Defining Desert Living March/April 2021 by azarchitecture

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Defining Desert Living

Architecturally Unique Homes

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

Architectural Sculpture in Phoenix

ARIZONA PRESERVATION ARCHITECTS Douglas B. Sydnor FAIA

FEATURED ARTIST

Marie Navarre

Architecturally Unique Homes

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Editor’s Note: Thank you again for joining us in another issue of Defining Desert Living. Our boutique magazine devoted to architecture, design, and history presented though the very special lens of desert life. This issue delves into architectural decoration, once commonplace, yet often overlooked and discarded as pastiche. You will discard your preconceptions after attaching names to these singular architectural sculptors that left a legacy of adornment, a reminder for us to look up! Scott Jarson, Editor

We share our appreciation of Architect and author Douglas Syndor FAIA, whose work exudes his exemplary combination of curiosity and dedication, a

EDITOR / PUBLISHER

Debbie Jarson Scott Jarson CONTRIBUTORS

David Brown Taylor Costello Andrew Jarson Walt Lockley ART DIRECTION

ps:studios inc. COVER IMAGE

IMAGERY Bill Timmerman INTERIOR DESIGN Dawson Design Associates, Ltd. ARCHITECTURE John Chonka Projekt

renaissance man with a sincere passion for architecture, and his community. Tracking the vibrant Arts & Culture scene in Phoenix Metro we share an overview of significant museums, current exhibits, plus a much deserved spotlight on one of our favorite Arizona artists. This year our firm celebrates over thirty years of Real Estate sales focused on Architecturally Unique Homes™ . We are the only Real Estate brokerage in Arizona that makes architecture and design part of their mission. Our business is Architectural Real Estate. Our passion is sharing our dedication to Arizona’s design heritage with you! Please feel free to call on us: to sell or find your unique home, or to share a bit of your home’s special history. It’s all part of what we call Defining Desert Living! Scott Jarson

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azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson members are proud supporters of the Frank Lloyd Wright READ THE CURRENT ISSUE ONLINE AT azarchitecture.com

Building Conservancy, The Arizona State University Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and the Taliesin Foundation.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration strictly prohibited without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. Publisher assumes no liability for the information contained herein; all statements are the sole opinions of the contributors and/or advertisers.

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY: Annie Spratt

IN THIS ISSUE IN HIS OWN WORDS

Editors Notes

ON THE SHELF

Coveted Books & Products

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

Architectural sculpture in Phoenix

ON THE MARKET

Just Sold

THE ARIZONA PRESERVATION ARCHITECTS

Douglas B. Sydnor: Historic Buildings Define Our Spirit

ON THE MARKET

New Listings

MARIE NAVARRE

Featured Artist

ON DISPLAY

Valley Arts & Culture

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PROJECT: Sky-Island Concept Design

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

In the midst of our Valley there are cool, irrigated citrus groves in the shadow of Camelback Mountain, along with pockets of Spanish revival, adobe, and mid-century modern ranch homes. There are forests of giant saguaros in the foothills to the north, an area that is known for cutting-edge architecture, and rows of majestic date palms lining streets of historic homes in central Phoenix. All of this makes for a rich, urban landscape that includes modern in-fill architecture, loft projects and stunning high-rise towers. All coexisting within the dramatic backdrop of our unique Sonoran Desert. azarchitecture understands the contrasts and architectural nuances that set unique homes apart. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Case Study, Eames to Al Beadle, azarchitecture speaks the language of modern architecture.

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Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

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ARCHITECTU SCULPTURE IN PHOENIX B Y W A LT L O C K L E Y 8

City-County Building (1928)

URAL E X Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

architectural sculpture “American of this era is fun to look at, being forbidden and defiant and all that.

