Although The Goat Heads are mostly clad in metal, it’s the plastic panel walls at the entries that really shine. “In the evening they act like lanterns and animate the courtyards,” says Rogers. Their glow is tempered by the concrete breeze-block walls. “It was important that the units weren’t too bright—part of the beauty out here is the sky at night.”
"In some ways the strongest attributes of the house are probably the outside spaces,” says Court. The original cedar deck was replaced with Kebony decking that wraps around a century-old cherry tree. A pair of Andy rockers from Mamagreen face an ottoman by Kenneth Cobonpue. The accordion doors are a NanaWall SL-60 system that allows the main room of the guesthouse to open completely to the deck.
Clad in translucent polycarbonate siding and topped with a steel roof, this wood-frame structure opens up to a wraparound deck and panoramic views of California’s Yucca Valley. The off-grid, solar-powered cabin has just enough room for a bed—a kitchen and bath are housed in separate nearby structures.
To revive the original architects’ vision, studioWTA restored a four-foot roof overhang above a wall of La Cantina sliders. The shade helps limit solar gain, while a pool by Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture provides respite on sweltering summer days.
Exterior from the backyard
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.
Landscape architects Reed Hilderbrand helped fill out the completed prefab by planting sedge grass on one of the house’s two green roofs to reflect the texture of the surrounding meadow.
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