Not to be upstaged by its exterior, Camelview’s residential units provide endless daylight, views of Camelback and Mummy mountains, warm marble countertops and options for owners to customize their unit’s size and shading capabilities.

And while Optima prides itself on the property’s outdoor landscaping, the lush environment isn’t limited to public space. Rather, each unit has its own green-roofed landscaped terrace (some with more than one), featuring the self-sufficient plant life prevalent on the property. “Because every residence has its own outdoor roof terrace to take advantage of the desert climate, the buildings merge as expanding and subsiding pyramids with provocative, positive and negative space,” Hovey says. “Every residence is spectacularly unique with its own special views, location and floor plan in relation to colorful outdoor terrace landscaping.”

Among Optima’s most recent Camelview Village and the three-year-old Biltmore Towers in Phoenix, Hovey is also taking his modern marvels up north. Completed over the last few years are four homes in the Saguaro Forest at Desert Mountain community, where residents will find open and airy modern-style homes that make use of Optima’s signature technology and materials, but are also unique in their own right.

Although Hovey’s firm has only been building on Arizona property since 2000, its fresh and innovative designs have likely transformed the way many locals look at modern architecture. Gone are the days of stone-cold contemporary design. In its place is an inviting, tranquil environment suitable for any eco-enthusiast—a style we hope will be an Arizona mainstay for years to come.