”

– Walt Lockley

Let’s start here in front of the City-County Building (1928)

inter-disciplinary trick, to coordinate the body languages of

for these two boss eagles, proudly and forever trapped

building and human (or eagle in this case) in a way flattering

on either side of the western staircase. Do you know this

to both, plus, there’s emotional communication going on

building? Ever had business here? It’s a great-looking

between building and pedestrian. I began sharing notes

courthouse with some screwy little mysteries attached,

and trading examples with the architectural historian Einar

beginning with, why does the cornerstone identify it as

Kvaran. We became friends. And kept collecting examples.

the “GRAND LODGE STATE OF ARIZONA, F&AM” (that

We’re still fine friends, our combined research now covers

means Free and Accepted Masons) and date it “A.D.

about 2000 buildings in the U.S., and we cross-index their

1928, A.L. 5928”? The eastern two-thirds of the building

sculptors and architects, so we can identify patterns and

was designed for the county by Edward F. Nield Sr., from

careers and stuff based on actual data.

Shreveport, Louisiana, and the western, city-hall third by locals Lescher & Mahoney.

PUT IT DOWN TO MASONIC SHENANIGANS. Taking a full beat to avoid thinking about the differences

AFTER THIS MUCH RESEARCH, THE EFFECTS REMAIN FRESH AND SATISFYINGLY STRANGE. NONE OF THE ESSENTIAL WEIRDNESS HAS WORN OFF. I’M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

between an eagle and a phoenix, let’s play dumb for a moment. We’re not responsible for figuring everything out.

These eagles are terra cotta. They were modeled

Let’s just enjoy the shapes. Solid, and tense at the same

by Gladding, McBean in Lincoln, California, up by

time. The symmetry. The skill. The scale. For a blazing hot

Sacramento. Company archives contain a photograph of

city rebuilt on prehistoric ruins — what a great success in

a similar eagle emerging from similar flames, a few years

allegorical terms — rising from the ashes — so on brand.

earlier, labelled “Proposed Eagle for Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Building, San Francisco, 1924.” The eagles

BEST OF ALL, THESE EAGLES GET EXCELLENT RAKING SUN IN THE AFTERNOON.

on that building, 140 Montgomery, as viewed from up underneath, are not like these. They’re more like geese with fake noses. There’s a similar idea on the facade of the U.S. Post Office in Springfield, Ohio, from 1934, by a sculptor

A few years ago I got interested in sculptures on buildings. I began to understand that this was a difficult, old-fashioned,

named Amos E. Mazzolini.

Arizona State Capitol (1890; J. Reily Gordon, architect)

BUT AGAIN. THESE ARE BETTER. THESE EAGLES ARE AN AESTHETIC RISK THAT PAYS OFF EVERY TIME.

thing, that’s sheet zinc. Durable, or durable enough. You wouldn’t want bronze up there. The quality of the modeling doesn’t count — only the statue’s body language counts, really, showing some quality of strength or grace or noble

Part of the conventional wisdom seems to be, “older

whatever from the ground 30 yards away.

buildings have decoration because decoration was cheap”. Artisans and craftsmen used to lay mature and plentiful

Not only is it zinc, this is a store-bought object. Big wings,

under the trees come Monday morning, so why not. That’s

tiny torch. It came from the W.H. Mullins company of

silly. In fact that’s exactly backwards. Capable modelers

Salem, Ohio, in business for 102 years, who stamped such

and fine-art carvers have always been expensive, skilled

objects out en masse, sold them to architects via mail-order

laborers, with extra money and respect for those who could

catalog, and shipped them rail. It was a purchase of the

do human figures and faces.

territory of $175 in the big floppy folding greenbacks of 1890, and a good responsible purchase it was too. Good

SOMEBODY WAS ALWAYS PAYING FOR THE SCULPTURE. IT WAS PUT THERE FOR A REASON. SOMETIMES THE REASONS WERE DISHONEST AND DECEPTIVE.

value. Coming into the 1920s, several of the valley’s buildings reflect a historical moment when Phoenix was roped into a southwestern regional Spanish-Colonial revival league, of sorts. In 1915, San Diego’s search for its own civic

That brings us to the top of the Arizona State Capitol

identity and a useable past took form with such a grand

(1890; J. Reily Gordon, architect) with our state finial.

successful synthesizing restatement of regional Amero-

Winged Victory, I believe. Big wings, tiny torch. For one

Mexican themes and styles on the facade of the California

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Westward Ho (1928, Louis Door, Rafael Lake, architects)

