Two professionals with a love for minimal design and a sharp wit approached Imbue Design with a request to design a small campus of structures for their desert landscape plot. Their objectives were clear: to create a main residence with guesthouse and studio outbuildings, to fill them with intimate nooks and gathering spaces, to take advantage of the site’s unparalleled views and accentuate the two most prominent rock formations, to preserve the existing vegetation, and to do all of this on a budget.
Imbue Design came up with a solution that met all of these objectives. They designed a main residence, guesthouse, and studio outbuildings with shed roof forms in an ‘L’ shape, with open ends that featured expansive glass walls to highlight the views of the two rock formations. Horizontal windows were added along the length of the structures to frame panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
The design of the structures was inspired by the natural surroundings, particularly the red rock megaliths that protrude out of the horizontal landscape. The sharp lines of the house contrast with the ancient, twisted juniper trees, and the use of materials like corrugated Corten panels and cedar siding helped the structures blend in with their surroundings and age naturally.
Given the remote location of the property, Imbue Design enlisted the help of local contractors and artisans to construct the retreat using local materials where possible. This not only helped to keep costs down but also helped to ensure that the structures were built to withstand the harsh desert environment.
Overall, Imbue Design was able to create a small campus of structures that met the owners’ objectives while staying within budget, taking into consideration the natural surroundings, and using local resources.
