Howard + Carline Residence – also known as the Arroyo Residence

A modern equivalent to the traditional ranch home, this 3-bedroom private residence also includes an attached guest house and three car garage. The 1.5-acre desert site adjoins the Phoenix Mountain Preserve in the center of the city.

The Howard + Carline home is designed in dialogue with the site, anchored on the edge of the arroyo and contained against the stone ridge of the mountain preserve. Each of the three primary volumes is formed by massive walls along the northern street facade that dissolve into the floor to ceiling glazing against the stone ridge to the south.

A series of interconnected, folded roof planes open for light and views as they pass by one another and then extend to capture exterior terraces at each level. The gentle folding of the roof lays over the topography of the site, unifying each of the building forms and providing drama as they open and compress the spaces within.

Punctuations in the block walls are focused towards distant views and selectively frame the landscape. This careful editing of the views permits open connection with the mountain preserve while preserving the intimacy and privacy of the house.