a look at marwan al-sayed's desert city house in arizona

‘desert city house’ by marwan al-sayed,  paradise valley, arizona
all images courtesy of marwan al-sayed

located on a relatively flat one acre parcel, the ‘desert city house’ by los angeles-based practice marwan al-sayed architects is sited opposite the arizona canal with panoramic views to the squaw peak mountain reserve to the north and camelback mountain to the east. the primary structure of the home is a single concrete-cast mass of two parallel one-story forms bridged by a glass volume that contains all the social spaces – kitchen, living and dining room, with views out over the desert landscape. the ground floor in turn contains the bedrooms, a reverse layering of program suitable for the desert environment. locating the private bedrooms at the ground, they benefit from the earth’s natural insulation and temperature stability, making the rooms cooler and more energy efficient. protruding thermal draws with glass facades jut into the air absorbing light during the day time to release it back through the interior at night, also serving as points for ventilation. the color scheme is kept to very neutral palettes. white stucco and exposed concrete act as a backdrop to the subtle greens and greys attributed to the desert environment.

entry patio

glass bridge over thick mass volumes

space between the bedroom volumes on the ground floor

(left) bathroom
(right) concrete detail

view to the exterior

thermal draw towers glow at night

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 0

project info:

location: paradise valley, arizona
floor area: 4,200 square feet interior
team:
          principal architect: marwan al-sayed
          project architect: joby dutton
consultants and collaborators:
          structural engineer: brickey design associates
          mechanical engineer: otterbein engineering
          electrical engineer: associated engineering
          energy consultant: vidar lerum
          landscape consultant: ten eyck
          general contractor: the construction zone, ltd.
          photographer: bill timmermann and matt winquist, as noted
building type: residential
building environment: desert
building structure:
          core-slab concrete decks, custom cast in place white concrete walls, roof tji’s
building materials:
cast in place white concrete + western one coat stucco, custom steel window frames and doors, insulated aluminum and glass operable louvers
building sustainability:
“reverse” living plan, natural ventilation and passive cooling through solar chimneys, ‘albedo effect’