A modest residence, designed as a collection of places, is the epitome of a modern, stylish building. C.P. Drewett of Drewett Works created a modern desert masterpiece, drawing influence from the modernist and essentialist styles of 20th-century architects such as Mies van der Rohe.
Situated on a 250-acre plot on the outskirts of Phoenix, the property was intended as a desert getaway for the homeowners and their partners. The situation was so overpowering that my instinct was to use a smaller toolbox to untangle it. According to Drewett, “I wanted to compress the fabric palette—a restrained marriage to a fancy website.” “In my mind, the house consisted of four materials: concrete flooring, metal fascia, wooden ceilings, and rammed earth partitions.”
The bespoke 70,000-square-foot property, a five-year project, had a simple, pod-like composition of four constructions: the first dwelling, a multi-car storage, an amusement arcade, and a train/supervisor’s apartment. It also maintained an easy fabric palette. It was the buyers’ first experience building a house. One thing that kind of developed naturally was the veracity of the places they desired. To understand how people may live in and utilize it, we discussed a wide range of scenarios, times, and events, says Drewett. The architect created a variety of spaces so that the homeowners could live comfortably even when it was only the two of them.
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Apart from the principal storage, there is a two-car storage unit connected to the main house. There could be a pantry and a smaller kitchen next to it, which we call the second kitchen, according to Drewett. Next to it, there can be a smaller residence that we refer to as “the preserving room.” It is never taken out of the homeowners’ suite and is warm and comfortable. The house has increased confinement in this area. The spaces are much more organized and smaller. Jerry and Jeremy Meek of Desert Star Building, the home’s constructors, spent months researching the house’s signature feature: its rammed earth dividers. Carefully crafted using SIREWALL, they have a layered appearance and are very durable.
According to Jeremy Meek, “any residence built with rammed earth requires additional consideration of the element on account of its structural permanence.” The project’s durability may last over many lives. As the building began to take shape, the homeowners hired talented in-house designer David Michael Miller to add personnel. Miller remembers well visiting websites where they looked at a variety of rammed earth mixtures, metal finishes, and concrete coatings in an attempt to find the optimum combination. “Getting the essential supplies right from the start was crucial to the success of the project.” Miller, who also designed certain interior elements, collaborated with his team to provide the home with a warm, opulent atmosphere.
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“We added to the house to make it feel more comfortable as a home, even though it may be very much an architectural statement in and of itself,” he says. “The furniture has a clean, modern aesthetic, yet the finishes are soft and pure.” Notable amenities include an Olympic-sized pool; a display storage with an impressive collection of vintage cars; and a health center including a fully equipped gym, a therapeutic massage therapy area, and a Himalayan salt room. Ping-pong, pool, poker tables, and shuffleboard provide entertainment within the arcade, while a wine room and bar promote socializing.
The grounds were renovated by outdoor panorama designer Jeff Berghoff of Berghoff Design Group, providing the homeowners with the desired desert look. A tranquil atmosphere is created by zen-like water features surrounded by native desert flora, with seasonal color splashes. Over a hundred current saguaros that were saved from the structure have been skillfully replanted. Unspoiled beaches and hiking paths carved out of the landscape allow the residents to see its grandeur up close. “I think this property has several exciting panoramic potentials, including the recently constructed entrance drive.
Entering the mile-long roadway, you go up and beside an inventory pond where spectacular panoramic regions reveal before descending into what seems to be a slot canyon, according to Berghoff. “It appears seamless to the viewer, as though it has always been a part of this property’s absolutely amazing quality.” It should come as no surprise that when industry pioneers have the opportunity to collaborate on an epic-scale project, the outcome might be nothing short of remarkable. According to Drewett, “a good structure cannot exist without collaboration and a sense of camaraderie.” “With these extraordinarily talented individuals—Jeff Berghoff, Jerry and Jeremy Meek, and David Michael Miller—something extraordinarily unique happened.”
