Defining Desert Living - March/April 2022

Defining Desert Living

Architecturally Unique Homes

MARCH/APRIL 2022

BENNIE GONZALES

Arizona’s Legacy Architect

JOE WONG Designed Scottsdale

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS

TM

Architecturally Unique Homes

azarchitecture.com

Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

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®

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Editor’s Note: Thank you dear reader! Like us, you’ve made it a point to incorporate design and architecture in your life. It’s certainly part of ours… this year marks the thirty-second year of our commitment to adding value to architecture.

We have had great fun with this issue. In it we celebrate two Arizona Architects that have left a lasting mark in our State. One name you may recognize while the other one is a local hero that we feel deserves special attention.

Starting with a wonderful read about Arizona’s Native son, Architect Bennie Gonzales, author David Brown celebrates this special man’s life with a number of unique remembrances.

Scott Jarson, Editor

EDITOR / PUBLISHER

Debbie Jarson Scott Jarson CONTRIBUTORS

David Brown Andrew Jarson Walt Lockley ART DIRECTION

ps:studios inc.

COVER IMAGE

DESERT COURTYARD Bill Timmerman

ADVERTISING

info@azarchitecture.com

READ THE CURRENT ISSUE ONLINE AT azarchitecture.com

Our contributor Walt Lockley honors another Arizona Architect Joe Wong, a humble man who’s work truly touched so many people living in the Scottsdale area from the 1950’s to today.

The Architecture of the Guitar is one way to describe Luthiery. Without craft, these instruments would collapse under their own tension. This month we spotlight Arizona’s premier school of Luthiery and the artisans they produce.

Finally, now that we are leaving our house cocoons and entering the world, we tell of a special secret place in Arizona to relax and enjoy this great desert we live in – Castle Hot Springs.

We close this month with a tribute to a dear friend, not only to us, but to Architecture, Larry Woodin. His remarkable life could fill a single issue, but his passion and dedication leave an enduring legacy.

All of us at azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson Real Estate respect the “life well lived”. If your life of beauty and design includes an extraordinary home, we can help you live it to the fullest. As the only Real Estate brokerage in Arizona that makes architecture a specialty, we hope to be of service.

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

azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson members are proud supporters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, The Arizona State University Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Taliesin Foundation Local First Arizona, and AIA Phoenix Metro Allied Member.

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

MAR/APR 2022

IN THIS ISSUE IN HIS OWN WORDS

1

Editors Notes

ON THE SHELF

6

Coveted Books & Products

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

8

Bennie Gonzales. Arizona’s Legacy Architect

LOOKING BACK

18

JOE WONG

22

Designed Scottsdale

ON THE MARKET

30

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

36

John Rattenbury

ROBERTO-VENN

38

School of Luthiery

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS

40

Dream Getaway

IN MEMORIAM

44

Larry Woodin

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

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 midcentury 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.

6

PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert Murray

4

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

ON THE SHELF

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W e nde ll B u rn e tte A rch it ec t s , 5 1 0 2 No r t h Cen t r al Av en u e 5 Phoenix, AZ 85012 602.395.1091 wendell@wendellburnettearchitects.com 7

Bennie Gonzales Arizona’s Legacy Architect

OUR UNIQUE V ISUA L W E A LTH

DAVID M. BROWN 8

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

“

Everything Bennie did was great.

”

– James Elmore first dean of the ASU School of Architecture

Will Bruder, FAIA, met Bennie Gonzales (1924–2008),

“During a memorable and informative starlit evening,”

FAIA, in 1967 when he visited Arizona as an architectural

Bruder recalls, “he shared his evolving design philosophy

student to participate in the Silt Pile 7 Summer Workshop

and stories of his proposed designs for the Scottsdale City

at Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti on East Doubletree Ranch Road

Hall and Library Complex.”

in Paradise Valley.

That landmark Civic Center project, which Gonzales Gonzales was one of the first two graduates of the recently

worked on from 1968 through 1975, ensured his

established ASU School of Architecture in Tempe; in doing

architectural legacy and helped establish the city as an

so, he became one of the state’s first Latino architects. The

important Southwest municipality and tourist destination.

Phoenix native had already completed his first commission,

The American Institute of Architects, Western Mountain

the Nogales Public Library (1961) in Nogales, Arizona, as

Region, gave it a 1st Honor Award in 1969. A half century

well as his Paradise Valley, Arizona, home (1966), just north

later, people continue to praise its welcoming architecture,

of the historic Hermosa Inn.

landscaping and lake.

After a day of pouring concrete in the stinging desert,

Another celebrated Valley architect, Doug Sydnor, FAIA,

Bruder and his workshop colleagues listened to Gonzales

already knew of Gonzales’ award-winning work when he

–– “tall, handsomely confident and dynamic” –– in the

was a Valley teenager in the mid-1960s. His dad, Reginald

South Apse Vault of Cosanti, now on Arizona’s Register of

Sydnor, AIA, was one of the Valley’s highly celebrated

Historic Places.

commercial architects. “Bennie actually came to my

10

Saguaro High School in Scottsdale on Career Day and in the large auditorium made a presentation about being an architect,” recalls Sydnor, principal of Doug Sydnor & Associates, Scottsdale. “He was tall, distinguished and well spoken.”

For Scottsdale Realtor® Scott Jarson, Bennie Gonzales was one of the first architects he learned about while growing up in what was then remote Paradise Valley.

“Wright came first, of course, and Soleri because he was a neighbor, but Gonzales came even before [Al] Beadle in my young architectural education,” explains Jarson, who is celebrating 30 years of Scottsdale-based azarchitecture/ Jarson & Jarson Real Estate with wife Debbie, their team of agents, and staff. The boutique real estate firm specializes in the sales of architecturally significant Arizona homes.

“The area behind our house was open desert and completely undeveloped to the south of us, right up to the slope of Mummy Mountain,” he recalls. “As a child, this vast desert expanse was our playground.”