First Presbyterian Church (1927, Norman F. Marsh, architect)

Building in Balboa Park, that it caused cultural shockwaves

But the plain winner in this small churrigueresque group is the

(or energized cultural copycats) as far afield as El Paso,

Lois Grunow Memorial Clinic (1931; Fitzhugh & Bryon,

Tucson, and Phoenix.

architects) on Indian School. Lois Grunow was 7, the daughter of a Chicago radio manufacturer and winter resident, when she

It’s an excellent cocktail-party word, churrigueresque.

died in 1929 in an unnecessary operation. Her father funded

That’s the name for the crusty, chunky, and insanely

this clinic with a million dollars. These outbursts of ornament

complicated ornament that you find on some Spanish

at the main entrance, the windows, and the side laboratory

buildings, particularly a sort of elaborate plate-entablature

entrance are reportedly cast stone aka concrete; they show a

right above the entrance. These buildings are not shy about

low-relief sense of humor about the virtues of medicine.

their need to communicate. All this continues in the lobby, so elaborate and immersive The good old Westward Ho (1928, Louis Door, Rafael

that stepping inside feels like time travel. (Not that we

Lake, architects) belongs in that group and is good to look

should all troop through at once.) An article in the Republic

at, although its burst of churrigueresque doesn’t include

of May 30, 1982 marked its 50th anniversary: it was the

any human figures. Part of that was carved by a young

first medical building of any kind in the state; its four-

Phillips Sanderson. Also close downtown there’s the First

panel “History of Medicine” lobby mural was painted by

Presbyterian Church (1927, Norman F. Marsh, architect)

Lon Magargee; its pioneering cooling system used carbon

with a restrained covering of churrigueresque cast stone with

dioxide under high pressure instead of freon, running on

a few angels. Also the later entry of the St. Francis Xavier

equipment partly improvised from salvaged warship parts.

Church (1959; J. Earl Trudeau, architect) shows a building with a fine Jesuit evangelical outreach to northbound

Given Grunow’s mission I read the outside as an expression

drivers on Central, where you get the same thing advanced

of its spirit of engagement and public service. Buildings

to a 1950s realism.

used to welcome people inside, incredibly.

St. Francis Xavier Church (1959; J. Earl Trudeau, architect)

Lois Grunow Memorial Clinic (1931; Fitzhugh & Bryon, architects)

The opposite is true at the Orpheum (1929; Lescher &

a bunch of preservationist heroes, which is well worth

Mahoney, architects), comparable in time and stylistic flavor.

celebrating. The back of it along 19th Avenue has New

People love old theaters, of course they should, but I can’t

Deal art on it — hexagonal vignettes, repeated in a line, 12

help seeing them as mantraps. Banks and governments put

unique designs to occupy 20 spots, along with three unique

sculpture on their buildings to show legitimacy and strength.

rectangular panels in the middle. Their level of detail and

Movie theaters used decoration as a visual machine, meant

their placement thirty feet up, way behind a street fence,

to catch a human’s attention whether the human liked it or

means you have to be persistent to see them.

not, make the human pause, direct the human’s attention to the entrance, and get it through the door.

“New Deal” doesn’t signify any consistent style, really. But the whole period from 1932 (creation of the Emergency

By 1929 we’d already had two or three generations of

Work Bureau, only in NYC) through the WPA’s FAP and

theaters. American theaters of the late 1910s regularly put

the TRAP, all these projects winding down finally to July

somewhat louche bodies on their facades. For example,

1943 (the final closing of the Treasury Section, which had

the Strand Theater on Washington (1918 but long gone;

evolved into the Section of Fine Arts of the Public Buildings

architects Alfred W. Rea and Charles E. Garstang) originally

Administration of the Federal Works Agency) is a funny-

sported a bas-relief tympanum with five undressed ladies,

looking tree ring in the history of architectural sculpture in

living up to that house’s reputation. Some of the earlier

the U.S.

movie houses found their facades only needed one or two of those new “electric lights” to attract the curious, the idle,

Mostly the “New Deal” era meant demand for sculpture on

the thrill-seeking — their target demographic.

