Normally when you think of a man cave, you probably picture a den or basement outfitted with a recliner, beer fridge, a pool table, and a good-sized flat-screen tuned to ESPN when not in gaming use. New Zealand plastics engineer and graphics designer Jono Williams went an entirely different route with his Skysphere, a tower 33 feet in the air that is sort of like a fratted-up version of the Space Needle.
“The ultimate man cave to me is to have beers served to your hand while you’re sitting on the couch,” he tells Inhabitat. “The arm rest has a coaster that goes down then comes back up with a beer on it, a good entertainment system, PlayStation, all being 10 meters up in the air with a cool view.”
He managed to nail most of the details, especially the view. The circular structure has polycarbonate windows all around, giving 360-degree views of the countryside. The couch’s armrest does indeed have a built-in beer dispenser that sounds an alert when drinks are getting low, then text his girlfriend to pick up some supplies (hopefully it at least says, “Please”) If the windows aren’t cutting it, you can head up to the roof to a platform made for looking at the stars.
Taking three years to build, the project was a labor of love and learning. Williams took classes to gain expertise on how to make his home-away-from home structurally sound and able to withstand high winds and earthquakes. It’s solar-powered and runs on voice control, and its Android-controlled computer will open the motorized doors if the inside temperature gets too warm. Between the four tons of steel, custom-made LED lights and solar strips, and wireless sound system, the project cost $50,000.
One day, Williams hopes to improve the view even more by moving the whole structure to the seaside, then build a home below the bubble.