Study the Southwest, Then Design in the But by 1966/67, the highly desirable area was being

Southwest

subdivided, new roads appeared and lots were staked and cleared for high-end homes. At first, Jarson was

During his four-decade-plus career, 1958–2000, Gonzales

“devastated” that the virgin desert was being bladed. But

completed 300 projects, including residential, commercial,

then Gonzales began building five of the homes in the

hospitality, educational, religious, and public commissions

nearby Bret Hills community (four remain) with burnt, that

and received 130-plus professional awards, Sydnor has

is, kiln-fired, adobe blocks.

documented.

Jarson was attracted to this material, used for centuries

Among these are the Scottsdale Conference Center,

in the Southwest; he watched the homes being built, then

Scottsdale Bible Church (now Temple Solel), the Maya

walked the sites. Here he met Gonzales on one spontaneous

and Los Cuatros apartments, Scottsdale; the Gloria Dei

visit, recalling: “He took the time to discuss the materials,

Church, Paradise Valley; the Ocotillo Branch Library, the

the control of the light in the desert and his design with a

1968 Heard Museum addition in Phoenix and the Arizona

ten-year-old kid.”

Medical Association Building; the masterplan for the Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona; Palm Desert

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

Civic Center in California; and the Woodlands Hotel

pyramids in Mesoamerica and the Native-American

and Information Center in Texas. That last mega-project

pueblos and cliff dwellings of the American Southwest. “Just

generated an invitation to build a $1.45-billion palace for

go down to Cancun and Oaxaca . . . and visit those ruins

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia.

because you’ll learn so much about architecture,” he noted in a 1996 interview.

“Of all his designs, I do love his residences,” Jarson says.

“Those houses in Bret Hills became homes that I spent a

He often said the villages on the windy Hopi mesas of

lot of time in as I made friends with the children my age

northern Arizona are among the finest structures ever

who lived there. The spaces were beautifully scaled, the

built in the Southwest. These include Oraibi, A.D. 1100 ––

proportions spot on. Remarkably, Bennie took common

perhaps the oldest continually inhabited city in the country.

vernacular detail and made it modern, timeless.

More than eight centuries later, working with the Hopis in

“What’s more, these were desert houses, Arizona houses,

the 1970s, he built the Hopi Hotel, Museum and Cultural

places of shelter and masses firmly anchored to their sites,”

Center with simple concrete block walls, slab floors and a

he adds. “These are truly family homes of the first order

frame roof at $7 a square foot, remarkable even for that

and a rare find in such a new and transient place such as

time.

Phoenix and Scottsdale.”

Throughout his career, his focus was affordability, longevity Although born when the International and Modern styles

and sensitivity to cultures and climate. “Gonzales was an

were steamrolling Europe and the United States, Gonzales

architect who struck an emotional chord by designing

was a Southwest regionalist, inspired by Native American,

structures that were responsive to the harsh conditions of

Mexican and Central American cultures.

the Sonoran Desert,” Sydnor has written.

He would tell his students at ASU, UA and the University

“Bennie had charisma, stature and common sense,” says

California at Berkeley: See the Aztec, Toltec and Mayan

Scottsdale architect David Ortega, who began as the city’s

12

first Latino mayor in January. A Tucson native, he grew up in

memorable summer of 1967, he visited a Gonzales-

Globe, graduated from the UA College of Architecture and

designed

home

in

Tacna,

Arizona,

near

Yuma.

began his first job in February 1978 working for Gonzales’ firm in Scottsdale.

“I was finally able to understand how his architectural awareness of the traditional northern Mexico courtyard

“He was always concerned about how architecture related

homes of wood and adobe, when blended with his sensitive

to the shading needs in the Southwest, including inset and

understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian residential

sheltered windows,” he says. “And, rather than creating

designs, offered a much more comfortable and sustainable

traditional rectangular shapes, Bennie loved open angles

modern building language for the desert climate of Phoenix

in his signature buildings.”

than did the steel and glass modernism of Southern California’s temperate climate ‘Case Study’ designs,” he

Barney ‘BJ’ Gonzales, a real estate industry professional

recalls, noting that after studying Gonzales’ work the two

and resident at the Cattle Track Arts Compound in

became friends.

Scottsdale, notes, “My dad was a regional architect who always remembered where he was when he was designing

“The creative simplicity of his inventive floor plans, his

a home or any other building. When he was on the Hopi

masterful use of massive materials, and his concern for

lands in northern Arizona, he designed accordingly as he

strategies to minimize the sun’s heat transfer of summer

did for a project in the desert. The Woodlands complex in

were all lessons already evident in his first house for himself

Texas is completely different from the work he did in the

and his family,” explains Bruder, who now lives and works

Valley.”

in Portland, Oregon. “His architecture at its best was both of its time and its place with significant lessons still

He brought the same awareness to his home designs.

adaptable to our contemporary interests in timeless design

After Bruder completed his work at Cosanti in that

and sustainable efficiency.”

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

Images top left to right: The Gonzales home as it appears today. The original home has been well kept with modest changes. The original interior versus today; timeless material choices have not aged. The architect and a model of one of his memorable and ambitious projects. Gonzales could work at scale: The Scottsdale Civic Complex is an excellent example.

14

The Home on Palo Cristi

stand on top of their car. Then they would conjure up their dream house in their mind’s eye and plan it like a mirage in

The highly regarded Palo Cristi Drive home was the second

the desert.” They built it for $60,000.

one for Bennie, Lupe and their children, Barney and Bianca Gonzales in Paradise Valley. The first, at the northwest

Says Nancy Swanson, who has owned the home for

corner of Invergordon Road and McDonald Drive began as

approximately 25 years: “I had contact with both Bennie

a 1930s Robert T. Evans Pueblo-Revival-style design, with

and his wife Lupe through the years. I treasured his artistic

Gonzales making changes. Widely published, including

skills. The house lived well; it still does. So many of my

in Architectural Record, the historic home was recently

guests still say, ‘This is my favorite house.’”

restored, a guest quarters added and new landscaping placed. It’s being considered for the National Register of

Sydnor’s parents attended parties there, and Sydnor toured

Historic Places.

it once. “I found it to be a large home but with an intimate and comfortable scale,” he explains. “The plan was knitted

