Windproofing
To keep the shade structure from taking flight during high winds, engineers had to make sure the supporting foundation was strong enough to withstand a 100-year windstorm.
That translated into windforces of up to 90 miles per hour, requiring 25 tons of concrete to hold it in place. Architect Lloyd Russell’s familiarity with the desert made him particularly careful in selecting appropriate materials for the house. The movable glass windows were chosen because they slide on bars rather than tracks, which would have been quick to jam from the unavoidable desert dust and sand.
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