Rooted in the foothills of Tucson City, Arizona, is an interplay of boxes seating deep in the desert; and majestically so. Architect Kevin Howard’s creation is an expression of what art and architecture looks like when fused into one another. The client, an art collector, wanted a home that would touch the earth lightly, on the site that overlooks a desert, and surrounded by multiple mountain ranges. The client is a couple dedicated and committed to the philosophy of minimalism with the desire that their art explores the ideals of minimalism to the fullest.
In the Sonoran Desert, the owners wanted a building that would spark contrast to its context, in Kevin Howard’s own words, “A modern minimal home.” The location of the project required the architects to design a residential home with breath-taking views. The client’s art collection and contemporary furniture needed a home and protection from natural elements that might affect it, like sun rays, for example.
Consequent to these challenges, the architects moved the major living spaces to the upper floors leading to a smaller building footprint. This would mean a reduced construction impact on the site to further foster the owner’s reiteration of the need for the building to go easy on the desert.
Gallery spaces were designed with the necessary measures taken to ensure that the art pieces would be safe. To allow penetration of day light into the building without the sun’s rays, glass panes were adopted and recessed inside spotless shadow boxes.
An atrium houses the major gallery spaces for art with an interior stair that connects the upper and lower floors of the house acting as the tectonic showcase. The feeling of the double-height living spaces allow the users to breathe with continuous appreciation of art pieces positioned in various locations around the house. To light the atrium, a thin skylight located at the centre of the gallery is implemented, allowing light all through the day without harming the numerous paintings on display.
As you approach the residence, it feels and looks like a set of interesting glued boxes that have just landed somewhere in the desert. Upon further inspection of the boxes, you realize that the landing site wasn’t by accident. Intentionally, the building has been crafted to blend with the context as witnessed by the giant cacti (also known as Saguaros) that surround the residence. While the owners sit in the main living and dining spaces, and through the large framed window panes get a view of the desert below, they will cherish the clarity, detail and elegant way with which the residence was designed.
Project Information
Architects: Kevin B Howard Architects
Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States
GFA: 510 sq.m
Completed: 2016
Photography: Winquist Photography, Robin Stancliff Photography