The 5600 North Palo Cristi Road home was extensively

together by a wide pleasant hallway bathed in natural day

published, including in the February 10, 1967,Life (“In

lighting via dark wood-stained louvers. The floors were

the Desert, a Hacienda for1967”) and Sunset magazines,

a Saltillo tile, and the walls were white mortar-washed

helping to publicize the new Southwest lifestyle.

concrete slump block units. The interior spaces connected well with the outdoor patios and courtyard. Exterior building

Jordan Bonfante, the Life writer, noted the architect’s

forms were flat roofed and complemented by pitched roof

attention to the site: “When Bennie and Lupe Gonzales

forms, which were a visual reference to the surrounding

determined to build themselves a bigger and finer home

mountains.”

two years ago, they used to drive out to the site they’d chosen on the flats of Paradise Valley outside Phoenix and

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

a builder with Gonzales’ uncle, who had gifted his nephew a toy hammer and building blocks when he was a boy.

Gonzales’ mother was French, Irish and Mexican; the family’s menfolk had made livings in construction and as railway workers. Her brother-in-law, Santiago L. Cahill, was a Phoenix contractor. Her great granduncle, in fact, worked for the Central Pacific Railroad and was at Promontory Point, Utah Territory, on May 10, 1869, when the golden spike was driven in conjunction with the Union Pacific, completing the world’s first transcontinental railroad.

After graduating from Phoenix Union High School, Gonzales served in the Coast Guard during World War II. After the war, he studied at ASU and later at the University of Mexico, with the help of Jim Elmore, the first dean of the Architecture School at ASU, which Elmore had encouraged him to attend in the 1950s. While in Mexico, Gonzales was influenced by architects Luis Barragán and Félix Candela, as well as early native builders.

Sydnor adds: “It was a very fresh and contemporary interpretation of Southwestern ruins and an architecture

He and his second wife, Diane, lived in his final home

suited to the Sonoran Desert. The construction methods,

beginning in 1988. The 3,000-square-foot home, on a

local natural materials, wall-like character that minimized

five-acre niche in the foothills of the border city of Nogales,

window areas and his sculptural skills set it apart among the

was built with found and reclaimed materials, such as the

Arizona architecture of that time.”

steel trusses from an old barn. It was sited on a gold mine that had been built by Chinese laborers at the turn of the

Farmhouse & Fame

20th century. Gonzales used to joke: “A geologist tells me that if I dig down 1,000 feet, I won’t have to work anymore!”

Bennie Gonzales was born in what was then the northern boundary of Phoenix, 20th Street and Osborn Road in

The Gonzales Legacy

1924. The family lived in a one-bedroom farmhouse with an outdoor bath and toilet. In downtown Phoenix, he sold

“Bennie was a true talent and character,” recalls Janie Ellis,

newspapers, including to businessman George H.N. Luhrs,

whose family has owned the Cattle Track Arts Compound

who owned the masterpiece Trost & Trost-designed Luhrs

in Scottsdale for 80-plus years. Her former husband,

Tower, where Gonzales would later open his first office,

Wilson Jones, once worked for Gonzales, and she held the

Gonzales and Ludlow, in 1958. This company became

architect’s memorial service at Cattle Track. “He really did

Bennie M. Gonzales Associates, Inc. two years later.

contribute to Scottsdale’s standing in this country,” she says.

His spirit remains in his great body of work. Says Sydnor,

He also made adobe bricks in the backyard; these were

“His architecture simply reminds us all of an important and

then transported to jobsites. His father, of German, Mexican

appropriate architecture for this special place in the desert.

and Indian background, was a saloon-keeper, farmer then

It did respond to this climate, sun angles, specific sites,

16

“I had contact with both Bennie and Lupe though the years. I treasured his artistic skills.

The house lived well, it still does. So many guests still say “This is my favorite house!”

program and local construction methods and materials.”

– current owner

“Bennie was a visionary but he saw himself as a ‘practical practitioner’ instead,” she says. “Having started his career

And Bruder, “The creative simplicity of his inventive floor

in construction,he understood architecture from the ground

plans, his masterful use of massive materials and his

up. He embraced regionalism, so his structures fit beautifully

concern for strategies to minimize the sun’s heat transfer

into each diverse landscape and environment in which they

of summer were all lessons already evident in his house

were designed and are therefore timeless and enduring.”

for himself and his family on Palo Cristi. His architecture at its best was both of its time and its place, with significant

Jarson says: “Bennie Gonzales was our native-son architect,

lessons still adaptable to our contemporary interests in

someone with an eye and a design voice uniquely about,

timeless design and sustainable efficiency.”

and from, Arizona. “Bennie left such a great mark on this town and, indeed, the Valley.

Shawn Rush’s father, James, had helped hire Gonzales for the Woodlands project just north of Houston in the 1970s.

“There is so much of Gonzales’ work that perhaps goes

Bennie was involved with the information center, hotel,

unnoticed, or at least taken for granted. Because he was

commercial center, office buildings and apartment projects.

so widely copied, I’m always concerned that some may not know what they are looking at, confusing his genuine work

The men became friends. “He loved the design profession

with those lesser imitations,” he says. “And that’s so much

as both an artist and architect, and it was with Bennie’s

more reason why our community cannot afford to lose a

encouragement that I applied to design school and 35

single one of his original designs.”

years later find myself still practicing,” says Rush, who has lived in and renovated a Ralph Haver home and an Alfred

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

Beadle unit, both in Phoenix. She was bequeathed a pastel

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

Gonzales had painted of one of his favorite hill towns – a

Wealth.”

work that is a centerpiece in each of her homes.

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

LOOOKING BACK

A year in Architecture - A collection of the most interesting sales of the last year

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 DESERT CONTE MPOR A RY MODERN ESTATE – CMDA DESIGN BURE AU Featuring a complete 2009 rebuild, this home designed by Riccardo Cattapan/CMDA Design Bureau, offers Desert Contemporary design that captures the view! Nestled on a 5 acre lot, this home is surrounded by unspoiled natural desert and a unique volcanic boulder field in northeast Scottsdale. Luxurious textures and playful finishes bring joy to every space. READ MORE

Price: $3,175,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

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 C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN MODERN – 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. The large north-facing clerestory window dramatically brings the mountain into the great room. Stacking sliders serve to extend the living area into the outside. READ MORE

Price: $2,226,510

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.

