Katsuhisa Kida
Extensive concrete terraces outside this Scottsdale, Ariz., seco…
For a family from Germany, this striking, streamlined house in the Scottsdale, Ariz., community of Desert Mountain provides a year-round retreat. Since their main social circle is located several time zones from their vacation house, the emphasis falls less on entertaining than in many second homes. “The house is about reading, meditating, and thinking,” says architect Bing Hu of H&S International. “It’s really just for the couple and their son.”
The owners envisioned a house that would last for generations, just like the mass of solid granite beneath their site. Hu’s design for a cast-in-place, exposed concrete frame anchored with steel beams did the trick. Before pouring the concrete, though, builder Eric Linthicum had to blast through 20-foot slabs of rock to carve out the home’s lower level. Other than that, the site remains undisturbed, down to its smooth granite boulders and blooming cacti.
The lot’s sharp incline prohibited the concrete trucks from driving all the way up to the house. “If the trucks went any farther up the slope, they’d lose their loads because of the hill’s steepness,” says Linthicum. Instead, he and his crew parked 80 feet downhill and pumped concrete into on-site molds from there. The structural steel beams were unloaded at the same location and craned up to the building area.
Since months may pass between the owners’ visits to Desert Mountain, the home had to require as little maintenance as possible. In addition to its concrete walls and floors, it features a zinc roof and some zinc wall panels, which will weather to a charcoal gray. The rocky point that crops up behind the house doesn’t support much vegetation, so there are no leaves or other debris to fall onto the patios and roof. In addition to being low-maintenance, the house satisfies the owners’ desire for an energy-efficient residence. The 18-inch-thick walls retain cool night temperatures, even during the summer. “You can keep the doors open most of the time and don’t need to turn on the air conditioning, especially in the winter,” says Hu. Strategically placed roof overhangs and sunshades also help keep the house cool without using energy.
A cantilevered lap pool allows the owners to keep up with their exercise routine. Since mental health is just as important to them, the plan provides several outdoor spaces where they can enjoy the city, mountain, and desert views that initially attracted them to the site. “They asked for a seamless transition between interior and exterior,” says Linthicum, “so the concrete floors continue out to the patios.” The only difference lies in the concrete’s finish: integrally colored and waxed inside, and sandblasted outside. Either way, the effect is one of sturdiness and Modernity—a simple look for a simple vacation lifestyle.
Project Credits
Builder: Linthicum Custom Builders, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Architect: H&S International, Scottsdale
Living space: 3,267 square feet
Site size: 1.4 acres
Construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida
Resources: Bathroom plumbing fittings/fixtures: Duravit, Hansgrohe, and Kroin; Cooktop/hood: Gaggenau; Exterior siding: Metalworks; Kitchen plumbing fittings/fixtures: Franke and KWC; Oven: Dacor; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero.
