Client Brief:
The clients, including a ceramic artist, wanted a home where their family could grow and create. They sought a design that would provide ample space for both living and creative work. The home needed to incorporate outdoor spaces for entertainment and food production, while offering privacy and protection from the surrounding environment.
Location:
The home is on a large piece of land that is centrally located in central Phoenix, Arizona that offered ample opportunities for outdoor living. The desert environment posed challenges in terms of heat, sun exposure, and material durability, requiring careful selection of exterior materials and thoughtful orientation of the structures on the site and the urban location provided privacy challenges.
Design Solution:
Inspired by pottery’s timeless influence, we designed "Foo" to be rigid in structure while malleable in use, precise in form while imperfect in texture, and varied in volume while limited in materials. The house is broken into three distinct volumes—living, sleeping, and utility—arranged to create a central courtyard. This layout provides privacy from the urban environment and shelter from the desert sun, while the courtyard serves as a multifunctional outdoor space for entertainment and food production. Features include a covered patio with a dining area, a sunken fire pit, an olive grove, a pool with a Baja shelf and hot tub, as well as areas for food production like a chicken coop, citrus and stone fruit groves, and raised vegetable beds. The home’s exterior materials—board-formed concrete, rusted corrugated metal, hand-troweled stucco, steel, and glass—were chosen for their ability to withstand the desert’s harsh conditions. These materials contrast and complement each other, changing in texture and finish over time with exposure to the elements. Inside, wood adds warmth and history, with a custom dining table and stair treads made from a fallen tree on the property.
Result:
The house is a modern, functional family home that draws deeply from the art of pottery to balance form and function. The design blends durable materials with natural elements, creating a flexible living and creative environment that evolves over time. The outdoor spaces provide a balance between entertainment and food production, making "Foo" a dynamic, sustainable, and artistic retreat in the heart of Phoenix.