LOOKING BACK

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SOLD MODERN EQUESTRIA N M A NOR — THE CONSTRUC TION ZONE A RCHITEC T This stunning custom design combines true Modern Architecture with a pallet of materials that makes this home a perfect backdrop for easy living.

Highest quality craftsmanship is evident throughout: This house was designed and built by The Construction Zone, one of the Valley’s premier custom architectural design/build contractors. READ MORE

Price: $2,000,000

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

Architecturally Unique Homes

®

SOLD DESERT MODERN, B ILTMORE CORRIDOR — B ENNIE GONZ A LES A RCHITEC T This gorgeous Biltmore Area Desert Home is attributed to Arizona Architect Bennie Gonzales. This serene desert home is nestled near Biltmore and Piestewa Peak which includes signature views of the mountain preserves and provides you easy access to all of central Phoenix that includes cultural events, museum and world class shopping and resorts. READ MORE

Price: $1,500,000

SOLD MODERN C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN SA NC TUA RY – C W A RCHITEC TURE A modern sanctuary at the foot of Camelback Mountain! This bright and sophisticated Contemporary home is in one of Paradise Valley’s most desirable pockets. An abode defined by subdued sophistication, the home offered an interior of rich materiality, with walls of black basalt tile and rolled steel. This “Heart of Paradise Valley” location offers a glorious setting. READ MORE

Price: $5,000,000

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.

JOE WONG

DESIGNED SCOTTSDALE WALT LOCKLEY

The Carefree Sundial, in Carefree, Arizona, was designed by architect Joe Wong and solar engineer John I. Yellott (1908-1986),[ and was erected in the Sundial Circle plaza in 1959.

22

Nobody has more work in Scottsdale.

With an estimated 550 buildings to his name from about 1953 through his retirement in November 1998.

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

Before the Valley

Funny Little Crossroads Goes West

Joe Bing Wong (August 17, 1921 - March 12, 2011) was

Scottsdale was a working farming town, and had also

born in the copper-country town of Clifton in southeastern

been the hub of various art colonies and resorts, and

Arizona, fifth of eight children of a first-generation

other such orbiting enterprises hard to classify, since

Chinese immigrant owner of a restaurant and general

roughly 1900. The Jokake Inn had hosted both John C.

store. Those copper towns were, and are, continually

Lincoln and Frank Lloyd Wright as guests, and so Taliesin

swelling,

West sprouted in 1937 and the Lincoln’s Camelback Inn

shrinking,

vanishing

entirely

sometimes,

depending on commodity prices. Clifton’s population

in 1938.

had peaked in 1910. By Wong’s own description he went through “all the schools” in Clifton.

The usual story is that Scottsdale as a western town, a rootin’ tootin’ outpost, the West’s Most Western Town,

In 1940 the family moved to California. Joe Wong started

goes all the way back to 1947. All this western thing, it’s

at UC Berkeley in the biochemistry program, then, after

a fabricated identity, put onto an ordinary midwestern-

persuasion from one of his brothers already in the

looking cotton-growing town.

School of Architecture, architecture. The war interrupted Wong’s studies; he spent time in Hawaii, under the

The choice of western cladding was – smart. By definition,

General Engineering & Structural Design organization

it’s a cheap vernacular look, easy to accomplish, easy

(1941-1945) and the U.S. Army Engineers, Structural &

to remodel…instantly familiar to anybody who’s seen a

Utilities Branch (1943-1945), refitting commandeered

Hollywood western. There was enough ”design” wiggle

commercial ocean liners over to military use.

room to allow for the likes of venerable haunts like the Pink Pony to coexist with the “Lulu Belle” looking like it

Demobilized, he attended the California School of Fine

dropped in from 1890’s San Francisco.

Arts in San Francisco and began working too. He found a job at the established Bay Area firm of Higgins and Root

When Scottsdale incorporated In June 1951, partly as

in 1946, where Bill Hall was his friend and co-worker.

a defense against annexation, that phrase “The West’s

In 1950 Wong and Hall both assisted on the design of

Most Western Town” went on the town seal. The first of

the Sunset Magazine headquarters at 80 Willow Road

the cowboy signs at city limits went up in 1952.

in Menlo Park, a design considered iconic (by Sunset Magazine anyway) and exemplary of certain postwar

Joe Wong arrived at this “funny little crossroads” in

Bay Area ranch house values. It was a lovably overgrown

September 1953, at the age of 32. The town had

ranch house, in fact, co-designed by Cliff May, with the

about 2000 people, with three or four sets of needs: It

landscape architect Thomas Church.

was a farming town serving mostly small-scale cotton agriculture. It was the town closest to desert resorts

By 1953 Wong had married Lillian, ran the drafting

attracting affluent winter visitors. It was the center

room at Higgins and Root, and felt he’d risen as far as he

of a collection of loosely orbiting art colonies, which

could go. As they were looking for a small town to build

overlapped with high-quality local craftsmen, native and

a career in, Bill Hall told them about Scottsdale, a “lazy,

otherwise.

beautiful little area” of about 2500 people. He and Hall came to Scottsdale together.

24

This town put some contradictory demands on Joe Wong.

Above: The McCune Building, 600 N. Old Scottsdale Road, 1957. The facade decorations are credited to Tucson illustrator Charlene Bisch.

Right: From restaurant to retail, Wong’s expressive designs are still sought after and in use today.

Wong Comes to Scottsdale

his first commercial jobs was at Lulu Belle’s, with that exaggerated Barbary Coast interior decor, for Tom

In September 1953 Wong and his friend Bill Hall

Darlington.

both went to work for Hiram Hudson Benedict. Wong worked on three buildings: the pro shop and the “Old

In 1957 the very rich patron Walker McCune hired Wong

Homestead” at the Paradise Valley Country Club, and

for a two-story commercial building at 600 N. Old

the Paradise Valley Racquet Club, today we know it as

Scottsdale Road (razed after 1977) for the execution of

the Sanctuary Resort.

