Revered by the Maya as a sacred stone, Jade was valued more than gold, serving as a passport to the afterlife. It was only fitting that the tops of each entry monument were adorned with the stone. A mosaic of jade briefly holds desert rain. Darkening to a rich green at the first drop. Transforming into a mini oasis for local fauna. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #mailbox #birdbath #rammedearth

What mysteries lie beneath? Each rock: solidified by time. But in the end, All of it: merely dust. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #rocks #moat #bioswale #paradisevalleyaz #designbuild #desertarchitecture #firepit #backyardgarden #form #concretesteps #concrete #dusk #desertmasonry #desertlife #azdesign #placemaking #slowliving #sitework #desertmodern #desertarchitecture #futureancient #mayanarchitecture #archaeology #maya #guatemalan #maninthemaze

A place of cosmic perspective. A curiosity device. Inspired by the cogs of the Mayan calendar and labyrinthian depictions of the O’odham peoples sacred symbol l’itoi. When is a fire more than a fire? When it is a maze. Each piece. Part of its greater whole. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #rocks #moat #bioswale #paradisevalleyaz #designbuild #desertarchitecture #firepit #backyardgarden #form #concretesteps #concrete #dusk #desertmasonry #desertlife #azdesign #placemaking #slowliving #sitework #desertmodern #desertarchitecture #futureancient #mayanarchitecture #archaeology #maya #guatemalan #maninthemaze

Excavation for this hard dig in the western foothills of Mummy Mountain provided an abundance of bedrock cobbles. These hyper-local metasedimentary and granitic natural resources formed approximately 1400-1800 million years ago. Their ancient story was kept secretly buried beneath the earth for millennia until our efforts repurposed them into a man-made matrix. A filter that separates the outside chaos from the inner sanctuary. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #rocks #moat #bioswale #paradisevalleyaz #designbuild #desertarchitecture #firepit #backyardgarden #form #concretesteps #concrete #dusk #desertmasonry #desertlife #azdesign #placemaking #slowliving #sitework #desertmodern #desertarchitecture #futureancient #mayanarchitecture #archaeology #maya #guatemalan

the fire council drawing inspiration from the formal lexicon at Taliesin West and the client’s rich Guatemalan heritage, this monolith grounds itself in ritual. its sunken position on site regulates the property’s flow of water through an engineered rock swale that recharges the groundwater. this dynamic balance is the natural cycle of the desert: water brings life, brings fire, takes life, leaves new energy. active and breathing. still in moments of drought, parched from life. then, monsoons flood anticipated rain into its cavernous skeleton. to provide a foundation for ceremony requires elemental equilibrium. the moat of rainwater brings purification while the fire offers the ability to release that which no longer serves. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #ritual #bioswale #monsoon #family #dwelling #paradisevalleyaz #designbuild #desertarchitecture #firepit #backyardgarden #form #concretesteps #concrete #dusk #desertmasonry #desertlife #azdesign #placemaking #slowliving #sitework #desertmodern #desertarchitecture #futureancient #mayanarchitecture #archaeology #maya #guatemalan

un:earthed these cast slabs of stone, cut into and out of the earth, lead the procession down into a place of ceremony. their rhythmic geometries divide a visual axis that defines the greater landscape. an abstraction of the maya cultural identity. modern carbon steel connects a ruin out-of-time with the built environment. a tactile cadence felt underneath one’s footsteps drums hard and soft notes slowing down the tempo. this visceral decrescendo cleanses the palate, or soul, before fully participating in the fire council. architect: @ottocrete builder: @ottocrete owners rep: @advocate.rca 📸: @winonagrey #landscapearchitecture #azarchitecture #paradisevalleyaz #designbuild #desertarchitecture #firepit #backyardgarden #form #concretesteps #concrete #dusk #desertmasonry #desertlife #azdesign #placemaking #slowliving #sitework #desertmodern #desertarchitecture #futureancient #mayanarchitecture #archaeology #maya #guatemalan

“Architecture is experienced as one roams about in it and walks through it… So true is this that architectural works can be divided into dead and living ones depending on whether the law of ‘roaming through’ has not been observed or whether on the contrary it has been brilliantly obeyed.” (Le Corbusier, 1942) The entrance promenade starts well before one enters the gates to TSG foundation. A winding interconnected series of framed moments allude to the refuge provided upon crossing the threshold into the sanctuary. Like a summer hike through the quiet desert, our experience of place can be just as insightful. rammed earth: @ottocrete @moesconcrete Architect: @orcuttwinslow General Contractor: @180degreesinc Landscape Architect: @trueform_las 📸: @winonagrey #rammedearth #phoenixarchitecture #cavecreek #desertdweller #spirituality #azarchitecture #arizonaarchitecture #livingbuildingchallenge #rammedeartharchitecture #granite #oneofakind #dustalchemist #meditation #sanctuary #sunset #scottsdale #landscapearchitecture

This 50 ton rammed earth wall was made with soil from site. On few occasions, the soil is the perfect mixture of loam, sand, and rock. Mother nature’s perfect recipe distilled through epochs and secretly hiding beneath our feet. Limiting the carbon footprint by minimizing the amount of material from off site is at the forefront of The Living Building Challenge. This framework provides a path towards a more responsible future. Through sustainable alternatives and rigorous intent we can shape not only an industry but our impact on our planet. rammed earth: @ottocrete @moesconcrete Architect: @orcuttwinslow General Contractor: @180degreesinc 📸: @winonagrey #rammedearth #phoenixarchitecture #cavecreek #desertdweller #spirituality #azarchitecture #arizonaarchitecture #livingbuildingchallenge #rammedeartharchitecture #granite #oneofakind #dustalchemist #meditation #sanctuary #sunset #scottsdale

This is the sanctuary for the TSG Foundation: a center for spiritual development. Its responsible siting brings about a new appreciation for one’s self and use of the space each time it’s experienced. A true work of architecture. The foundation aims “to help people to unfold their potentials and transform their life to increased happiness, joy, creativity, and abundance in every way.” In this ever changing world we live in, it’s inspiring to see a community of professionals manifest a place into existence that will bring so much ageless wisdom for generations to come. rammed earth: @ottocrete @moesconcrete Architect: @orcuttwinslow General Contractor: @180degreesinc 📸: @winonagrey #rammedearth #phoenixarchitecture #cavecreek #desertdweller #spirituality #azarchitecture #arizonaarchitecture #rammedeartharchitecture #granite #oneofakind #dustalchemist #meditation #sanctuary #sunset #scottsdale

Inspiration006 Government Services Building Boston, Massachusetts Architect: Paul Rudolph A pioneer in the both the design and concrete industry, Rudolph defined the brutalist lexicon. This experimental finishing technique fuses bush hammering with hand drawing. The vertical scale of brutalism is expressed through its material function. Concrete corduroy, as some have called it, blurs the line between interior and exterior further unifying the design with its site. #brutalism #paulrudolph #bostonarchitecture #betonbrut #figureandfield #architecture

Inspiration005 Colly Soleri Music Center Arcosanti, Arizona Builder: many Called this concrete jungle home for many years, and yet it still harbors mystery. Dusted off and drew countless plans, and yet its still illusive. Dreamed many dreams, now the dreams just get dreamier. #brutalism #azarchitecture #concretejungle #shadowandlight #figureandfield

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