From a distance, the Downing Residence is barely discernable from its mountainside backdrop. The house pivots to follow the topography and optimize views toward city lights and nearby and distant mountains. The three carefully nestled split-face block pavilions are built as independent structures linked by glass circulation spaces. They blend with surrounding rock outcroppings and step gently within a grove of saguaro that dot the hillside.

The house opens to cross ventilation to maintain comfort passively and efficiently. The southeast facing windows collect warmth in the winter while west-facing glass is kept to a minimum. Efficiency is a lesson we have learned from the desert that surrounds us. In our arid region plants do not waste precious water and energy on big leaves. Even the “horns” of the horned lizard are designed to direct rain to its mouth for drinking. We use this knowledge to design for this place.

It is our design approach to reduce elements to their essence without being preoccupied about being minimal. While the house’s material palette is simple: block, steel, glass, birch and mesquite, it has resulted in dramatic and uplifting spaces with a spatial complexity resulting from the ever-changing daylight, seasonal blooms, dramatic storms, and desert sunsets. It is our belief that architecture is less about photogenic sculptures in the landscape and more about inspired spaces for being: Architecture as Space. The Downing Residence celebrates the beauty and sensuality of modest materials, and the belief that with good design, ordinary materials can be extraordinary.