Larson Residence

The design approach was to reinterpret the historical vernacular into a more contemporary, clean expression of time-honored southwestern characteristics of lean, horizontal massing that is integrated into the landscape, while celebrating distant views.

It’s a translation of the language of centuries-old southwestern design into modern-day spatial simplicity, sculptural form, and honest materials. Various massings and planes are pushed and pulled apart to allow natural light to wash the interior in unique, unexpected ways.

The character of the home is distinctly contemporary, which accentuates and focuses attention on the organic features of the land, which are embraced by the architecture. By adhering to, yet abstracting, the underlying principles of the southwestern building tradition, with its lean simplicity, the architecture allows the views to the natural environment to dominate. The contrast between the manmade architecture and natural scenery complements both.

Photography by Wendy McEahern