him and his wife Mabel; their main residence was at Newport Beach.

[7] Wallace was inspired by one of the dome-shaped buildings at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, California, which was being constructed in 1967–1968.

[1][4] Bissner recollected that the original design, including an observation deck for Wallace’s telescope and a sizable lake, was completed in one afternoon.

[3] The domed roof came low to the ground to prevent the sun from reaching into the house, and was covered with a sprayed layer of white latex amalgam, to act as waterproofing and also to reflect the heat.

[3][10] A 5-foot (1.5 m)-wide dry moat encircles the house beneath the domed roof awning: this was originally meant to be filled with water.

[c][4] Howser filled the house with mid-century modern furniture, and retained many of its period features, including the shag-pile carpets.

In June 2012, The Panther, a student-run newspaper for Chapman University, announced that Howser had donated the Volcano House to the school.

[8] The university hoped to use the house as a separate campus, mainly for astronomy, geology and desert studies, but its remote location proved impractical and the plan was never put into operation.

[18] The house (exteriors only) served as the mysterious headquarters in the 2022 American psychological thriller film Don't Worry Darling, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles.