That was all part of the program that Swaback Partners, the architect; builder Salcito Custom Homes; and the owners, who lived abroad during design and construction, devised for the 1.5-acre site. The floor plan and site plan work hand in hand to create a living environment that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors. The architect matched the flat site with a single-story plan oriented to views of Camelback Mountain. When the glass doors enclosing the dining room’s two exterior walls are folded back, the barrier separating the home’s public rooms and the main terrace and scenery beyond disappear.
The terrace itself is composed of several functional spaces. At one end is a seating area tucked under a deep overhang. “We used the low, flat roof plane to create a feeling of intimacy here,” explains architect Michael Wetzel of Swaback Partners. The outdoor side of the home’s main fireplace is the focus of the gathering space, while a pass-through to the interior snack bar adds to its utility as a place to entertain.
Sunbathing takes place poolside, where an Asian-inspired trough of smooth black pebbles creates a transition between terrace and pool, and sets off the pool as the main event of the terrace. Visiting grandchildren can splash in its shallow wading area while the grown-ups can swim in the 60-foot-long lap pool or sit around a swim-up table in the shallow section. The 3-by-5-foot table is complete with its own sun umbrella and has a continuous wraparound seat. Because one of the owners has vision issues, a grid on the pool floor signals the depth change from wading pool to the 4 ½-foot-deep lap pool.
While the site plan and lush plantings of palms and bamboo around the site’s perimeter conspire to hide views of neighboring houses, the closest neighbor is actually quite near. It was critically important to the owners that noise transmission between houses be dampened. That was accomplished with the sound of falling water. Instead of placing the pool’s negative edge away from the house, as is usually done, here it faces it. A small lip incorporated into the negative edge amplifies the sound the water makes as it splashes into the trough.
At the far edge of the pool, a beautiful slice of limestone carved with fish images—a memento of the owners’ stay in Asia—anchors the rear of the pool and is set off by fire urns at either end.
While pool and plan respond to a complex set of requirements, the overall effect of this serene retreat is one of simplicity and refinement that pays homage to the wild beauty of the desert that surrounds it.
Project Credits: Builder: Salcito Custom Homes, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Architect/Landscape architect: Swaback Partners, Scottsdale; Pool builder: Natural Settings Pools, Spas & Water Features, Scottsdale; Photographer: Dino Tonn; Illustrator: Harry Whitver.