buildings exceeded the supply. There’s a ton more sculpture on government buildings for awhile, it’s government funded

The concrete grandstand at the Arizona State Fairgrounds

and themed, a lot of it shows a developmental skill level,

(1936; architect unknown) has recently been saved by

and nationally there’s a lot of New Deal sculptors’ names

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Orpheum (1929; Lescher & Mahoney, architects)

Executive Towers (1963)

Arizona State Fairgrounds (1936; architect unknown)

who suddenly appear on the commissions logs, local

Ornament and particularly figural ornament was declared

talents and ambitious apprentices – your Bert Makos, your

an aesthetic crime by Alfred Barr and Philip Johnson in

James Hansens, your Vicken von Post Tottens, your Armin

1932. They said it was tacky, retrograde. Without expertise

A. Schelers – before vanishing again afterwards.

on their part, or experience, or authority, or logic, the architectural rules of the MOMA Gang spread across

HERE ARE TWO MORE NAMES LIKE THAT FROM THE FLANK OF THIS GRANDSTAND. DAVID SWING AND FLORENCE BLAKESLEE.

the continent like a choking molasses until they covered everybody and everything. That’s their story, anyway. They’re still sticking to it. Architectural modernism certainly created a crisis among

Swing was a multi-talented artist who came to Arizona from

professionals. As soon as January 23, 1933, sculptor

Cincinnati, via Kentucky and Los Angeles, where he ran a

Thomas Lo Medico wrote an impassioned letter to the New

landscape and interior design firm. He arrived in Phoenix

York Times hoping, on behalf of architectural sculptors

in 1917 and taught art. He’s been called the most active

everywhere, that modernism would go away soon.

WPA artist in the state, based on the “sheer acreage” of murals in the State Capitol, the Orpheum, Phoenix College

Of course in the next decades some sculptors went abstract,

at Thomas and 15th the Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Papago

to match the flat planes and abstract qualities of the new

Park, and other spots in the city. Swing himself died of TB

architecture. Take a look at the valley’s strictest Modernist,

in 1945.

Al Beadle. For the Executive Towers (1963) Beadle brought on a sculptor named Milton Tuttle, who executed a large-

Look for a panel with the palms and the Packard, that’s the

scale polychrome sgraffito work on the parking garage that

most evocative piece in the valley. It makes me deliciously

many of us have wondered about. Tuttle also did two small

lonesome for some reason.

concrete intaglio panels for Beadle’s PBSW Office Supply

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

PBSW Office Supply Center (1961)

St. Gregory Church and Rectory (1957)

Center (1961) at 801 West Indian School Road. They

architect Edward J. Schulte, based in Cincinnati but active

include a little profile line-drawing of the architect, with

nationally. We’re lucky that Schulte has work in the valley:

pompadour. Beadle himself became an abstract sculptor

the St. Gregory Church and Rectory (1957) at Osborne

almost by accident, according to Nancy, toying with his

and 19th Avenue. Although it’s a relatively tame sample

maquettes at his desk into the early-morning hours.

of his design habits, the elongated Jesus Christ facing south is a little odd, and the playful campanile gives you

More entertainingly, though, there was a continental

a taste of what Schulte was capable of. The Immaculate

rebellion against the MOMA Gang. Phoenix was part of

Conception Church in Albuquerque is where Schulte truly

that. Dig into some of these buildings and careers into the

lost his marbles three years later, but that’s another story.

1950s and 1960s, there’s still a surprisingly healthy amount of architectural sculpture going onto buildings, every piece

American architectural sculpture of this era is fun to look at,

of it signal and proof against the MOMA rules.

being forbidden and defiant and all that. It can also land uncomfortably on the eye — as a historical, astylar, uncanny

In southern California Millard Sheets conducted a one-man

— because such work lays outside the bounds of official canon

crusade to keep the “Unity of the Arts” idea (architecture,

and obviously hasn’t been critically recognized or published.

sculpture, murals) alive on the facades of dozens of Home Savings Banks. There was a lot of entertaining defiance in

Example? Personal favorite? This phat swinging duo, the

Sun Belt cities like Atlanta, Tulsa, and Dallas that reached

figures of Industry and Agriculture on the front of the former

the editorial pages. The pernicious influence of modern

Western Savings and Loan, 20th and Camelback,

architecture was frequently lumped in with Senor Picasso.

opened for business on April 1, 1965. I’d loved them for

They didn’t like him either.

years before finding out the name of the architect (Ralph Wyatt) or the sculptor (Frank E. Martin) or even the material

One rebellious figure was the very busy Catholic church

(concrete, cast by Buehner & Company of Mesa).

