Robb Williamson
Cintarosa Ranch ' The Ridge
The architects at DTJ Design referred to this house as the “prow” house, because one elevation resembles the bow of a ship, plying uncharted territory. The front elevation is handsome enough with its Arizona territorial-style architecture, but it’s in back that the drama truly unfurls. Rather than grading the site as a flat pad, the design team worked with builder Larry Jolly to engineer a house that absorbs grade with walls and steps, spilling down and spreading out over a desert ridge. A 27-foot span of window walls opens from the main living area to a glorious covered patio, outdoor kitchen, cascading pools, spa, fireplace, and fire ring.
The home’s rugged palette of moss ledge stone, stucco, corrugated copper roof, sand-blasted clay tile, and structural wood trusses was apropos for a remote parcel on the outskirts of the Desert Mountain master planned community. “The question we asked ourselves was, ‘Why would people want to come all the way out here when they could live closer to the club’s amenities?’” says architect Rick New. “We gave them a reason.”
CATEGORY: Production/Semicustom, more than 3,000 square feet
ENTRANT/ARCHITECT/LAND PLANNER/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: DTJ Design, Boulder, Colo.
BUILDER: Newman Jolly Builders, Scottsdale, Ariz.
DEVELOPER: Desert Mountain Properties, Scottsdale
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Hillary Reed Interiors, Littleton, Colo.
