The Desert House located in Desert Hot Springs is a steel structure designed with large expansive windows, and concrete flooring.

Composed of primarily steel, this prefab home has sufficient outdoor space. Photo by: Daniel Hennessy

Various groupings of succulents were planted to accent and obscure the home's relationship to its surrounding environment. Photo by: Daniel Hennessy

At the base of Echo Mountain in Phoenix, a geometric home by Wendell Burnette opens up to the surrounding desert landscape. Photo by Dean Kaufman.

In the master bedroom, a Droog Milk Bottle lamp hangs next to a Fluttua Bed designed by Daniele Lago. An artwork by Brooke Westlund hangs over a custom pet door for the client’s dog, Kona.

The iT House offers cross-ventilation through its wide, expansive doors and windows, which naturally help cool down the home's interior temperature. Photo by: Gregg Segal

In Palm Springs, Sander Architects created an energy-efficient hybrid prefab home that’s designed to stay naturally cool in the desert heat, which often climbs to triple digits in the summer.

There are generously proportioned nine-foot-high ceilings throughout the Desert House. Marmol Radziner designed and built the outdoor table and benches from reclaimed Douglas fir.

All fixtures and faucets are from CEA.

In the kitchen, which faces west to capture views of the San Jacinto Mountains, a large red work by James Jensen punctuates one wall. The induction cooktop is from Gaggenau; the sinks were sourced from Blanco.

A skylight was added to bring in more light, and the existing ceilings painted Benjamin Moore ‘Black Tar’ for contrast. The island pendant is the Schoolhouse Ray 17” Pendant and the stools are the Artek Aalto High Chair K65.

He worked around existing oak and eucalyptus trees for the new building, and retained the vernacular of an original barn, at right, where Frankel hosts concerts. Check out MVRDV's Balancing Barn.

Open Embrace by Keith Greenwald and Lisa Ekle The living quarters, set on clay brick piers, embraces the cyclical nature of the local climate, protecting against floods while opening up space to socialize in the dry season. The corrugated zinc roof, indented slightly to let in natural sunlight and the occasional breeze, not only reduces heat gain, but captures rainwater in cisterns. Photo provided by Building Trust International

Open Embrace by Keith Greenwald and Lisa Ekle “The materials of the house are familiar and largely produced locally, stimulating economies and connecting communities,” says Greenwald. Photo provided by Building Trust International

The flat roof of the Nakhshabs’ energy-efficient home is topped with photo-voltaic panels. It is the first single-family LEED Gold–certified residence in San Diego.

This airy addition on the back of a historic house in Boise is a model of sensitive renovation, seamlessly melding new and old. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

At night, opening the entire top floor is a breeze. Russell-Clarke and Moolsintong are even planning of rigging some kind of sail over the back patio for shade. The hot tub is by Roberts Hot Tubs.

After months of arduous design and construction, Marmol and Becket are thrilled to escape Los Angeles for their idyllic desert retreat.

Fittingly named the Courtyard House, the residence features a large outdoor space tucked underneath the cantilevered upper level, providing a quiet and shaded area for Lalita to enjoy her coffee breaks. Rotated masonry blocks extend from the courtyard wall to create succulent planters.

The Blue Sky prototype house leads a second life as desert getaway for David McAdam and his partner Scott Smith.

- Taos, New Mexico Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

The courtyard-facing side of the garage provides an overhang for a multifunctional playroom or entertainment space.

Configur8 tiles provide distinctive cladding for the exterior of this modern home.

Glazing facing the sea.

A lone saguaro marks the southwest corner of Thomas and Laura Hyland’s property, which is situated adjacent to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. The structure’s main living volume is elevated and faced in glass, overlooking a descending pathway that leads to a pool tucked into the site.

The total cost of the house was about $350,000, though the owners have since added a garage, outdoor bath and shower, and a yoga platform in the woods.

The back courtyard is meant to feel like a haven from the outside world; a place where the family can easily escape the stresses of everyday life. The flickering lights from the fire pit shed a soft, relaxing glow over the area.

The voluminous black plaster cube appears to float over the open first-floor at the rear elevation. On the roof, solar panels generate about 80 percent of the home’s electrical and heating needs. The landscaped backyard was designed to resemble an orchard, and includes several defined areas for socializing and entertaining.

Patio

Homeowner Jay Longtin served as the general contractor and performed the majority of the remodel work, aside from the outdoor floors, concrete, and pool, which were done by Architectural Blue.

Waechter Architecture reimagined a traditional gabled home in southeast Portland without significantly altering the original building. A simple coat of red paint abstracts the century-old structure, creating a residential work of art.

The clients and design team chose to forego an open floor plan in favor of defined, separated spaces. In this scheme, the vertically oriented spaces act as a cinematic "hard-cut" to their horizontal counterparts. The custom hot rolled steel kitchen, one of these vertical transition spaces, receives light from above through a Velux skylight. A GE Profile Induction cooktop and oven and Miele refrigerator complete the space.

Desert Canopy House Plan

House O, designed by Jun Igarashi, forgoes hallways and interior doors in favor of casually interconnected rooms.