Western Savings and Loan

I don’t love them any less since discovering that Frank E. Martin was from Los Angeles, not a sculptor but an interior designer, and a bit of an efficiency expert at that. Wyatt and Martin worked together three years before officially teaming up in July 1961. Through the mid-60s they did a lot of office work up and down Central. David Murdoch’s office, for instance. This particular version of Industry and Agriculture is a direct quote / homage / ripoff of the Albert Stewart sculptures on the Home Savings Banks designed by Millard Sheets that we just mentioned a second ago. Maybe they’re smart-aleck parodies, I don’t know. Love them anyway.

LASTLY: This is something you can do at home. Once in a while you can find architectural sculpture on a private house. That’s permissible. While house hunting if you encounter, say, the unexpected blessing of a Kokopelli above the main entrance, carved into an oak lintel, that’s a really good sign. That’s a blessing. Time to tune in. That house is trying to tell you something. Contributing Writer Walt Lockley shares a thoughtful perspective on all things architecture for Defining Desert Living.

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

ON THE MARKET

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Architecturally Unique Homes

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azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SOLD MODERN ELEGA NCE - VILL AGE OF PAVORE A L Featuring stunning interior spaces by TrueOrder Architecture, this townhome offers modern contemporary design housed in a gallery-like space. Polished concrete floors, fireplace w/stainless mantle, soaring ceilings, custom doors, 3 bedrooms and split owner’s suite & intimate patios. Superb kitchen w/ top line appliances, cherry cabinets, private yard and deep patio complete with built in BBQ, heated spa, water feature, signature desert landscape. This home offers great location, dramatic light and elegant privacy, all with an upscale urban feel. READ MORE

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Architecturally Unique Homes

SOLD B RIDGE WOOD/NORTH 40 - A LFRED NE WM A N B E A DLE This sublime townhome in Al Beadle’s Bridgewood has been carefully renovated with designer Interiors. Soaring ceilings and upgraded glazing allow for complete indoor/outdoor interaction. Featuring updated kitchen and baths, this rare find is move-in ready! This home’s location allows for an oversized yard and private patio, an easy walk to the community features. Privacy, luxury and abound in this fabulous home. READ MORE

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Price: $1,500,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

DOUGLAS B. SYDNOR:

HISTORIC BUILDINGS DEFINE OUR SPIRIT

THE ARIZONA PRESERVATION ARCHITECTS BY DAV I D M . B R OW N Triangle Building, circa 1962, Ralph Haver, AIA, Scottsdale. Courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society

For Douglas Sydnor, FAIA, worthy historic buildings are our village elders. They tell us about sculpted spaces. They tell us about crafting community and ourselves. Distinguished in their graying, they offer new insights into our shared future. 22

Douglas Sydnor, FAIA, March 2017. Courtesy Doug Sydnor

Kiva Craft Center, circa 1956, T.S. Montgomery, Scottsdale, Arizona. Courtesy Scottsdale Library

The prominent Valley architect established Scottsdale-

“For decades, Doug has proven his commitment to the

based Douglas Sydnor Architect + Associates in 1993.

architectural heritage of Arizona and Scottsdale as a

He has practiced exclusively in Arizona for 40-plus years,

passionate proponent of historic preservation,” says Don

completing 225 commissions, and his work has received

W. Ryden, AIA, a Phoenix architect who is collaborating with

more than 60 professional design awards and been

Sydnor on the Kiva Craft Center project and the proposed

extensively published. The American Institute of Architects,

renovation of the Kimsey Building, also on Indian School

for example, awarded him its Arizona Architects Medal in

Road downtown. “He has led his own campaign to develop

1992.

community awareness and understanding of Arizona’s built environment, especially regarding post-WWII Modernism.”

