Collection by Turkel Design

Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design

Featuring the Turkel Design signature post-and-beam construction and an open great room breezing out to a private courtyard, the 2,110-square-foot Axiom Desert House draws from the lifestyle and culture of Palm Springs—seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living while incorporating innovative and energy-efficient products and systems throughout.

Recently completed in February 2019, Axiom Desert House made its debut as a Featured Home at this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week—turning heads as a stunning, systems-built jewel that is now the private residence of designers Joel and Meelena Turkel, as well as a Living Lab for Turkel Design. The home’s open plan, indoor/outdoor flow, and thoughtful use of sustainable materials are a testament to modern prefab, celebrating transformative design that is simple, elegant, and replicable.

Axiom Desert House has been designed to exist as a hybrid of learning, living, and collaboration, a story we have been telling from start to finish on our social media channels throughout 2018 and 2019—breaking down the process that Turkel Design has refined as a practice over the past decade. Furthermore, Joel and Meelena Turkel took this project as an opportunity to turn the lens on themselves as both designers and clients, while teaming up with numerous esteemed partners whose carefully designed products are integral to the home’s success—offering Turkel Design the opportunity to experiment with new materials, finishes, and processes, while paying careful attention to ensure that Axiom Desert House, like all of our projects, feels like home.

Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design
Palm Springs, CA
Photo by Chase Daniel
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design Palm Springs, CA Photo by Chase Daniel
Completed in February 2019, the Axiom Desert House was the Featured Home in this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Completed in February 2019, the Axiom Desert House was the Featured Home in this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design
Palm Springs, CA
Photo by Chase Daniel
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design Palm Springs, CA Photo by Chase Daniel
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design

We worked with BC Timber Frame to source our Douglas fir glulam beams—using Select Structural, the highest grade of local Douglas fir timber known for its beauty, structural integrity, and fewer and smaller knots. Our beams are custom-tapered and surfaced with solid, edge-glued, finger-jointed, vertical grain, old-growth fir—achieving an exquisite furniture-grade beam. See how our crew carefully placed the beams onto the prefab shell.
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design We worked with BC Timber Frame to source our Douglas fir glulam beams—using Select Structural, the highest grade of local Douglas fir timber known for its beauty, structural integrity, and fewer and smaller knots. Our beams are custom-tapered and surfaced with solid, edge-glued, finger-jointed, vertical grain, old-growth fir—achieving an exquisite furniture-grade beam. See how our crew carefully placed the beams onto the prefab shell.
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design

When the foundation was ready, the weather-tight shell was stacked onto a truck and delivered to the site as flat-packed panels. An experienced crew began unloading and preparing assembly—much faster and with more precision than conventional construction allows.
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design When the foundation was ready, the weather-tight shell was stacked onto a truck and delivered to the site as flat-packed panels. An experienced crew began unloading and preparing assembly—much faster and with more precision than conventional construction allows.
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design - Great Room

Photo by Chase Daniel
Axiom Desert House by Turkel Design - Great Room Photo by Chase Daniel
Comments
Private
Start a public conversation on this collection by adding your comments below.