Farber Residence

On a small plateau between two desert washes that separate the property from streets on front and rear, buildings and landscape create a small oasis in a suburban desert setting.

Building plan and form grow from the owners’ program. Rather than a separate room, the gallery becomes an interior “art walk” which organizes the spaces of the home. Living spaces open off the gallery to the south patio, where the landscaping is an extension of the architecture. Sandblasted masonry provides color, texture and thermal mass for energy conservation.

The main house and the studio are tied together by site walls to form a protected courtyard with views to the Phoenix Mountains beyond.