Client Brief:
The clients asked for a compact guest house that could provide two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and open living area within a small footprint. The design needed to feel generous while staying efficient and durable in the desert climate.
Location:
The project is on an urban lot in Phoenix. The goal was to complement the main house and create a self-contained dwelling suited to intense heat and sunlight.
Design Solution:
The house takes its name from its T-shaped plan. Two symmetrical bedrooms flank a central core with kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. The living area extends from this core and connects directly to the outdoors through a twelve-foot-wide, 750-pound pivot door. When open, the door expands the living space onto a shaded patio, adding 255 square feet of outdoor room.
Floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides brings in light, protected by deep roof overhangs that cut heat gain. Materials include board-formed concrete, stucco, steel, and glass, with a custom-patterned plywood ceiling adding warmth and texture.
Result:
casiTa shows how small-scale design can live large. Its compact plan, durable materials, and dramatic pivot door create a guest house that feels open, adaptable, and connected to its setting.
