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Architects: assemblageSTUDIO
- Area: 6000 ft²
- Year: 2009
Text description provided by the architects. The residence lies at the foothills of the Redrock Mountains within a master planned community in southwest Las Vegas. The design departs from the traditional U-shaped desert courtyard home by dividing the home into two components linked through a common elevated breezeway. Each component works as an individual home and/or in conjunction for extended family living.
The design incorporates the existing contours, stepping along the lines to form an upper public level and lower private level. Using the idea of stratification present in the adjacent Redrock Mountains, the materials emphasis a horizontally within the massing which relates to the stepping of the form over the contours.
This form reinforces the distant views to the Las Vegas Strip. The view is initially screened from view as you enter the residence, shielded by the entry bridge. Once across the bridge you encounter the elevated breezeway which serves as the exterior living room for the component homes. Here the view to the strip is exposed, acting as the “front door” for the two component houses. The split of the home into two parts, occurs to create a main house – living, master suite and guest room and a guest house - living, theatre and guest bedrooms.
The design reinforces living in the desert through an incorporation of indoor and outdoor living environments. Daylight is celebrated. Each space receives protected lighting and maximum viewing potential away from late afternoon heat gain. The materials have been selected from this area to create a connection to the native mountain base.
A feeling of permanence is achieved. Additional materials are selected to create a high performance envelope with R49 insulation. Solar panels create the heating for the domestic water and pool water. Individual high SEER mechanical equipment is supplemented with cross ventilation and room fans. Massing of the design created convection breeze patterns across the pool and into the two separate volumes.
