The 8,300-sq.-ft. “Desert Wing” hovers over luxuriant High Sonoran topography on a one-acre golf course lot at Desert Mountain in North Scottsdale.
Foyer
A room-within-a-room, the entry foyer is implied with two intersecting forms of concrete, one a vertical wall plane and the other a folded plane, creating both a wall and a ceiling and framing the great room beyond. This space innovatively articulates a human scale under the shelter of the inverted-wing roof, which dramatically connects the home with earth and sky.
Design Team
Architect: Brent Kendle, AIA, LEED AP, Kendle Design
Collaborative Builder: The Construction Zone
Designer: Jack Wozniak and Associates
Outdoor Living Room, North Entry Court
An 8-foot-tall rammed-earth wall, constructed from onsite soil, and a handcrafted copper-clad door privatize the home from the street to create this additional living space. Interior and exterior living space flow together, imperceptibly separated by transparent walls of glass. Positioned as dramatic focal points when viewed from the inside, a gas fire pit extends the outdoor living season and a zero-edge stainless steel water feature adds visual enjoyment and summer cooling.
Outdoor Living Room, South
A rammed-earth wall continues from the great room to outside, blurring the line between interior and exterior and framing views to the golf course and city lights. The deep overhang of the pavilionlike roof shelters the area, and a zero-edge pool, architecturally integral to the home, and five water spouts add passive cooling here and inside as breezes pass over these entry-level water features and a waterfall on the floor below.
WORD TO THE WISE
“We live in a unique region of the country where outdoor temperatures are comfortable nine months of the year, and often all it takes is a little shade, a cooling breeze and the sound of water to make even some of the hotter months comfortable.” —Brent Kendle
Great Room
The focal 3-foot-thick rammed-earth wall is an energy-efficient thermal mass system that prevents heat from penetrating interior spaces as well as a piece of art itself, with natural striations recalling ancient canyon walls, Native American ruins and board-formed concrete foundations from pioneer mining structures. Glazing separates this dramatically from other wall and roof planes, daylighting and moonlighting the room and changing its mood throughout the day while celebrating the imperfections of the rammed earth.
Kitchen
A low soffit frames the kitchen, reiterating the room-within-a-room concept and lowering the visual scale of the room, while indirect lighting enhances the drama of the soaring roof above. A simple palette of stone, wood, metal and daylight compose a clean setting— allowing the owners’ vibrant personalities and beautiful meals to appear center stage as they entertain friends and family.
WORD TO THE WISE
“The most powerful design statement can often be made using the most humble of materials. And don’t forget that the most important material in your design palette is light. Daylight, used properly, changes the feel of a room throughout the day and brings the occupant closer to nature while reducing energy consumption.” —B.K.
“Be dramatic but don’t ignore the need for coziness. The best rooms are those that feel comfortable whether there is one person reading a book or 100 people enjoying a social event.” —B.K.
