Johnson-Jones Residence
Phoenix, Arizona
A place to escape suburbia
Dwelling
Scorpion House
Location
Scottsdale, Arizona
Size
4,600 sq ft
Expertise
Dwelling
Delivery Method
Design-Build
Project Team
At the base of Pinnacle Peak the alluvial plain flares out, arroyos etched across the desert floor and weaving between boulder mounds that dot the landscape. The Scorpion House perches high upon one of these outcroppings and looks out toward the west, set against the silhouette of the adjacent stone. Planned to dance between the natural features of its site and vegetation, the home harmoniously reconnects inhabitants with the earth.
Flows of water and mineral across millenia continue to shape the landscape in the home’s response to the site. The entry drive threads a small canyon leading to a bridge that connects the main home to the guest house. Ascending the stair from the ground to the concrete platform above, the native arroyo descends the hillside undisturbed. The bowed bases of the two masses also guide stormwater smoothly around the home.
Like its namesake, the home gently traverses the rocky terrain and blends into its surroundings. Interlocking, curving planes of concrete and oxidized titanium zinc compose a protective shell that integrates the home into the site, cradling a continuous interior beneath a sweeping roof mirroring the incline of the land and shielding against the low western sun. Carved openings bring light deeper into the interior and reveal views to nature.
At the center of the arc, glazing spans from floor to ceiling to blur the boundary between the interior and the exterior deck. All spaces orient back to its center point, where a hemispherical pool carries a seemingly suspended disk of blue water. Its crescent form, contrasting with its jagged surroundings, opens to the vista of the mountains and valley beyond.
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