Scorpion Residence

2002 | Scottsdale, AZ | Private Residence | 4,600 sq ft
Hillside contours, boulder field, distant views, and stands of old saguaro, shape the cast-in-place concrete ledge. Interlocking the curvilinear retaining walls, a protective shell of oxidized titanium plates integrates the “scorpion” forms with desert shadow.
An inverted conical shape roof unifies the continuous interior, defends against a western solar exposure and responds to the incline of the land. Multiple center points are subordinate to the radial joint grid generated by the hemispherical pool. Program elements are directed to, across, and beyond the seemingly suspended disk of blue water leaking through a coping sieve of two-hundred and fifty-four stainless steel nipples.
Although the entry sequence straddles a small, yet significant canyon, the resulting upper landing bridge allows the existing drainage pattern to continue undisturbed. The beautiful arroyo view is only revealed after stair ascension and passage through the creature’s concrete backbone.