The inspiration for the design came from the owner’s love of the classic Royal Palms Hotel and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Our client asked us to create a large but comfortable retirement home on acreage near the Twin Sisters hills above the Little Blanco River. Besides meeting their own day-to-day needs, they wanted the house to provide welcoming overnight accommodations for visiting clergy from the nearby monastery.
The inspiration for the design came from the owner’s love of the classic Royal Palms Hotel and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Like the original 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival Style house at the heart of the Royal Palms, we arranged the guest rooms around three sides of an inner courtyard joined to the front of the main house. Guests can access each room from the arcade that surrounds the central court.
We distinguished the entry to the compound with a Mission Revival Style parapeted façade. We repeated a similar motif at the house entrance. These elements are organized along a central axis that creates a welcoming experience for guests as they walk through the entry hall, pass through the courtyard, and enter the main house.
The tall great room anchors the house and beautifully displays the owner’s collection of antique tapestries. Niches in this room and throughout the home are designed to display their collection of Greek Orthodox icons. Each item in the collection is full of meaning and an expression of their faith.
The home’s design matches the owner’s lifestyle by surrounding them with meaningful things they love and allowing them to provide lodging for special guests.
Photography: Andrea Calo Architectural Photographs