Strata
a desert dwelling
Strata celebrates modernist design in multiple ways. Its vast use of glass blurs the inside with the outside. Its deep overhanging eaves intersecting with each other at various angles recalls the best work of Wright. Its expansive glass calls to mind Neutra’s work and his insistence on architectural transparency.
The house’s imaginative interiors bespeak comfort and solace needed for days spent in the unforgiving Arizona sun. Its construction required extensive work on the site before the first slab was poured, a testament to the talent of the construction team. Whenever and wherever possible, native stone and wood were used to give the house a sense of authenticity.
The sliding glass doors located at multiple points allow the owners to have delightful dinner parties just as the sun is setting and the dry air is cooling – neither indoors nor outdoors, but a vivid combination of the two.
James Moore McCown is a Boston-based architectural journalist who writes for numerous design publications including Metropolis, Architect’s Newspaper and AD PRO Architectural Digest.