Introduction
Since our firm’s inception in 1998, my partner David Darling and I have fantasized about designing structures in desert landscapes. Having camped in this magical terrain numerous times since my late twenties, I know there is purity and honesty to the desert. It is harsh in so many ways: the needles of the indigenous brush lie in wait to puncture one’s skin; the granite boulders abrade; and the rattlesnakes hide in the rock outcroppings, always ready to strike. The heat can be unbearable at times, yet the diurnal temperature swings from day to night are vast. This is an environment that demands great respect. At the same time, it evokes awe with its breathtaking beauty revealed throughout the day and into evening. The colors of the flora and fauna are indeed incredible, but the skies at sunrise and sunset are otherworldly. To integrate a home within this terrain felt like a sacred act and with it came a tremendous responsibility.
Joshua Aidlin
