Skip to content
Support Us

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

This high tech New Zealand 'man cave' is like something out of 1950s science fiction

Plastics engineer Jono Williams spent 3,000 hours outside his day job building the ultimate man cave.

JONO WILLILAMS, A plastics engineer and graphic designer based on the north island of New Zealand, has built the ultimate man cave.

Dubbed the “Skysphere,” his getaway is a stunning steel tower surrounded on all sides by glass.

The Skysphere makes an ultra-futuristic statement in a field ringed by trees. The tower’s lighting and security system can be controlled using an app Williams built for Android.

“I tried to keep every aspect of the design original,” Williams told Business Insider in an email.

I do live near a wind turbine farm, so maybe I got some inspiration from those?

Williams shared some photos from the tower construction:

man1 The tower certainly stands out in the sparse New Zealand countryside.

man2 Williams worked on the construction for three years, spending about 3,000 hours outside of his day job.

man3 Williams works full-time as a plastics engineer and a graphic designer, in addition to directing his own IT company. He did all of the construction on the Skysphere in his rare spare time.

man4 The Skysphere runs purely on solar power, and panels were installed discreetly at the top of the tower. "As the solar power system is designed to supply power for two days out of a week, the tower is designed as my weekend getaway," Williams said.

man6 Williams programmed the tower's lighting and security systems to be controlled by his phone. "I based the technology I used around an Android phone connected to a IOIO development board, which pretty much opened the door for me to develop a lot of new technology," he said.

man7 LED lighting can also be adjusted with voice commands.

man8 The Skysphere looks pretty amazing lit up at night.

man9 He even built a beer cooler that sits in the arm of his couch and can send him a notification when he's running low. "My favorite feature is my refrigerated in-couch beer dispenser that can hold 12 beers in the dispenser while cooling an additional 36 beers," he said.

man10 The arm has a cup holder that can be used when the cooler isn't open.

man11 The tower has just enough space for a bed to fit comfortably.

- Madeline Stone for Business Insider. All photos by Jono Williams.

Read: The ‘King of All Fun’ is selling his mansion for $95 million

Read: Johnny Depp’s private French village complete with chapel and skate park is up for sale

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Published with permission from
View 19 comments
Close
19 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Treacherous Saint
    Favourite Treacherous Saint
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 5:35 PM

    I want one!

    216
    John
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John
    Favourite John
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 6:09 PM

    Build it and she will cum.

    160
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute josecafe
    Favourite josecafe
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:15 PM

    And if she comes you will in buckets full ;-)

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Curry
    Favourite John Curry
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:24 PM

    carlsberg don’t do man caves but if the did……..

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen M
    Favourite Stephen M
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 5:45 PM

    I’ll look forward to an opinion piece during the week triggered by the use of the term ” man cave”.

    88
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gar Vito
    Favourite Gar Vito
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 6:18 PM

    Somehow a man’s fault, no doubt.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Foster
    Favourite Stephen Foster
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:26 PM

    Where’s the pool table and 50 inch flat screen with surround sound?!

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute I Pee Freely
    Favourite I Pee Freely
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 5:43 PM

    I didn’t notice a toilet or kitchen?

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maggie
    Favourite Maggie
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 6:24 PM

    Only eating allowed and crap over edge of it

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:51 PM

    Why would there be a kitchen? It’s a man cave not a woman cave

    109
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dstaffx
    Favourite dstaffx
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2015, 7:53 AM

    Did you not see the beer cooler. sorted.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Ryan
    Favourite Kevin Ryan
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 9:05 PM

    Let’s be honest: a man cave is – amongst other things – a place for wanking. If you can’t have a wank in it, it’s not a true man cave.

    So on reading this story, I asked myself what sort of man, in those special moments, would want to look out across a field full of farm animals (and have them looking back at him)?

    But then I remembered ‘Jono’ is from New Zealand.

    Kiwi men may destroy the rest of the world at rugby, but the rest of the world will always have sheep jokes. Always.

    46
    Mr D
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mr D
    Favourite Mr D
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:32 PM

    Where’s the crapper??

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anton Friendo
    Favourite Anton Friendo
    Report
    Aug 5th 2015, 3:02 PM

    Field below sorted

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Wynnner
    Favourite Wynnner
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 7:31 PM

    totally want one

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
    Favourite Seán O'Ceallaghan
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 8:31 PM

    Internet?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick Cunningham
    Favourite Patrick Cunningham
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2015, 8:34 AM

    People like that just make me look like I’m not trying.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute All Aboard To China
    Favourite All Aboard To China
    Report
    Aug 1st 2015, 6:04 PM

    Dibs!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Viking
    Favourite The Viking
    Report
    Aug 2nd 2015, 1:13 AM

    Nice.. I like..

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds