Defining Desert Living June/July 2021

Defining Desert Living

Architecturally Unique Homes

JUNE/JULY 2021

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

Cosanti, Paradise Valley, Arizona

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

Architectural Libraries

FEATURED ARTIST

William Wegman

TM

Architecturally Unique Homes

azarchitecture.com

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

480.425.9300

®

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Editor’s Note: We believe you deserve recognition for choosing a life of design. Unlike other brokers we deliver expert marketing and knowledge to buyers and sellers, helping them to achieve their goals. Defining Desert Living is just another way we help spread the word about great design in Arizona.

Last year marked our thirty-year anniversary dedicated to adding value to architecture in real estate. This year we celebrate seventeen years as an independent, local brokerage serving our vibrant community. It’s a legacy we are proud of.

Scott Jarson, Editor

EDITOR / PUBLISHER

Debbie Jarson Scott Jarson CONTRIBUTORS

David Brown Taylor Costello Andrew Jarson Walt Lockley ART DIRECTION

ps:studios inc.

COVER IMAGE

IMAGERY Bill Timmerman

Today, we remain the only real estate brokerage in Arizona that makes architecture a special focus of their trade. We hope that this magazine reflects our dedication.

In this issue we deeply explore the long and interesting history of Paolo Soleri’s Paradise Valley landmark, Cosanti. A unique collection of buildings that many draw daily inspiration from. We also highlight architectural gems that are so often taken for granted; our diverse collection of Public Libraries: Accessible Architecture at the intersection of design and knowledge.

Art and memory combine in this issue as we showcase the uniquely modern work of our featured artist William Wegman and update you on the Valley’s current exhibition schedule at some of our favorite museums. We also say goodbye to a dear friend and talented artist in his own right, Julio Taboada.

Our business is Architectural Real Estate...but it’s also our passion. Jarson & Jarson Real Estate respects the “life well lived”. We add value to unique homes and help our clients live a life of style and beauty. This magazine is our way of celebrating this narrative with you. Let us know how we can help.

It’s all part of what we call Defining Desert Living!

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azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson members are proud supporters of the Frank Lloyd Wright READ THE CURRENT ISSUE ONLINE AT azarchitecture.com

Building Conservancy, The Arizona State University Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and the Taliesin Foundation.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration strictly prohibited without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. Publisher assumes no liability for the information contained herein; all statements are the sole opinions of the contributors and/or advertisers.

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

IN THIS ISSUE IN HIS OWN WORDS

1

Editors Notes

ON THE SHELF

6

Coveted Books & Products

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

8

Cosanti, Paradise Valley, Arizona

ON THE MARKET

18

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL: ARCHITECTURAL LIBRARIES

22

ON THE MARKET

28

WILLIAM WEGMAN

32

Featured Artist

ON DISPLAY

34

Valley Arts & Culture

IN MEMORIAM

36

Julio Taboada Sr.

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

In the midst of our Valley there are cool, irrigated citrus groves in the shadow of Camelback Mountain, along with pockets of Spanish revival, adobe, and mid-century modern ranch homes. There are forests of giant saguaros in the foothills to the north, an area that is known for cutting-edge architecture, and rows of majestic date palms lining streets of historic homes in central Phoenix. All of this makes for a rich, urban landscape that includes modern in-fill architecture, loft projects and stunning high-rise towers. All coexisting within the dramatic backdrop of our unique Sonoran Desert. azarchitecture understands the contrasts and architectural nuances that set unique homes apart. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Case Study, Eames to Al Beadle, azarchitecture speaks the language of modern architecture.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert Murray

4

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

ON THE SHELF

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You could own a piece of history.

Frank Lloyd Wright is widely considered the greatest American architect of the 20th Century.

Stewards who understand and appreciate Wright’s buildings are crucial to their preservation. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy works to connect sellers of Wright-designed properties with preservation-minded buyers. The Conservancy’s Wright on the Market is the only listing service exclusively for Wright-designed properties.

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OUR UNIQUE V ISUA L W E A LTH

COSANTI, PARADISE VA ARIZONA DAV I D M . B R OW N

8

ALLEY, Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

“

. . . to make conditions in the future a little better than they are now . . . that’s the function of architecture.

– Paolo Soleri

”

Paolo Soleri will be dead eight years this April 9—13 days

telling him that the CatCast House at Cosanti was the kind

before Earth Day 2021.

of home I wanted to build one day for myself,” he recalls.

“That would be great, I thought.”

But his legacy as architect, ecological pioneer, urban philosopher, artist and craftsman remains at two of

Fortunately, a new partnership between the Cosanti

Arizona’s most architecturally significant sites: Cosanti in

Foundation and The School of Architecture, formerly at

Paradise Valley and Arcosanti in Cordes Junction, 70 miles

Taliesin, is offering architectural students from around the

north of Phoenix.

world hands-on education at Arcosanti, and in a limited capacity at Cosanti as well. In January 2021, the first

Many know Soleri from the one-off bronze and ceramic

students began studying and working in person at Arcosanti

Cosanti Originals windbells produced at both sites or the

under this plan.

Soleri Bridge crossing the Arizona Canal at Camelback Road in downtown Scottsdale, but his achievement at

In 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright founded the school as an

Cosanti should be more widely celebrated and utilized, says

apprenticeship program; it is accredited by the National

Scott Jarson, who with wife Debbie is celebrating 31 years

Architectural Accrediting Board and the Higher Learning

of azarchitecture Jarson & Jarson Real Estate, Scottsdale,

Commission, offering a project-based Master of Architecture

which specializes in the sale and purchase of historic

degree, focused on an immersive, hands-on educational

properties.

experience. The school left Taliesin West in May 2020. In 1965 Soleri and his wife Colly (Carolyn Woods) established

“Cosanti is a genuine experiment in living, combining wood,

the 501(c)3 educational nonprofit foundation to further his

silt and concrete and ingenuity,” he explains. “For Paolo

ideals of ecological and architectural accountability.

Soleri, it was a way of totally integrating life and work. Here he walked the talk for some time.”

As students live, attend classes, and design and build their traditional shelters at Arcosanti, the collaboration also

In 1958, Jarson’s parents purchased a home a quarter mile

envisions guests and tourists better enjoying the structures

north of Cosanti on Mockingbird Lane in what was then the

at and lessons of the earlier Cosanti.

Doubletree Ranch area in Maricopa County. “I used to ride by here on my bike and watched the Ceramics Studio and

“We see the school’s new location and leadership as an

other structures being built,” he explains. “I spent a lot of

opportunity to reinvigorate our dedication to our entire

time there.”

community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni,” says Dan Schweiker, chair of the governing board for the

Cosanti significantly influenced him in his life’s work. “I

school and a 20-year resident of Paradise Valley, where he

remember speaking with my high school art teacher and

served on the town council for 12 years. He now lives in

10

Scottsdale. “Cosanti is an iconic place in Paradise Valley,

and studio,” says Will Bruder, FAIA, the celebrated Valley

and we look forward to working with the foundation for

architect who apprenticed with Soleri in the 1960s, helping

many years,” he adds.

build Cosanti structures such as the two-level CatCast.

Jarson remembers watching Bruder, about ten years his

From the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, Soleri and

senior, labor at his work; today he and Debbie live in a

a cadre of apprentices and volunteers students designed

Bruder-designed home in Paradise Valley.

and built Cosanti. Those dozen or so visionary dwellings and structures, including the Earth House (1956), Pumpkin

“With this structural variety and the complex’s poetic

Apse/Barrel Vaults (1967), Soleri Studio (1959), CatCast

continuity, these varied structures appear to link together

Home (1965), Gallery (1961) and canopied Pool (1966),

in an organic wholeness,” adds Bruder, who lives and

represent Soleri’s pioneering vision to create a habitat

practices in Portland, Oregon.

balancing human needs and the environment.

With the name Cosanti, Soleri blended two Italian words, Designated a culturally significant site on the Arizona

“cosa” and “anti” (“before things”), to describe his belief

State Registry of Historic Places, Cosanti is also where

that humanity’s direct access to nature should also connect

Soleri perfected his “earth-casting” technique for building

organically with its structures. The concept is aligned with

structures and procedures for casting bells, where he

his arcology, a portmanteau of architecture and ecology:

created his great bridge designs and where he wrote

“environment in harmony with man and nature.”

Arcology: The City in the Image of Man, which inspired him to build Arcosanti.

“Cosanti represents the legacy of a thinker, artist, and architect combined in one location,” Jarson says. “A

“Soleri’s Cosanti studios and experimental structures,

sculpture of buildings and a must place to go for architects as

while modest on their five-acre site, are architecturally as

well as anyone interested in our environment, Cosanti is the

important as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West residence

work of a visionary who thought about environmentalism,

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

sustainability, and climate change long before those

Santa Fe for one season and we found out that it was too

concepts became mainstream.”

cold for ceramics, the ceramics would freeze when we were working outdoors. So we came here because by looking

TURIN, TIME WITH WRIGHT AND THEN COSANTI

around, we ended up finding these five acres for sale.”

Here they settled with their daughter, Daniela, today a

Born in Turin, June 21, 1919, in the Po Valley of northern

researcher in California. The family first lived in the Pink

Italy, Soleri visited the United States in December 1946

House, a still-standing redwood home built in 1920s,

after receiving his master’s degree in Architecture from the

perhaps the oldest structure in Paradise Valley. At the time,

Politecnico di Torino. Here he spent 18 months in fellowship

the home was owned by painter Lew Davis and his wife,

with Wright at Taliesin West and Taliesin. For philosophical

ceramicist Mathilde Schaefer. In 1963, the town annexed

and personal reasons, they parted.

the area which includes Cosanti.

In 1950, Soleri and wife Colly traveled to Italy where he

“Paolo fell in love with the unique environment of the desert.

designed his only commercial commission, Ceramica

Here he found a place where you can live in harmony with

Artistica Solimene, in Vietri south of Naples on the Adriatic.

nature and with others, using materials of the earth already

During the design and construction of the factory, he

here,” says Patrick McWhortor, former president and CEO

learned ceramics, a skill he used later to make his original

of the Cosanti Foundation and an ex officio member of the

bells at Cosanti.

board of directors. “It all started at Cosanti.”

The couple returned to the Southwest about four and a

“Paolo found the silt on the floodplain of the Indian Bend

half years later, inspired by what Paolo called its “light

Wash great to work with. He could make molds with it and

and landscape” in a January 22, 1999, interview with

it could withstand concrete poured over it, as he and his

Anne Andeen and Ann Townsend, Town of Paradise Valley

students did with a number of the buildings,” says Victor

Historical Committee members. He recalled: “We were in

Sidy, former head of school and dean of the Frank Lloyd

12

Wright School of Architecture, and managing principal

Described at the time an “urban laboratory” by Ada Louise

of Victor Sidy Architect in Phoenix. He remains a board

Huxtable, the New York Times architecture critic, Arcosanti

member of the school with others such as alumni, Bing

was featured in a 1976 Newsweek article, which called it

Hu, founder and president, H&S International, and John

“. . . probably the most important experiment [in urban

Sather, managing partner, Swaback Architects + Planners,

architecture] in our lifetime.” Adds Jarson: “The concepts

Scottsdale.

formulated at Cosanti are taken to a macro level at Arcosanti. They become huge.”

Soleri also designed his only other Arizona homes, the Dome House in Cave Creek (1949), built for Colley’s

“Arcosanti is just an attempt to implement some ideas,”

mother in Cave Creek, an inspiration for the Earth House

Soleri said in the 1999 interview. “The idea is the urban

at Cosanti, and the Deconcini House (1984), once owned

affect which is what made civilization. The point I am

by Arizona Senator Dennis Deconcini and his brother, Dino,

making constantly is that we have to re-invent the city in

in Phoenix.

order develop our civilization.”

In 1970, he and his students began building Arcosanti

Only a few buildings, such as Antioch (1974) were completed

(“Architecture” + “Cosanti”) to test Soleri’s concepts of

at Cosanti after work at Arcosanti began, but molding and

urban planning, how future cities can be more pedestrian-

firing the windbells continued here and at Arcosanti, where

centric and less automobile dependent, more multi-use,

Soleri focused most of his efforts on his city of the future.

and more vertically dense to alleviate strain on planetary resources.

Defining Desert Living

There he is buried in a private cemetery next to Colly.

JUNE/JULY 2021

14

THE COSANTI ACHIEVEMENT

Bruder notes that Soleri and his students built every structure with similar care and craftsmanship.

The Earth House was the first experimental structure, built shortly after the family purchased the land. “The roof, it’s

“From the apse shells of the bell works to the sunken

buried so that it was below grade,” Soleri recalled in the

courtyards of the Earth House to the earth cast roofs of

Andeen and Thompson interview. “The desert is very flat, so

the CatCast Residence and the hovering concrete canopy

I shaped the desert by hand, then we cast the roof, then we

over the swimming pool, each structure was ‘shaped’ and

excavated under the roof to make this space, we put walls in

integrally carved with patterns and ornament by Paolo’s

and divided it. So you do the roof and then the foundation.”

hands along with the support of his interns and apprentices,” he says.

The Gallery is similarly constructed. Jeffrey Cook, AIA, described the innovative process in A Guide to the

Because of keen siting and construction, the campus is also

Architecture of Metro Phoenix – Central Arizona Chapter,

an “an oasis of passive climatic comfort,” Bruder explains.

American Institute of Architects, published 1983: “Moist

“The site’s structures are thoughtfully recessed into the

earth was piled up and shaped as a mold for concrete

natural grade of the desert floor that surrounds them,

construction. Rib shapes were cut into the mound of

creating a catchment of cool air along the pathways and

earth to hold the structural thickening and reinforcement.

courtyards connecting the buildings. The series of concrete

Polyethylene plastic film cut into patterns was placed on

apses and canopies is carefully oriented either to the north

the earth-mold to defined smooth curved panels. The

to optimize their shading from the heat of the summer sun

entire earth mound was sprayed with “gunite” . . . After

or to the south to catch the warmth of the low winter sun

the concrete hardened, the earth was removed from

angles.”

underneath with a bulldozer” (p. 189).

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

Sidy adds that the interior spaces provide shade and

one of the country’s wealthiest zipcodes, the Cosanti land is

cooling: “They exhaust the hot air through an evaporative-

worth about $1.5 million an acre and continually increases

cooling effect. Here is experimentation in a similar way as

in value, Jarson says, adding that this doesn’t necessarily

Wright. In fact, he engaged with the extremes of the desert

jeopardize the future of Cosanti but remains a factor when

much more than his teacher.”

discussing the preservation of a state treasure.

“What makes Cosanti so special to me is the marriage

Also, the Taliesin School of Architecture and Cosanti

between the earth and structure, the buff color from the

Foundation hope to generate more attention to Cosanti

silt integral in the concrete, for instance,” Jarson says.

through opening the venue for more tours, already

“The decorative work is also so beautiful, an homage to

expanded to weekends, explains McWhortor, who says the

indigenous people who carved petroglyphs,” he adds,

Foundation’s board is also considering pursuing a National

noting that Soleri also learned from Wright, early Roman

Register of Historic Places designation for Cosanti.

builders, even Chinese designers.

The site should be reimagined as a uniquely public place in Jarson’s favorite space is the Studio. “I remember looking

a town of superlative private places. “Cosanti and its history

through the windows as a young man, and there was Paolo

should serve as a point of pride for Paradise Valley,” Sidy

Soleri at the same table that’s still there, designing,” he

explains. “It’s a remarkable record of ingenuity.”

recalls. “It was very special then, and its magic remains with me now.”

Cosanti should be celebrated as a place where environmental responsibility, especially in the water-poor

OPPORTUNITY, RESPONSIBILITY

Southwest desert, was pioneered. “We have to remind ourselves that we are fooling ourselves if we think that we

Surrounded by pricey El Maro Estates in Paradise Valley,

16

are preserving the desert the way we are going on,” Soleri

ED I TO R S N OT E Dr. Daniela Soleri was a classmate and neighbor of mine since childhood. For some time, she has been bravely and poignantly honest about the abuse she experienced by her father.

Dr. Soleri has published an important public essay that must be read in order to balance any blind admiration of Soleri’s work in context with that of Soleri, the man.

Knowing this, how then can we consider any celebration of Cosanti the place? Our article is meant to remember and explore Cosanti, the existent works and structures. Many sincere, creative and talented people contributed to that built environment. The sculpture of these spaces remain compelling and have inspired many to go on to do good works.

I share personal remembrances of Cosanti and Paolo Soleri in this article, as the creativity and ideas (especially those of the 1960’s to early 1970’s) were indeed special. Perhaps we may be permitted to consider these concepts, and experience the locale, but not without balance against personal truth and cost.

You may read Dr. Soleri’s essay here: Read https://medium.com/@soleri/sexual-abuse-its-you-him-and-his-work-88ecb8e99648 Scott Jarson

said in the 1999 interview. “We are not preserving the

foundations and, in nonCOVID-19 times, through tours,

desert, we are not preserving us, we are really destroying

hands-on workshops and performing arts events. But more

ourselves. In order to change that trend, we have to change

funds will be needed to renovate and restore this important

our minds.”

American place.

Bruder sees Cosanti architecturally aligned with Antonio

“This is where the highest level of thinking took place,”

Gaudi’s late nineteenth-century masterworks in Barcelona,

Jarson says. “Bucky Fuller lectured here, and Mark Mills,

Spain and Simon Rodia’s early-20th-century sculpted

another Wright apprentice who went on to great things. Its

towers in Watts, California. “Cosanti has been, since its

intellectual legacy for all of us is the furtherance of ideals in

inception, a pilgrimage site of both architects, sculptors and

architecture, creative construction and living.

artisans from around the world,” he explains.

“This is a fragile and delicate place, and we need to restore “It is extremely important that these fragile architectural

it so that a new generation can get a glimpse of how

inventions of genius find the resources and commitment

Cosanti was created,” he adds. “You won’t see anything

of professional restoration and landmark status to protect

like this anywhere in the world. It is inhabited sculpture and

their structural integrity from the failure of age and ensure

it is sacred.”

continued access for the general public and scholars alike,” he adds.

For more information, visit cosanti.com and arcosanti.org.

The revenue from the sales of Cosanti Originals windbells,

David Brown is a Valley-based freelancer (azwriter.com). This

sized tiles, vessels, planters and pots provides revenue

is the third in an ongoing series celebrating Arizona’s “Visual

support for Cosanti. In addition, The Cosanti Foundation

Wealth.”

is funded by its members, individual donors and charitable

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

TOWN L A KE MODERN PENTHOUSE This stunning two-story Penthouse perched atop the luxurious Bridgeview Condominiums offers unparalleled exclusivity and comfort, as well as captivating views of the mountains, city lights and Tempe Town Lake! Featured in Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine, this exquisite 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom penthouse comes replete with soaring 18-foot ceilings in the entry, a kitchen fit for a chef, and private elevator. READ MORE

Price: $1,950,000

ACCEPTING BACK UP OFFERS MOUNTAIN VIE W E AST - JOHN R AT TENBURY A RCHITEC T This beautiful McCormick Ranch home was originally designed by John Rattenbury and is one of only a handful of homes designed by the famed Taliesin Architect. The home has been updated but the Frank Lloyd Wright influence still shines bright throughout. From the custom bamboo cabinets in the kitchen, the soffits in the Great Room, and the skylights throughout, the attention to detail is superb! READ MORE

Price: $1,195,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

ACCEPTING BACK UP OFFERS SEDON A MID -CENTURY MODERN R A NCH This stunning Mid-Century Ranch home in West Sedona offers 3 bedrooms, Den, 2 1/2 baths, 2 car garage and a complete, whole-house renovation. Stunning views and zen-like interiors make this an instant hit! One look and you won’t want to leave: New finishes all with a calm and casual-modern interior that is full of light, texture and quality. No expense was spared during this course of the renovation. READ MORE

Price: $1,250,000

LUXURY TOWNHOME VILL A – COPPERW YND RESORT Looking for a Luxury Lifestyle in a great gated resort location? That can be hard to find — but not now! This spacious townhouse boasts a superior floor plan with lots of privacy, three different balconies with incredible mountain views, two Master en-suites, an home office, open concept living, exquisite hardwood floors, and many many upgrades. READ MORE

Price: $675,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

All figures and measurements approximate: subject to error, omissions, withdrawal, prior sale and approval of purchase by owner.

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

OFF MARKET DR A M ATIC MOUNTAIN TOP LUXURY HOME SITE Been wanting to own an entire Mountain Top? At last you can have a James Bond worthy get-a-way homesite. Pristine 360 degree views from this near two acre flat lot in Paradise Valley located in Clearwater Hills, a Maricopa County Island allowing for creativity & extras not available elsewhere. Build your own or bring to life the inspired “sky Island” design by award winning architect Darren Petrucci, AIA. READ MORE

Price: $4,950,000

MID -TOWN DE VELOPMENT SITE - MODERN BUILDINGS Sold only as a package of two parcels, this luxury residential urban in-fill opportunity is located in booming Mid-Town Phoenix Arizona.

Combining two parcels to total 24,750SF+-, the site is located in the City of Phoenix Transit Overlay District (TOD), under which variances may allow for greater height, density and reduced parking. READ MORE

Price: $3,500,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

SOLD HISTORIC PAR ADISE VALLE Y ADOBE ESTATE This charming Adobe home estate in the heart of Paradise Valley features a total renovation and stunning architectural updates, making it one of the most unique homes available today: originally a 1928 adobe guest ranch, this charming complex of adobe structures was named “La Casita de Maria” by the original owners. Today this very special home was been totally renovated, expanded and restored to perfection. READ MORE

Price: $4,150,000

SOLD R A M A DA HOUSE, JUDITH CH A FFEE FAIA Widely considered one of the most architecturally significant homes in Arizona, the “Ramada House” by Tucson Architect Judith Chaffee FAIA was completed in 1975. located in the Santa Catalina Foothills of Tucson this home was is on the National register of Historic Places. The Buyers were introduced by azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson as the referring Broker; sale was closed by Long Realty Company. READ MORE

Price: $1,900,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

All figures and measurements approximate: subject to error, omissions, withdrawal, prior sale and approval of purchase by owner.

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL:

ARCHITECTURAL LIBRARIES 22

The goal of a library as a simple repository for information shifted in recent years into one a place of gathering in the community. The world of modern architecture responded in kind as the aesthetic shifted from an unvarnished sanctuary for knowledge into one of communion where the sense of environment and place factor importantly into the design, whether by natural intent or the project demands. Despite the pandemic pausing the tenants of the gathering part of that mission, libraries still serve the local communities as spots for other vital public interest in the meantime.

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

Palo Verde Center — Wendell Burnette Architects & Gould Evans Associates

Palo Verde Center — Wendell Burnette

was an old Circle K which projects what it is selling to the

Architects & Gould Evans Associates

street. When you drive down 51st Avenue you see into the

Built: 2006 | 4402 N 51st Ave, Phoenix, 85031

library, you see books, people reading, into the community center, people playing basketball, a karate class and then

In Summary: The architects entered the project with a

the pool. You understand the civic program of the building

mandate by the city to renew the area, yet retain the popular

in the community.” —Wendell Burnette

community aspects and green space. The library and park exist side-by-side allowing for a metaphysical dialogue

Burton Barr Central Library — Will Bruder

between the mind and body, exemplified by a “reverse

Architects

lantern effect” of the trees moving through the mill-finished

Built: 1995 | 1221 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, 85004

steel — and thus the mass of the building. The architects positioned the design of the new library toward the edge of

In Summary: Described by Nader Tehrani as a literal

the street to also contribute to that effect.

monolith on the downtown skyline, which evades “any architectural reference to scale, aperture, or signs of

From Arch Daily: The Palo Verde Library and Maryvale

inhabitation,” this idiosyncratic library defied budget

Community Center has received numerous awards

restraints to produce a distillation of what a community

including a 2009 Honor Award, AIA/ALA National, 2007

sought to house its knowledge. The 1,000,000 volume

National Honor Award, and a 2006 Merit Award, AIA

collection’s ground floor opens to a “crystal canyon” atrium

Western Mountain Region.”

to expose its contents through structural glass sheathing on every floor. Its design culminates on a fifth floor reading

From the Architect: “Some of the inspiration for the building

24

room which notes its location and the passing of seasons

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is honoring Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library, designed by Will Bruder Architects, with its Twenty-five Year Award which recognizes buildings that have set a precedent for the last 25-35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design.

Burton Barr Central Library — Will Bruder Architects

in the architecture on the Summer Solstice. Considered

ASU Tempe Campus became a mausoleum, of sorts, when

the greenest building before widespread application of the

the library entrance was sealed in 1988, as the then-new

LEED certification.

subterranean entrance to the library was opened south of the Hayden Lawn. A literal reinvention was undertaken

From the Architect: “We have this great public room at the

by the local architecture team of Ayers Saint Gross and

top of our library, which houses the non-fiction collections

TRUEFORM Landscape Architects to reinvent the library

and all these studied positions with fantastic views north

services provided and promote an openness which past

and south, I knew the roof had to float above this space

updates obscured.

like a cloud. As we challenged our engineers at Ove Arup to come up with an idea [for the fifth floor], they came with

From the Architect: “It’s the heart of campus. It really

this cable cat’s cradle across the roof. We can literally flout

encourages a porosity to its edges. When we see these

at the tip of the column from the steel detail which looks

old buildings like this, we’re always looking for chances to

like a candle illuminated. Which gives this special mythical

repurpose, reuse and recycle, all those “re”-words. Ayers

quality to this room and space.” —Will Bruder, at the 2018

Saint Gross [the project architect] pulled all the granite

Summer Solstice Event

slabs off the plaza deck level and created this raised platform plaza with the stairs and ramp to access it all the

Hayden Library — Weaver & Drover, Redesign

way around the entire library, with that material used as

by Ayers Saint Gross + TRUEFORM

the retaining wall system. It didn’t disappear, we kept that

Year: 1966 | 300 Orange Mall, Tempe, 85281

history in close context. It tells that story right there.” —Todd Briggs, of TRUEFORM

In Summary: Slowly over fifty years, Hayden Library on the

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

Hayden Library — Weaver & Drover, Redesign by Ayers Saint Gross + TRUEFORM

Scottsdale Library – Bennie Gonzales

26

South Mountain Community Library — Richärd+Bauer

South Mountain Community Library — Scottsdale Library – Bennie Gonzales

Richärd+Bauer

Year: 1968 | 3839 N Drinkwater Blvd, Scottsdale, 85251

Year: 2011 | 7050 S 24th St, Phoenix, 85042

In Summary: An appendage to the masterplan of Civic

In Summary: Modeled after a circuit board, the project

Center, the Scottsdale Public Library was created in an

presents that same ethos of connection to that vital piece

International Style and his own regional stylings with an aim

of electronics — even down to the Copper PCB-like

for openness. The famed architect Bennie Gonzales built

material, which adorns the outside, which Bauer likened

the space to replace the original library, one of the oldest

to a barcode. Reference and academia are balanced even

buildings in Scottsdale which still exists on site. Constructed

on this project: The library occupies the first floor space,

as a 37,000 sf facility, ten times the size of the original,

with all the usual elements, while the academic meeting

it was designed to be truly open with massive pillars and

spaces and centers were laid on entirely on second floor.

obtuse angles to give the literal and figurative space to hold

However, like their inspiration they are interconnected in

its weight of contents.

their functionality.

From the Architect: Referring to City Hall, “I don’t think

From the Architect: “Libraries are inherently tied to the

there’s anything more painful experience of separation than

transformation of informational systems that are changing

when you walk down the halls of a government building

at an exponential pace. The challenge is not to capture

and see rows of rooms,” -Bennie Gonzales, (Oct. 22, 1967)

a moment in time, but develop an open-ended flexibility,”

to the Arizona Republic.

-Richard Bauer, to world-architects

Defining Desert Living

JUNE/JULY 2021

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SOLD PA R A DISE VA LLE Y C A MEL VIE W MODERN - ROSS DESIGN GROUP A modern home with outstanding Camelback Mountain Views is a dream for many. This home in the heart of Paradise Valley is just that! Located in one of the most desirable neighborhoods, it harbors all of the in-demand features for today’s lifestyle. From the beautiful white aggregate honed faced block, to the crisp detail of the steel fascia and overhangs, this home presents a timeless desert modern design. READ MORE

Price: $2,950,000

SOLD MOUNTAIN MODERN, C A MELBACK VIE WS – K AISERWORKS A RCHITEC TURE Located on the south side of Phoenix’s iconic Camelback Mountain, this fully renovated contemporary design now showcases grand views of the surrounding desert landscape without forfeiting privacy or its ranch-style heritage. Inspired modern design by KAISERWORKS architecture, this house discards conventional wall-and-hallway plans to organize the space with discrete volumes for privacy that combine with open living.

READ MORE

Price: $2,226,510

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

SOLD C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN MODERN SA NC TUA RY – C W A RCHITEC TURE A rare find: a bright and sophisticated Contemporary home in one of Paradise Valley’s most desirable pockets. Defined by subdued sophistication, you’ll find interiors of rich materiality, walls covered of black basalt tile, rolled steel features, and long flanks of hardwood flooring. This private, ” Heart of Paradise Valley” location offers glorious views. You’ll enjoy all the benefits that Paradise Valley has to offer in clean, modern aesthetic. READ MORE

Price: $5,000,000

SOLD SCOT TSDA LE CUSTOM CONTE MPORY - TROON NORTH This contemporary ranch home was built by custom home builder Bernard Dixon. The home boasts 19’ ceilings and copper, glass, stone and wood finishes throughout. A stacked flagstone fireplace anchors the shared living/dining/kitchen space while telescoping window walls on both sides of the room and expansive covered patio integrates the outdoors seamlessly into the homeowners’ daily life. READ MORE

Price: $1,650,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

All figures and measurements approximate: subject to error, omissions, withdrawal, prior sale and approval of purchase by owner.

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SOLD HISTORIC C ASA B L A N A MODERN TOWNHOUSE The iconic Casa Blanca — original winter home to the Kellogg Family is an iconic Paradise Valley area gated community with a rich history! This townhouse, in what was once the Casa Blanca Inn, is uniquely built with a full patio. Owner invested in new tile and carpet throughout, however; it was priced for the investor or buyer with an eye for design to make it their own. Residence include vaulted ceilings, a holdover feature when this was still a resort, and granite counter tops. READ MORE

Price: $730,000

SOLD 1925 SPA NISH RE VIVA L – FQ STORY HISTORIC DISTRIC T This 1925 Spanish Revival is an example of perfection in preservation and charm. Nestled in one of the best streets of this fantastic FQ Story Historic district is just another reason to look twice. From being on the FQ Story Home Tour to the purple black tile, speakeasy door, sconces & floors that simply shine and are ALL ORIGINAL, you just have to smile. The barrel ceilings with lathe old world plaster and warm gas fireplace speak of a day gone by. READ MORE

Price: $600,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

SOLD STELL A CONDOS - THE CONSTRUC TION ZONE A RCHITEC TS A timeless architectural contemporary loft condo, designed by the iconic Construction Zone! Located in the heart of Central Phoenix, this loft-style home showcases a palette of high-end finishes and architectural details in this spacious three-level residence: Walnut wood floors, custom steel & wood stairway, and floor-to-ceiling windows which showcase city light views. Exposed masonry, high-end cabinetry, stainless steel appliances plus a custom steel island add to the unique feel of the kitchen/great room. READ MORE

Price: $523,000

SOLD WILLO HISTORIC DISTRIC T – PUEB LO MISSION RE VIVA L FOUR-PLE X Fantastic Investment Opportunity for a fully-leased historic fourplex in the Central Phoenix Willo Historic District. Located nearby the Light Rail, eateries and cafes, ASU Downtown Campus, Downtown Phoenix, Melrose Arts District, Encanto Park and Golf Course, St Joseph’s Hospital, the I-10 freeway, and much more! This property was built before building zoning ordinances were in place and the neighborhood became reserved for exclusively single family homes making this an especially rare opportunity. READ MORE

Price: $1,200,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

All figures and measurements approximate: subject to error, omissions, withdrawal, prior sale and approval of purchase by owner.

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

FEATURED ARTIST

WILLIAM WEGMAN William Wegman began his career as a painter and was included in such groundbreaking exhibitions as the 1969 When Attitudes Become Form at Bern Kunsthalle and the 1972 Documenta V in Kassel. In the early 1970s, he started making short conceptual videos, some of which featured his elegant Weimaraner dog named Man Ray after the American Dadaist artist and photographer.

Recorded in a single take on a portable camera, Wegman’s videos used sight gags and immediacy of the medium to create absurdist narratives that undermined the ideals of high art and culture.

Then came the iconic photographs of the dog Man Ray and subsequent generations of Weimaraners belonging to the artist. Wegman photographed them partially hidden in landscapes, marooned in everyday human situations, balanced precariously on modernist furniture or costumed as everyone from fashion models to fairy tale characters.

Deadpan, endearing, slyly funny and surreal, these images are a mirror, reflecting our human frailties and psychology as well as illustrating the fallible nature of our actions and motivations.

To see William’s work visit: LisaSetteGallery.com

Images courtesy of the artist and Lisa Sette Gallery

ON DISPLAY

Valley Arts & Culture The Phoenix Metro area is brimming with architecturally significant museums—some new, some nearly a century old. Here are a few of our favorite buildings that house the Valley’s unique art collections (and their stories).

SHEMER ART CENTER & MUSEUM, PHOENIX, 1919 Named “One of the 10 Best Museums in Phoenix” by USA Today, Arcadia’s first home was designed and built in 1919 for a foreman who worked for the Arizona Water Company (the citrus groves were just being planted). Renovated several times, it was purchased in 1984 by Martha Evvard Shemer, who later donated it to the City of Phoenix. Shemer’s plan was twofold: preserve the historic property and provide local residents with an arts education and community center, and a “home for the arts” was born.

SEE

Life on Paper

A juried exhibition of artwork created by members of the Arizona Watercolor Association.

WHEN

April 14 – July 8, 2021

VISIT

shemerartcenter.org

HEARD MUSEUM, PHOENIX, 1929 (1958, 1968-69, 1983, 1999, 2005, 2011 EXPANSIONS) Originally conceived as a small Southwestern museum by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard in 1929, the Heard Museum is recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, educational programming, and festivals. Having enjoyed several expansions over the years. HH Green’s original, graceful Spanish Colonial has continued to expand within its current footprint.

SEE

Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight Smith, one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century, has been studied and celebrated through major exhibitions, publications, and scholarship over many years— and yet, a significant source of inspiration and influence on his artistic production remains largely unexplored.

WHEN

February 5 – July 3, 2021

VISIT

heard.org

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM (PAM), PHOENIX, 1959 (1965, 1996, 2006 EXPANSIONS) Building plans for PAM began in 1940 but it wasn’t until January 1959 that a construction contract at the 6.5 acres of land at the corner of Central Ave. and McDowell (donated by the heirs of Adolphus Clay Bartlett) was awarded to student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Alden B. Dow. In November of that year, PAM opened to the public. Dow designed the complex that housed the original Phoenix Public Library, the Phoenix Little Theater (now the Phoenix Theatre) and PAM (which opened in 1959). After an expansion in 1965 that nearly tripled the square footage, PAM carried on for nearly thirty years without a major overhaul. Additional expansions by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in 1996 and 2006 provided, amongst other things, the infamous forty-foot cantilever of the new entrance canopy on the north side. PAM is the Southwest’s largest art museum for visual art and has something for everyone.

SEE

Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich presents more than 80 gender-fluid, body-positive designs by a ’60s-mod legend who revolutionized perceptions of beauty, gender, and identity.

WHEN

Now – September 26, 2021 Located in Steele Gallery

VISIT

phxart.org

34

SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (SMOCA), SCOTTSDALE, 1999 SMoCA was conceived in order to complement the existing Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts by architect, Bennie Gonzales. Architect Will Bruder utilized the adjacent building (a former Cineplex) and gave SMoCA four galleries for exhibitions and its permanent collection, and a fifth for gallery space: the SMoCA Lounge. Outdoors, James Carpenter Design Associates’ free-standing Scrim Wall of 56 laminated translucent glass panels make their way to James Turrell’s Skyspace, Knight Rise. Bruder, Carpenter, and Turrell collaborated to create the signature look of SMoCA, with consistent materials, colors and forms throughout the building, which nevers fail to delight the senses.

SEE

Diedrick Brackens: ark of bulrushes ark of bulrushes presents a new body of work by artist Diedrick Brackens that includes handwoven tapestries and sculptural weavings.

WHEN

February 20– August 22, 2021

VISIT

smoca.org

ASU ART MUSEUM, TEMPE, 1989 Named “the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona” by Art in America magazine, the ASU Art Museum is located on campus in the Nelson Fine Arts Center, by Antoine Predock. Featuring three floors that gradually become cooler, from street level to subterranean space, and due to the mass of the building and underground pools, the Museum is truly an oasis in the desert.

SEE

Pilot Projects: Hugh Hayden, Pillory Pillory is the latest work in the museum’s Pilot Projects initiative.Hugh Hayden’s sculpture Pillory (2020) addresses power, control and justice, themes that are achingly relevant in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 as well as many others. Of this mix between a modern-day police barricade and a pillory — a medieval punishment device — Hayden remarked, “I’d call the piece a doppelgänger or the synthesis of a pair of state functioned doppelgängers of oppression that are centuries apart.”

WHEN

April 9 – December 3, 2021

VISIT

asuartmuseum.asu.edu

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM (MIM), PHOENIX, 2010 Rated the #1 attraction in Phoenix and one of the top 20 museums in the U.S. by Trip Advisor, the MIM, designed in 2010 by award‐winning architect Rich Varda, in conjunction with RSP Architects, is the largest of its type in the world. It hosts a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments and objects from nearly 200 countries and territories, and brings these instruments to life in their original cultural settings. The solid masses of the galleries and theater form a barrier against the Sonoran desert climate as the simple elegance of the museum contrasts with the complexity of the instruments contained within. Sustainable features include an exterior sunscreen wall, photovoltaic solar panels, and a grey water irrigation system. Simply put, the MIM is as beautiful, elegant, resourceful, and meditative as the mountainous desert itself.

Defining Desert Living

SEE

Congo Masks and Music: Masterpieces from Central Africa

Offers a glimpse into the dramatic and lively masquerade traditions of Central Africa with an exclusive collection of more than 150 stunning and rare masks, instruments, and costumes from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

WHEN

November 8, 2019 – September 12, 2021

VISIT

mim.org

JUNE/JULY 2021

Tired of fighting for your spot in the garage?

SOCIAL CLUB 1 5 5 5 0 N o r t h 7 8 t h St r e e t

36

|

VEHICLE STORAGE -

|

Scottsdale Arizona 85260

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT -

4 8 0. 6 2 5 . 4 6 5 4

-

ottocarclub.com

Mid-Town Development Opportunity

Now available. Two contiguous parcels with buildings available for redevelopment. The flexible nature of this luxury residential urban in-fill site makes it perfect for a variety of uses and adaptations from luxury condominium homes, luxury apartment living, superior Class-A office, or even a luxury boutique hotel. Exclusively represented for sale by Jarson & Jarson Real Estate.

Shown by appointment only. NDA required for material packet. Offered at $3,500,000 Scott Jarson, Director of Sales C 480.254.7510 | P 480.425.9300 | Scott@azarchitecture.com

www.azarchitecture.com

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

Conceptual design concept only © A-i-R 2021

IN MEMORIAM

JULIO TABOADA SR.

BY SCOT T JA RSON

Of all the changes and intrusions life handed us all

A multi-talented man, Julio leaves behind a legacy.

last year, the loss of friends and family hits the hardest.

Working with top Landscape architects regionally, his

On January 12th of this year we lost a gifted friend as

mark can be found on countless award-winning homes.

Julio Taboada Sr. passed away quite suddenly. Julio’s

Christy Ten Eyck, PLA, FASLA remembers Julio this way,

jovial spirit is survived by his adoring wife Maria and his

“The thing about Julio was that he was so much fun

three loving children Johanna, Janelly, and Julio Cesar,

to be around with his great sense of humor. He could

along with extended family and a wealth of friends.

build anything whether it be complicated form work for concrete, welding steel, or planting a great tree. He

Julio’s passion and love for desert landscape and

loved his work and creating. I loved him and miss him

design led him to create Desert Coyote Landscaping,

so much. He was the best.”

the “go-to” firm for realizing all the special details that come together to create a desert landscape. Immensely

The next time you explore a contemporary desert

talented, there was not much Julio could not build,

landscape, think of Julio, as he may have been the

create, or help envision.

person that created it. The landscape details at our home and office came from his hand… we will think of

As his daughter, Janelly Taboada shares, “My dad started his business years ago because he had a vision and an idea on how to leave his mark on our Arizona desert. He took great pride in his work and was always happy to share stories of many projects and numerous clients. His imagination and creativity were unmatched and Arizona has lost one of its most passionate artists.”

38

him daily.

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson is the only Real Estate firm in Arizona that specializes in the sales and marketing of Architecturally Unique Homes.© Since 1990, Scott & Debbie Jarson, have stood by their original mission to celebrate and honor design & architecture. They remain devoted to adding value to architect-designed properties and are committed to celebrating, encouraging and promoting good design.

Over the many years, azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson have been defining desert living by searching out homes from modern to historic, that add enjoyment and harmony to our clients’ lives. A keen aesthetic sense and a deep appreciation for the Valley’s rare and diverse architecture define their commitment to marketing unique properties like no other firm. azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson remains deeply committed to historic preservation and are proud EcoBroker® Affiliates.

Whether you are buying, selling, or are just an enthusiast of architecture, remember to contact azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson — the Valley’s true expert in Architecturally Unique Homes.© Meet our team or contact us to learn more about how we can help you.

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

If your home is currently listed this is not a solicitation. Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

PHOTO: Bill Timmerman