Mid-century Home Renovation Design To Capture The Magnificence Of Its Surroundings

Built in 1973, this 4,930 square-foot residence in Phoenix, Arizona, was dark, outdated, and missing a connection to its incredible backdrop of Camelback Mountain. This 180 Degrees Design + Build renovation focused on a personal expression of modern, whimsical design and creating an intersection between the home’s structural mass and its surrounding views. Central to the program was pulling the home’s original footprint back from the property line, raising the roofline, and installing an 18-foot tall by a 36-foot wide glass wall and sliding door to maximize backyard views. Clerestory windows along the north elevation add more natural light. A suspended steel fireplace anchors the entry and creates a junction point for the home that reveals the mountain views upon entry. The dramatic entry contrasts the original 1970’s design; dark, outdated and overgrown with Ficus trees; the courtyard now recaptures its connection to the breathtaking proximity to Camelback Mountain.

The landscape and hardscape plan welcomes visitors and moves them through specific points-of-interest. The first of two custom-fabricated portals features a custom steel gate, which introduces some of the steel details found throughout the house. The second, a large steel parallelogram powder coated in a bold marigold color, frames the home’s main entry and beckons visitors through the courtyard. An acid-etched concrete path moves through large ironwood trees—various groupings of fencepost cactus and agave in raised steel planters. Conversation points along the path provide scenic viewpoints of the surrounding red rocks. Frameless glass windows that flank the courtyard reflect the garden’s texture.


Project name: Brandaw at Echo Canyon
Architect: 180 Degrees Design + Build – https://www.180degreesinc.com/
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Area: 4930 ft²
Year: 2020
Photographer: An Pham Photography – http://www.antpham.com/
Architecture firms: 180 Degrees Design + Build, CBTWO Architects
Design team: James Trahan
Structural engineer: Cartwright Architects & Engineers
Environmental & MEP engineering: Otterbein Engineering
Lighting: Woodward Engineering
Construction: 180 Degrees Design + Build