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47 | 7 46 | 7 TOUCHING NATURE Encased in a carapace of weathered steel, a retirement house in the spectacular splendour of the Arizona desert appears part of its raw, elemental, landscape. 1 The gently angular peaks of the roof mimic the topography of the distant mountains. 2 Embedded in the slope, the house presents a modest profile from the approach road. 3 The shed-like volumes of the main house and its smaller guest wing enclose an intermediate courtyard. 4 Courtyard is landscaped in a very precise fashion, with cubic planters and calm pools of water. 5 A weathered carapace of rusted steel cladding envelops the house. In southern Arizona, close to the Mexican border, landscape and sky collide in an exhilarating rush of space and light. This elevated desert area is known for its awesome summer lightning storms and very clear night skies (accounting for the presence of several astronomical observatories). Within this extraordinary natural arena, Rick Joy has built a house, a tautly graphic composition of glass and planes of hoary, rusted steel that sits lightly and low on the ground, like a lizard basking on a rock. His clients were a couple from Ohio who had spent their holidays in the Southwest and become seduced by its vast, primeval landscapes to the point of commissioning a retirement home. Covered with scrub, native mesquite trees and low wild grasses, the desert site slopes gently down to the south. In the distance, snow-capped mountains delicately frame the horizon. Apart from the usual living and guest spaces, the clients requested two studies, areas for entertainment and an optical telescope platform (the husband is a former radio astronomer and the site was selected as much for its night-time view of crystal clear skies as daytime panoramas). All this had to be contained on a single floor. Joy’s response was to carve a level shelf into the hill, defined by two U-shaped retaining walls skewed towards one another. This establishes a datum for the house. The retaining walls form the ends of two shed-like volumes (the main dwelling and a smaller guest house) that gently nudge into each other, with a linear courtyard occupying the intermediate space. From the approach road, only the glazed ends of the sheds are visible above the ground; at night these become glowing abstract forms, apparently hovering in space. A gravel-covered garden spiked with plump cacti flanks the entrance. To get in, you descend through a stair wedged in the cleft between the two retaining walls, to emerge in the tranquillity of the courtyard below. Pools of water and HOUSE, ARIZONA, USA ARCHITECT RICK JOY 1 2 3 4 5
Transcript of arjuly2001joydone.pdf
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TOUCHING NATUREEncased in a carapace of weathered steel, a retirement house in the spectacular
splendour of the Arizona desert appears part of its raw, elemental, landscape.
1The gently angular peaks of theroof mimic the topography of thedistant mountains.2Embedded in the slope, the housepresents a modest profile from theapproach road.3The shed-like volumes of the mainhouse and its smaller guest wingenclose an intermediate courtyard. 4Courtyard is landscaped in a veryprecise fashion, with cubic plantersand calm pools of water.5A weathered carapace of rustedsteel cladding envelops the house.
In southern Arizona, close to theMexican border, landscape andsky collide in an exhilarating rush of space and light. Thiselevated desert area is known for its awesome summer lightning storms and very clearnight skies (accounting for thepresence of several astronomicalobservatories). Within thisextraordinary natural arena, RickJoy has built a house, a tautlygraphic composition of glass andplanes of hoary, rusted steel thatsits lightly and low on the ground,like a lizard basking on a rock.
His clients were a couple fromOhio who had spent theirholidays in the Southwest andbecome seduced by its vast,primeval landscapes to the pointof commissioning a retirementhome. Covered with scrub,native mesquite trees and lowwild grasses, the desert siteslopes gently down to the south.In the distance, snow-cappedmountains delicately frame thehorizon. Apart from the usualliving and guest spaces, the clientsrequested two studies, areas forentertainment and an optical
telescope platform (the husbandis a former radio astronomer andthe site was selected as much forits night-time view of crystal clearskies as daytime panoramas). Allthis had to be contained on asingle floor.
Joy’s response was to carve alevel shelf into the hill, defined bytwo U-shaped retaining wallsskewed towards one another.This establishes a datum for thehouse. The retaining walls formthe ends of two shed-likevolumes (the main dwelling and asmaller guest house) that gently
nudge into each other, with alinear courtyard occupying theintermediate space. From theapproach road, only the glazedends of the sheds are visibleabove the ground; at night thesebecome glowing abstract forms,apparently hovering in space. Agravel-covered garden spikedwith plump cacti flanks theentrance. To get in, you descendthrough a stair wedged in thecleft between the two retainingwalls, to emerge in thetranquillity of the courtyardbelow. Pools of water and
HOUSE, ARIZONA, USAARCHITECT
RICK JOY
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1 courtyard2 entrance3 living4 kitchen5 pantry6 bedroom7 study8 workshop9 garage
10 porch11 pool12 guest house
cross section
ground floor plan (scale approx 1:400)
mesquite trees provide coolingshade and the fragrant vegetationattracts hummingbirds andbutterflies. The very precisedetailing of the courtyard –concrete paving, crisplyrectilinear planters and cubicvolumes of water – expressesthe controlled, man-madecharacter of the house againstthe rawness and unpredictabilityof nature. At the west end of thecourtyard, a swimming poolextends the vista towards the fardistant horizon.
The house’s organizationemphasizes the connection withthe exterior, as internal andexternal spaces meld fluidly withone other. Flanked by the
courtyard, the main living space isa long bar with a covered porchat its far end overlooking theswimming pool. To the rear is themaster bedroom and bathroomand twin studies, which face thecourtyard but also overlook asmaller private patio and pool,enclosed by the retaining wall.Each window exactly focuses andframes a particular view; somewindows are set flush with thesteel surface, some are box-likeprotrusions, some unglazed cut-outs. The smaller guest wing alsohouses a garage and a platformfor an optical telescope.
Joy likens the house to a geode,the coarseness of the rough steelexterior contrasting with the
refinement of the interior. Usedextensively in farm buildings andstructures, rusted steel is acommon sight in the Arizonacountryside. Because of theintensely dry climate, steelweathers quickly but does notrust through, so it was notnecessary to use costlyproprietary types of oxydizedsteel cladding. From a distance,the rough, red carapace of thehouse is a strong yet familiarpresence, resonating with thehues of the desert. Inside, whiteplaster walls and black polishedconcrete floors impart a simple,understated elegance. Pale maple,sandblasted glass and stainlesssteel complete the interior
palette. Sliding glass panelsheighten the connection with theexterior and assist in crossventilation, although the dwellingis also air conditioned. Joy’shouse extends the Modernisttradition of domesticating nature,yet powerfully rooted in thelandscape, it is also sensitive tonuances of a remarkable place.
C. S.
ArchitectRick Joy, Tucson, USAProject teamRick Joy, Andy Tinucci, Franz Buhler, Chelsea GrassingerStructural engineerSouthwest Structural EngineersMechanical engineerOtterbein EngineeringPhotographyJeff Goldberg/Esto
HOUSE, ARIZONA, USAARCHITECT
RICK JOY
6Carefully placed openings frame,focus and edit views of the vastlandscape beyond.7Main living and dining spaces. 8An enclosed terrace and sensuouspool terminate the west end of themain house.
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