McCune’s real estate business. This was just south of the Pottery Paradise property, recently vanished, which had

After Benedict he started the partnership “Wong & Hall:

once been a solitary desert-themed roadside attraction

Joe B. Wong, Architect,” (June 1954-56) at the address

from a different day and road logic, the only building on

7229 First Avenue in the Feltman Building, a cramped

that side of Scottsdale when built in 1950.

ten-by-ten office space. This stretch of road was freshly designated “Pima Plaza” with big promotional street

McCune’s building barged in to join it, next door,

signs and everything. Wong counted himself one of the

aggressively colorful, blasting its brassy native colors

longest-running tenants in downtown. The first three

into the street. Some eye-catching work on that thing.

architects of Scottsdale were Benedict, Ray Parrish and

A mention in the Arizonian of 3/8/57 calls it a Class

himself, followed by Don Van Ess as number four.

A construction job – steel and concrete, fireproof, with a high-velocity air conditioning system. The facade

There were three or four well-funded important movers

decorations are actually credited to Tucson illustrator

and shakers in Scottsdale, in a tight social circle. Within

Charlene Bisch, and also concrete panels designed by

a short time Wong was working for all of them. One of

a comically uncooperative Scottsdale retiree named

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

Don Barclay, best known locally for his caricatures

Nobody was more willing to take on small jobs in a

adorning the walls of the Pink Pony.

small town: small-stakes commercial work, remodels, expansions, extensions, modest buildings for city parks.

In 1961 Wong finished his single most significant

“Wong said he felt that his was the job of filling the need

building – the Scottsdale Police and City Court Building –

for a practicing architect in a small town. ‘We are willing

designed with Ray Parrish, Don Van Ess, and Stan Stein.

and able to do anything and everything.’” (AZ Republic

Scottsdale had never had a jail before.

6/10/62)

Joe Wong dropping those two buildings, by themselves,

Whatever the opposite of a helicopter architect is, Joe

these two plum commissions in a small town, would have

Wong was.

established his credentials.

He had varied interests. His biography suggests an But that’s not the main thing.

amazing amount of social energy. He was a restaurateur, for one thing. In 1962 with Jack Song he designed and opened China Lil’s, named for Lili, in a modest adobe brick building with a pedicab and a large-scale grinning cartoon Chinese cowboy out front. (It was some bold theming. Readers will have their own reactions. At one point the city decided that cartoon Chinese cowboy didn’t fit Scottsdale’s vibe, and they told Jack Song to take it down. Jack Song said – nah.) In 1967 Wong designed the Emperor’s Garden restaurant at 28 E. First Avenue for a couple of clients, but he ended up operating that restaurant too. Plus Lili ran her own associated business, an interior design business.

Wong was, by far, the architect most involved in the local official scene, participating – enthusiastically – in an abundant number of civic organizations. Out on horseback with the Scottsdale Charros since November

Western Wong

1961, the Lions Club, the Rotarians, the Boys’ Club, on the library board, Toastmasters, the local Design Review

The main thing is, Joe Wong designed Scottsdale.

Board, the Building and Fire Advisory Board, along with various other professional achievements.

Nobody has more work in Scottsdale. With an estimated 550 buildings to his name from about 1953 through

One of his very first commercial jobs was an expansion

his retirement in November 1998, and only a handful

of Lute’s Pharmacy, the old Scottsdale stalwart, a working

elsewhere, Wong ran a successful practice for four

pharmacy, one of the handful of businesses in town,

decades, rooted in the same place with decades-long

and a place where tourists naturally drifted in to watch

friendships. Nobody was more involved with the needs

the sand-painters working there on the concrete floor.

of the community.

No other designer came close to such a ground-level

26

Wong was involved with number of Scottsdale Unified School District Design including Hopi, Tonto Elementary (now demolished), Paiute and worked on Kiva Elementary along with David G. Haumerson. Wong’s venerable Brooks Building on 5th Avenue is recognized as the “Clock Tower Building” adding a modern landmark to an otherwise historic eclectic.

understanding of how these four overlapping identities

tingling with potential, the years when its urban fabric

of Scottsdale – farming town, seasonal resort hub, center

and civic personality set into permanent form. Wong was

for Southwestern art / craft / retail, all dressed like the

the one who took those vague westernizing wishes of the

Wild West – could actually work. For a few years, from

Chamber of Commerce and Malcolm White, and made

soon after his arrival in 1953 until an event in June 1965,

them real.

Joe Wong was the official town architect of Scottsdale in all but name. In those years Scottsdale was an adolescent

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

We have Joe Wong to thank for the gently meandering walkways that adorn Scottsdale’s West Main Street. Literally the birthplace of the gallery “Art Walk”.

Located just east of Scottsdale Road on Main Street, the Lulu Belle Restaurant opened in the mid-1950s, and quickly became “the” place to see and be seen in The West’s Most Western Town.

It’s one thing to say, “make the town all western,” but

that. One of them was a western theme for the O’Brien

translating this into physical reality became a tricky

Art Emporium relocation to Scottsdale in 1956. Another

fight. The nature of “western” was stretchy, and where

was an expansion for Saba’s in 1964.

exactly were the boundaries? This was a live controversy when Wong moved in. By 1955 or so, there was a strong

Wong elaborated in a 1963 opinion piece “Some

argument for the western cladding thing: it was obviously

Questions for Scottsdale” (Progress, 9/7/1963), where

working. It was making money.

he quoted Sigfried Giedion about this question of authenticity: “The approach to the past only becomes

Somehow this little town with no industry, no railroad

creative when the architect is able to enter into its inner

access, no resources apart from the hot sun which fell

meaning and content. It degenerates into a dangerous

equally on everybody for free, began to make money.

pastime when one is merely hunting for form.”

Through the pages of the weekly Arizonian you can see the four identities of Scottsdale begin to coil together,

In his oral history Wong says a few words about a pro

four strands in a braided rope pulling buckets of cash

bono pedestrian project for the city, spanning what is

out of a dry well. The western architectural theme,

now the 7000 and 7100 blocks of West Main.

aimed especially at the tourists, was definitely part of this publicity engine.

