Arcadia Cottage

This corner lot remodel and addition, situated in the lush Arcadia neighborhood of Scottsdale, Arizona, transforms the original 1950s masonry walls and slab into a surreal and boldly imaginative home, showing a remarkable departure from its former self that effortlessly fits into the neighborhood’s distinctive charm.

The original house, within a neighborhood bounded by the iconic Camelback Mountain to the north and the Arizona Canal to the south, was deserving of the sort of architectural transformation that normally would require a complete demolition and re-build. Instead, in order to satisfy certain zoning restrictions and to creatively reduce the overall construction budget, the Architect embarked on a rigorous journey to develop a simple and timeless architectural gesture, markedly distinct from the original home, while maintaining the given existing footprint and bearing walls.

The project’s calm elegance and understated presence can be attributed, in part, to the context in which it exists. The project is located within the valley’s Salt River Project irrigation district providing a sustainable means to supporting trees, turf and other vegetation throughout the neighborhood by way of a century old flood-irrigation infrastructure that historically made citrus agriculture possible in the area. Utilizing the historic infrastructure for the infrequent flooding of the bermed neighborhood lots enhances air quality, lowers energy costs and provides areas to recreate outdoors even during the dramatically hot desert summers. This coexistence of drought tolerant and water-wise vegetation – the palms and citrus; the roses and cacti; the desert floor and the Bermuda lawns - is what creates the context for such a project to feel at ease.”