Client Brief:
After two years on the road, the clients circled back to where their journey began: Sedona. They had tested movement, now they wanted stillness. The red rock terrain offered them that rare balance of drama and quiet. This house would be their home base, a daily reset button, and a true expression of their values: simplicity, creativity, and deep connection to nature.
Location:
Set within the Seven Canyons community, the 1.2-acre site offers panoramic red rock views but came with a layered set of challenges: a tight building envelope, significant cross slope, strict HOA height limits, and mature junipers that had to remain untouched. As a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) property, the home also needed a fire-rated exterior. The design had to respect the views of neighbors while boldly claiming its own presence, treading lightly around what was already rooted in place.
Design Solution:
We let the land set the rules. Instead of stepping down the slope, we used its natural fall to raise the back of the home. This maneuver eliminated the need for fences, preserved sightlines, and created a secure outdoor area, a crucial detail for a small dog in a rugged environment. The resulting plinth supports a negative-edge pool that reflects sky and red rocks alike.
The home unfolds in an H-shaped plan, organized around a central great room with four radiating wings: primary suite, guest suite, office, and garage. Two courtyards emerge from this layout, one to greet the sunset and mesa beyond, the other to capture first light over the red rocks. Full-height glass along the southeastern elevation pockets away entirely, breaking down the barrier between interior and terrain.
We chose materials with patience and permanence in mind. The exterior is distilled to limestone and dark integrally colored stucco. The stucco recedes like a deep shadow, minimizing visual impact, while the limestone carries a quiet geological narrative and dances with Sedona’s shifting light. In a landscape rich with vivid reds and desert greens, this neutral palette amplifies the natural color spectrum. The pool and metal fascia reflect sky and red rocks alike, reinforcing the dialogue between architecture and the environment.
A Fireline-treated timber ceiling warms the underside of the great room overhang and shaded patio. Tile flooring continues from indoors out, wrapping around the pool and spa, heightening the sense of flow and openness.
Result:
The architecture doesn’t mimic the surroundings. It rises in response to them. Bold in form and clean in detail, the home holds its own beside Sedona’s monumental backdrop. There are spaces to retreat, a cuddle couch lit by morning sun, a sunken firepit for conversation under stars, but the core experience is one of connection. Wildlife passes by. The light shifts. The landscape reflects in water and glass. The house lives with the desert, not just in it.