“One of our gifts to the City was the development of that West Main Street area. They had come to us, asking that

Wong was an enthusiastic participant in the westernization,

we try to do something to beautify the area and spark it

producing, for instance, a remodel of the two-story office

up a little bit. And they thought we could do something

building at 29 Pima Plaza, complete with board-and-

with the space between the street and the stores. So we

batten front, “gingerbread” gable, and double-hung

gave them a general plan for the whole area, with the

windows, all on-motif. (Republic, 2/4/62) You can bet

sidewalks meandering around the way they do now… the

your favorite saddle blanket Wong produced a dozen,

greenery and shrubbery that was put in did help the area

two dozen, western-themed commercial remodels like

quite a bit.”

28

Joe Wong designed more than 500 buildings in this young

Maybe I’m mistaken, but I want to ascribe that to Joe

growing town, and set the young bones of its streets and

Wong.

its pedestrian environment on Main, on Fifth Avenue, in Pima Plaza and wherever else.

Retail always tries hard to be engaging and friendly, but the Scottsdale galleries had particular needs that were part of Wong’s lived experience, all day every day. These weren’t mall shops with quick transactions. The special challenge in Scottsdale with the winter tourist trade was to encourage the personal interaction, to build in a certain whimsical suspension of disbelief that the gallery and shop owners depended on.

Arizona Republic ad for Paradise Country Estates, with a designer credit to Alfred Beadle & Associates and an architect credit to Wong & Hall.

Ran Feb 27, 1955

Old Town still has that funny theatricality. It might be its defining characteristic and biggest asset. Stroll through it today, you can still feel it on your shoulders, pulling you onwards, this way and that. There’s an overall feeling in the fabric of the irregular streets, among the modest, funny-looking, underbuilt shops, a feeling that you needn’t take any of this seriously.

Still in active use today, Wong’s Stagebrush Theatre still stands as a human-scaled building soon to be dwarfed by large scale development.

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

FOR SALE PINN ACLE VIE W RESIDENCE - A LLEN+PHILP PA RTNERS This iconic Allen+Philp designed contemporary home, nestled alongside the western slope of Troon Mountain offers crisp architectural details subtly reflecting the geography of Pinnacle Peak Mountain, the local canyons, desert vistas, and surrounding wildlife. Sweeping views will stop you in your tracks as you gaze at the astounding beauty of the high desert. READ MORE

Price: $1,999,999

COMING SOON PA R A DISE VA LLE Y TR A DITION A L – FULL GUEST HOUSE This elegant Paradise Valley traditional estate-style home with a FULL Guest House has the location you want with the luxury amenities you need!

A classic and timeless design and material palette with a livable, smart floor plan. The main home has all you expect in a home of this caliber; The Guest House has all of the important facets for full time livability as well. READ MORE

Price: $3,995,000

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COMING SOON HIDDEN VA LLE Y DESERT HOUSE – WENDELL BURNE T TE FAIA Desert Modern Architecture: Located on a five-acre gently sloping rise in Cave Creek, the Hidden Valley Desert House is a “long pavilion for living” that commands the site. Designed by Wendell Burnette FAIA, this very special home offers superb materials, detailed construction and a unique plan to make it simply a masterwork of living design. READ MORE

Price: $2,495,000

COMING SOON LOF T-LIVING! MOUNTAIN SH A DOWS RESORT – A LLEN+PHILP PA RTNERS This 2-bedroom loft-home has been immaculately upgraded by the architect-owner with features and detail typically not found elsewhere!

Mountain Shadows Resort offers an exclusive lifestyle: situated with Camelback Mountain as a breathtaking backdrop, the community has just 41 condo and loft homes that enjoy a serene Paradise Valley setting and full privileges at Mountain Shadows Resort. Available furnished.

Price: $1,649,000. READ MORE

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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.

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ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

FOR SALE 360 º VIE WS! CLE A RWATER HILL S MOUNTAIN TOP! Want views? Imagine witnessing every sunset & every sunrise! This pristine 2-acre(+-) hillside lot is ready for an exceptional build to match the location. Cleared, flat building pad, driveway and utilities already in, just waiting for the design-oriented perfectionist who deserves to have it all.

This is THE crown jewel property of Clearwater Hills. (Design concept only. ©A-I-R-Architects) READ MORE

Price: $4,995,000

SALE PENDING PA L M C A NYON HILL SIDE MODERN — EDWA RD B. SAW YER FAIA This Modern Hillside home was designed by Edward B. (Ned) Sawyer FAIA and offers spectacular views coupled with superb architecture. Perfectly positioned near the top of Palm Canyon, the home commands the site with sweeping vistas of both surrounding mountain preserves and the city lights beyond. READ MORE

Price: $2,995,000

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COMING SOON NORTH CENTR A L MODERN: WENDELL BURNE T TE FAIA This elegant remodel of a Haver mid-century home within the Marlen Grove neighborhood was completed by Wendell Burnette Architects.

Without sacrificing the history of the home, the design creates privacy and openness. Indoor/outdoor Arizona living at its’ finest. Calm interiors and exquisite detailing make this a minimalist’s dream.

Price: $1,249,000

ACCEPTING BACK-UP OFFERS MODERN A RC A DIA HOME – DESIGN RE MODEL This beautiful home is sure to WOW! The custom-built, Modern Styled house has gorgeous interiors and charming exteriors. Located in the desirable Arcadia Neighborhood, this property has a 3,569 SF. main house and a 525 SF. guest house. The guest house was updated in 2019 with new cabinets, new countertops, water softeners and more. READ MORE

Price: $2,495,000

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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.

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ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SALE PENDING CLE A RWATER HILL S MID CENTURY – GEORGE H A LL This mid-century modern home has been prepared for a complete remodel/renovation. The award-winning architect owner has started on the path of renovation taking this home down to clean stud walls and exposing all the original detailing and elements. Sporting an unequalled view, this home can be completed to nearly every imaginable level- Designed in 1959 by LA Architect George Hall, the home has a ship-like essence.

