Do you see where the house is floating over the landscape?
This area actually spans over a natural desert wash with active water flows. During major rain events, water will move directly underneath the house, allowing the desert to continue naturally through the site.
It creates this really magical feeling where the architecture almost hovers above the landscape — a moment where nature and architecture intersect instead of competing with one another.
The scaffolding is up, the stone is installed, and tremendous progress is being made at our Desert Bloom Residence.
We haven’t shared much of this home yet, but we’re excited to start revealing more as the project continues to come to life. The materiality, textures, and overall atmosphere are beginning to take shape in a really special way.
The natural light at our Iron Mountain Residence has been pretty incredible lately. This space looks south toward Camelback Mountain, where the deep overhangs and long cantilevered terrace are doing exactly what they were designed to do.
The terrace almost acts like a giant light shelf, bouncing soft natural light deep into the home while the overhang shades the glass from the harsh desert sun. One of those moments where the architecture quietly does the work and completely changes how the space feels throughout the day. @advocaterca@mackos_architecture@ownby.design
Site walk at our Crescent Ridge Residence this morning.
A lot of progress happening on site right now. The @awakewdc are in, the board-formed site walls have been placed, and excavation for the pool is complete.
This was a challenging site with an active wash running directly through the center of the property. Instead of fighting that condition, the design was shaped around it. The home splits into two wings connected by a bridge beneath the crescent roofline, opening itself to the landscape and allowing the wash to flow naturally beneath the house. @mackos_architecture
Soft sunsets at our Desert Geode Residence… Its hard to beat this kind of ending to the day.
The light hits different in Arizona warm, calm, and just enough to make everything slow down for a minute.
Light and shadow do the heavy lifting here. Soft filtered light through sunscreens, shifting shadows in the courtyard and breakfast nook, and a natural glow that pulls you through the home.
The Desert Geode Residence is all about contrast.
From the outside, it reads as strong and protective, with a bold silhouette of folded metal planes and blasted-face masonry. That was always the intention. Like a geode, the exterior sets up what’s happening within.
What we love most is how it responds to the Arizona sun. The materials are not static. They shift, catch light, and reveal depth throughout the day. It feels rugged, but there is a quiet level of refinement to it.
With the news of our Desert Geode Residence being named a National Award winner at the LUXE Magazine RED Awards, we are honored to have this project recognized at such a high level.
We will be highlighting it again this week and sharing more photos. Stay tuned.
We’re honored to share that we’ve received the national LUXE RED Awards award for Exterior Architecture for our Desert Geode Residence.
This recognition is especially meaningful as only one home is selected nationally in this category, and we’re proud to be that project.
Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without an incredible client and an amazing team who brought this vision to life. Builder @gmhuntbuilders Interior Designer @wisemanandgale Lighting Designer @creativedesignsinlighting Landscape Architect @colwellshelor Photographer @emaphotographi@luxemagazine #luxeredwinner2026 #BeRedWithLuxe
The courtyard becomes the heart of the home, where architecture and landscape blur into one seamless experience. Framed by warm desert materials and clean modern lines, it’s designed for slow mornings, late nights, and everything in between.
Water, fire, and planting all work together to create a space that feels both grounded and elevated. The pool stretches through the center, reflecting light deep into the interiors, while layered desert planting softens the edges and ties the home back to its surroundings.
Shadow Ridge is defined by a restrained, intentional material palette rooted in the desert context. Ground-face masonry block establishes a sense of permanence and texture, while a “vintage” metal finish introduces contrast. Overhead, a warm Douglas fir wood ceiling softens the composition, bringing in natural warmth and balance.
