Client Brief:
A glass artist and partner wanted work and life close, but not tangled. The house needed to feel calm, private, and easy to live in. The studio needed heat, power, and airflow without dragging noise or dust into family space. Hosting visiting artists on site was important. Being a good neighbor was non-negotiable.
Location:
A long, narrow lot on the edge of a Historic District in downtown Phoenix. Close neighbors, strong desert sun, and a street with an established rhythm. The drive side handles deliveries, exhaust, and service so the front stays tidy and the backyard stays peaceful.
Design Solution:
We organized the property like a small campus, house and studio as separate buildings with outdoor rooms between. Courts collect breeze and shade, give quiet places for morning coffee, and keep sightlines private without feeling closed in.
The name sets the approach. Diffraction is the splitting and redirecting of light, then the gathering of it again. Tall slot windows and deep fins slice glare into softer bands that move through the rooms. Wide pocketing doors open kitchen, dining, and living to a pool court, letting the house breathe and making the outdoors a daily room, not a weekend extra.
The studio is laid out by craft. A hot shop for molten work. A cold shop for cutting and finishing. A flexible maker bay for fixtures and prototypes. An artist-in-residence suite brings collaborators close while keeping the house private. Service access and exhaust face the drive side to point noise and dust away from the yard. Clean storage and filtered air stay separate from hot work so the home stays healthy.
At the street, the house keeps a low profile to respect the historic neighborhood. Inside the lot, it opens where sun, breeze, and privacy line up.
Result:
Light is guided. It splits across slots, redirects along fins, and gathers in the courts, marking time through the day and giving each space a clear mood. Daily life centers on the pool court. Work has a purpose-built home that does not bleed into the kitchen. Paths and courtyards link everything into one easy loop, so moving from breakfast to studio to evening swim feels natural. Quiet to the street, open at the heart, Diffraction supports craft, gathering, and rest with equal care.