READ MORE

Price: $1,895,000

FOR SALE OWN THE VA LLE Y! M AGNIFICENT R A NCH ACRE AGE An unbelievable opportunity, this pristine 150-acre site (+-) is located in the cool environs of Yarnell AZ. Escape to 5000ft elevations and sweeping vistas of natural landscape, all an easy drive away! This very special parcel is stunning in its beauty, geography and setting. With improved access yet unspoiled acreage, the vast potential of this parcel is nearly unlimited. READ MORE

Price: $ 749,000.

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COMING SOON LOLOM A 5 – WILL B RUDER FAIA Loloma 5 is downtown living at its finest. Considered a masterpiece of desert modernism, this award winning building is located in Scottsdale’s Loloma Arts District, Highly upgraded, this city-home offers mixed-use, den/office, 2 bedrooms, roof terrace, and a view patio aligned with Camelback Mtn and immaculate updated interiors.

Price: $789,000

FOR SALE PRD845 LOF T STUDIO- STUDIO M A A RCHITEC TS Affordable Architecture! This award-winning Modern Loft-Style Studio is located in an exciting project that defined the Downtown Experience!

Located next to Roosevelt Historic & Arts District, and just a short walk from the Light-Rail, great restaurants and museums. This urban-hip 1-bedroom open floor plan Studio combines Modern Architecture with light-filled spaces & eco-sensitive design. READ MORE

Price: $ 399,995

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

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DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

John Rattenbury / Talieson Architects

The Myers Residence, Scottsdale, Arizona Arizona is full of surprises. Rounding each corner in our

this home and it is impressive to this day; one of his finest

desert can lead you to new discoveries of nature…and so it

works.

is with architecture as well.

The Myers Residence seems to grow out of the hill. Located In the 1990’s our firm was associated with Taliesin Architects

at the foot of Pinnacle Peak this Wright protégé used his

where we created a Design/Build program to further the

acumen to design a home of continuous curves that nestled

design and construction of homes that expressed that firms

into this boulder strewn environ. At approximately 10,000

unique connection to Wright and organic architecture.

square feet, the design belies its size in using multiple roof forms to break up the mass, and provides a sense

Led by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice and Taliesin Architects

of individual shelters amongst the landscape. Decorative

co-founder, John Rattenbury, we developed a number of

details echo the shapes, forms and colors of the desert. This

client relationships which culminated into some wonderful

home remains timeless and one of a kind.

design concepts and homes. The inspiration at the heart of this endeavor was the completion of the Charles and Alta

Rattenbury passed away on March 28, 2021 at the age of

Myer Residence located in the North Scottsdale Desert

93. The Myers house endures, a graceful statement and

Highlands community. Rattenbury was the lead architect on

lasting monument to his talent.

36

Call for future availability of this home.

37

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GUITAR

ROBERTO-VENN SCHOOL OF LUTHIERY

By Scott Jarson Those who know me well know that along with architecture, guitars are a shared passion in my life.

And so it is that I have come to love, play and collect guitars. Just as in buildings, fine instruments combine engineering, materials, and the hand of the maker to create objects of beauty and joy.

From my earliest days as a college art student nee acoustic guitar player, there was always one additional aspiration that called to me…that of Luthier.

A Luthier is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word “luthier” is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. So far, the time for guitar building in my life has eluded me, but I remember the place that I eyed with envy back in 1975. A WWII Quonset hut in Tempe, the humble home of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery.

Today, the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery is the longest running guitar making school in North America. From humble roots grew one of the nation’s best schools, placing a spotlight on Arizona as source of luthier excellence. Now located in an historic building on Grand Avenue in Phoenix, you’ll find a state-of-the-art shop and classrooms.

The core course taught at Roberto-Venn is a five month program designed to teach the skills Images courtesy of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery

38

The Solace - Scott Walker Guitars (Alumni) scottwalkerguitars.com

for a career in guitar making, guitar repair, and related

Fender, PRS, and Collings. These and many other smaller

skills. Students learn first hand everything from set-up

guitar making companies and repair facilities often reach

and repair to full construction. Using the finest of woods

out to Roberto-Venn with positions to fill.

and traditional tools coupled with precision fabrication standards of today, the school offers a complete “ hands-

These last few years have been difficult for so many people

on” experience in the tradition of fine apprenticeships.

around the world. One silver lining is that in the world of guitars, there has been a dramatic increase in guitar

Students and graduates from Roberto-Venn have gone on

playing, which has brought a whole new awareness to the

to form their own shops, becoming highest level creators of

guitar as a tool for expression, relaxation and healing.

guitars. You may not know it, but the hand that made the

And yes, lots of guitars have come out from storage, and

most prized guitar in your home may very well have been

that “new and old” pastime has dramatically increased the

a Roberto-Venn trained craftsperson. In fact, their current

repair tech’s work for setups, maintenance and restoration

Guitar Making & Repair Class students have received more

of old gems, in addition to new guitar sales. Enter the well

job offers than any class in their 46 year history.

trained Roberto-Venn luthier.

Roberto-Venn’s staff is proud to acknowledge their

If you love guitars and are interested in a new career or

achievement of being named a ‘School of Distinction’ and

perhaps you are ready to pursue a dream of craft that

the top award of ‘School of Excellence’. Roberto-Venn has

fulfills your life, check out their website – roberto-venn.com.

been accredited since 1979.

