The Tucson Mountain Retreat Features an Inspiring Interior with a Continuous Connection To the Desert Outside

Retreat in the Heart of the Desert

A beautiful place away from it all, the Tucson Mountain Retreat is in the Sonoran Desert which is actually very lush and arid. The land itself has a very mystical quality which makes it a great place to retreat to. The mountain retreat was carefully placed on the land to complement the natural landscape and eco-system. It's placed among the rocks, ancient cacti and arroyos with respect given to the animal migration paths as well. The placement of the home also offers some wonderful views of the desert as well. The designers and builders really intended to minimize the impact of the home since the environment there is so fragile. They did an excellent job of both preserving the land and building an exquisite home that really fits into the backdrop. One of the things they did was put the parking for the home 400 feet away from the house. So it's almost like you have to travel a short distance through the desert on a footpath through the cacti to reach it. This creates an experience right from the entrance of the home to make this place unforgettable. Then, there are concrete steps leading further toward the home creating a sense of adventure. The designers did this so that the senses would be stimulated upon entering into the home creating an experience rather than just another cottage or house.

Innovative and Sustainable Design

The home is mostly constructed out of Rammed Earth, which uses the readily available soil from the earth making for a natural, yet solid material. This also provides wonderful thermal benefits which makes the home more energy efficient and it also means the home is very environmentally friendly. Then, you enter into the home which is a whole other experience in itself, like you're entering into another world. You wouldn't expect such a modern looking home to be placed in the middle of the desert, but the Tuscon Mountain Retreat is more than you'd expect. The home is separated into three zones which include the living area, sleeping area and a home entertainment and music recording area. Each of the areas is reached by leaving the building and going outside to enter into the next space. This was done to not only create a new experience in each room and to connect the indoors with the outdoors, but also to have acoustic separation which is essential for a recording studio.

Smart Water Management and Passive Design

You may also be wondering how the home gets its water in the desert where water is scarce. There is a 30,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system that has a filtration system to supply the home with all of its water. They used passive design concepts to maximize solar gain by placing the home on an east-west axis plus making sure that there are fewer windows and doors on the south facing sides. The main living area and the sleeping areas also have patio spaces extending off of them with overhangs to get the most out of the views. They also give shelter from the hot sun and then in the winter; they will allow the sun in since they are positioned just right to accommodate the shift in the sun's pattern across the sky. The home was built for a couple who were attracted to this area for the scenery and magic of the desert landscape. They wanted to have a desert vacation home they could retreat to from their home in San Diego. It's a place where they can go and relax and immerse themselves in their music and the quiet that the desert brings. Wouldn't this be a wonderful place to retreat and relax?