They’ve been training professional guitar makers and repair techs since 1975. Hey, if not for life’s many paths, it might

They are well respected in the industry and receive

have included me as an early graduate!

personal visits from the big names in guitars like Gibson, Roberto-Venn.com

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS

By Debbie Jarson

40 years is a long time to spend with one person and

Just a hair over an hour and down roads I’d never

even longer when you work with them on a daily basis.

ventured, past wild burros and desert vistas of long ago,

35 years ago I found myself pregnant and working

we arrived at the humble gates and were welcomed in

full time selling Real Estate. I knew then that when this

to a fairy tale world I had no idea existed. We were

baby decided to show up, I was going to need a break.

greeted warmly, provided with a fruity drink made

Not sure how I was going to handle the enormous

from ingredients grown on the grounds, and led to our

work load I had as well as a new baby, I turned to my

private cottage that was the perfect home away from

husband who was transitioning from a successful career

home. The cottages include fireplaces inside and out,

in International Produce sales to finding his passion in

a deluxe room with the most comfortable bed I’ve ever

life. A new world opened up for us working in the listing

slept in away from home, baths complete with bidets

and sales of Architecturally Unique Homes.

and an outdoor heated concrete tub with mineral water direct from the local hot springs. It is apparent

Time has flown by and in January we saw our 40th

that relaxation is a goal of the resort from the time you

wedding anniversary quickly arriving. But, confined by

walk in to the time you leave. Best of all cell phones

the current limitations of the virus and an extremely

are discouraged.

busy Real Estate business, we knew we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere exotic. A friend mentioned a place

While relaxing is key, there are numerous activities

just a hop, skip and a jump away that had the ability

available included in the cost of the stay and those

to rest one’s mind and soul if only for a couple of days.

for a tad more. You can tour an impressive garden

And thus Castle Hot Springs became the destination

decked out with what you’ll see on your plate that very

we chose to celebrate our important day.

evening, ride horses through the majestic mountains,

40

take your pick of numerous hikes as well as archery,

Schlitz Brewery, and Ford Motors. Ownership was

western shooting, and relaxation activities ranging from

then passed over to Franz and Mae Sue Talley (Talley

meditation to Tai Chi and Yoga and so much more. And

Industries) where the resort thrived under their ownership.

best of all you can end your day with a relaxing outdoor

But tragedy befelled the resort in 1976 when it was

massage and time in all of the natural hot springs.

devastated by fire and left in ruins. The resort was gifted to the ASU foundation and subsequently sold in 1983.

One activity I highly recommend is a short film on the

But greatness was recognized by Mike and Cindy Watts

history of the resort https://www.castlehotsprings.com/

who invested deeply in a sensitive restoration of one of

castle-hot-springs-documentary/. Castle Hot Springs,

Arizona’s greatest secrets. Kudos to architects Kevin and

located in the impressive Bradshaw Mountains, started

Doug Edwards as well as Interiors by Valerie Borden who

inviting guests in the late 1800’s. A rail line was built

together brought this gem back to life for all to enjoy.

and guests from as far as Philadelphia were invited in to partake in a “Grand Hotel to rival any hot springs on

We all know that a place cannot thrive based on looks

the continent” in addition to a “glorious winter climate”

and amenities. It is the people who give it wings. This is

as told in the film. The hot pools went in at the turn of

recognized at Castle Hot Springs. All that you meet are

the century. This led to visitors considered icons of the

as friendly as if you’ve known them a lifetime. Smiles are

gilded age. WWII kept people from traveling due to

abundant and they always have time to talk to you. We

gas rationing among other things, so the government

have gone to many places in our 40 years together and

leased the property and used it for convalescing soldiers,

had experiences that I thought were incredible, but if I

the most notable being John F Kennedy. While visiting

were to rate them for not just what I experienced in sites

you will notice a flag flying at the top of Salvation Peak

and scenery, but human interaction, Castle Hot Springs

planted around that time. After the war in a time of our

would come out on top. In two days, I was able to rid

country’s growth, it became a place for the wealthy and

myself of years of stress and experience all of my senses

notables to visit such as the O’Connors and Goldwaters

fully. Driving home I knew I was ready to greet the world

and oil and other magnates from Proctor and Gamble,

once again.

Defining Desert Living

MAR/APR 2022

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“Architecture is inhabited sculpture.”

– Constantin Brancusi

Scott

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IN MEMORIAM

LARRY WOODIN

BY DEBBIE JARSON

his company. He was bright, witty and a natty dresser, always in a suit and one of those people who could be 40 or 70 but it didn’t matter. He possessed a twinkle in his eye and when you talked he listened. And more importantly when he talked we listened. He was a driven man with a purpose, but it always seemed to be for things that would make the world a more beautiful and better place to live in.

Larry was a passionate advocate for the preservation and protection of all Wright buildings. He felt that preservation easements were the best form of protection and worked tirelessly to promote their importance and strength to Wright building owners.

It was a normal day in the life of a Realtor®. I sat at my

In July 2016, Larry celebrated his marriage to longtime

desk, working on business when a phone call came

partner Andy Mygovych at the Frank Lloyd Wright

in from a member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building

Brandes House. A celebration of Larry’s life will be

Conservatory. Did we know the current owner of the

announced at a later date.

David and Gladys Wright House? And yes, we actually did. Would we join with the Conservancy and help in

And while it was a shock to receive the news of his very

stopping the demolition of that important home? Yes,

untimely death, we feel so fortunate to have had the

absolutely, when do we begin was our answer. And

opportunity to be a part of his life. He has left a very

thus started our long and wonderful journey with the

big hole in the world of important architecture and I

Conservancy and soon after we were introduced to

can only hope that somebody will step in to at least

one of their most important members, Larry Woodin.

attempt to fill it.

A kind, generous, devoted man that we delighted in knowing, Larry gave of himself continuously in the fight

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Board of

to preserve some of the most important architecture

Directors recently honored him by establishing a special

in America and quite frankly the world. And though

fund in his honor. The Conservancy’s New Larry Woodin

others have taken credit for saving the David and

Easement Opportunity Fund will help qualified building

Gladys Wright house, truth be told credit needs to go

owners alleviate the financial burdens of donating

to Larry. By good fortune he happened to sit next to

preservation easements. Tax-deductible donations to

someone when flying from Seattle to Phoenix and a

the Larry Woodin Easement Opportunity Fund may be

conversation started and out of that conversation came

made online by clicking the link below, or by mailing a

interest from his seat mate in purchasing the home.

check to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy,

And the rest is history.

53 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 720, Chicago, IL 60604.

Questions can be directed to Barbara Gordon at 312-

And though we only got to see each other a couple of times a year, we always looked forward to being in 44

663-5500 or preservation@savewright.org.

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.

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