“The firm tries to maintain a healthy mix of new work with a continuing commitment to celebrating our architectural

Ryden adds that Sydnor, as chairman of the AIA AZ

heritage through historic preservation and adaptive-

Architectural Archives Committee, has also helped to

reuse projects –– particularly in Scottsdale’s downtown,”

conserve the working drawings and renderings by mid-20-

explains Sydnor, the founding chairman of the Scottsdale

century Arizona architects. “These threatened intellectual

Historic Preservation Commission. “We have attempted

resources reflect both the art and the craft of architects

to physically save historic architecture and also develop a

before computer-aided drafting,” he explains. “If significant

broader awareness of its being threatened.”

historic buildings must fall to the wrecking ball, perhaps the efforts of architectural historians like Doug may, at least,

Among his current adaptive-reuse projects in Scottsdale

save the original drawings of the places that defined a

is restoring and contemporizing the 1955/56 Kiva Craft

community’s spirit.”

Center on Fifth Avenue in Old Town designed by Thomas Stuart ‘T.S.’ Montgomery. Originally called Craftsman

A FATHERLY FOUNDATION

Court, the landmark center helped propel young Scottsdale

Sydnor’s commitment to the architectural heritage of the

into national prominence as a Native-American-crafts-

Valley derives from his father, Reginald ‘Reg’ Gene Sydnor,

focused city.

AIA (1928–2004), an exemplar of 20th-century Phoenix

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

architecture. He and his contemporaries helped create the

Pereira, FAIA, Phoenix; 1966 Cine Capri Theater, Henry

robust today’s design environment: Lescher & Mahoney; Ed

George Greene with Haver, Nunn, & Jensen, Phoenix; and

Varney and Robert Sexton, FAIA, his former partners; Al

the 1968 Guaranty Bank, Jacob John Schotanus, Jr., AIA,

Beadle; Fred Weaver and Dick Drover; Bennie Gonzales;

Scottsdale.

Ralph Haver; and Blaine Drake. As a young man, Sydnor realized that in many cases if A West Virginia native who came to the Valley after the

the property owner or developer had wanted to save an

Second World War, the elder Sydnor was active with Edward

historic structure, there would always have been a way to

L. Varney Associates, A.I.A., Phoenix, from 1955 to 1965.

accomplish that while redeveloping the property to meet

He became a partner in 1965 with Varney Sexton Sydnor

zoning ordinances and market demands.

Architects until 1980. Because he has experienced these losses, his résumé During 42 years of practice, ‘Reg’ Sydnor (“Redge”)

also includes service on 200-plus boards, commissions,

completed 250 projects in Arizona, Washington and

committees and design charrettes furthering historic

California, predominantly healthcare and commercial.

preservation in the Valley.

These include the 1957 Motorola Governmental Electronics Plant, Scottsdale (with Edward L. Varney Associates) and the

“In his nearly 50 years of volunteer leadership, Doug has

1981 St. Joseph’s Hospital Medical Center Additions and

advocated for the arts, Scottsdale history and historic

Renovations (with Varney Sexton Sydnor Architects). The

preservation, libraries, community leadership education,

firm also completed six Valley homes, beginning with the

architectural professional development/standards and

1966 Sydnor Residence in today’s Paradise Valley.

business issues,” says long-time friend and collaborator, Joan Fudala, community historian in the city of Scottsdale.

“While growing up in Phoenix, I witnessed numerous

“He continues to be the ‘go to’ guy to get things done in

architecturally significant structures being demolished

Scottsdale.”

unnecessarily, and this continues to this day,” says Sydnor, who has written books on Arizona historic architecture

The two, for example, co-hosted the Scottsdale Heritage

including Plugger: The Architecture of Reginald Sydnor

Connection Salon Lecture Series, 2017–2019, on historic

(2011). A 50-year Scottsdale resident, he has been a

architecture, arts, schools and housing.

columnist for the Scottsdale Republic and writes on historic architecture for the bimonthly Arizona Contractor &

“The Phoenix area is a relatively young community with

Community Magazine.

not the largest inventory of important historic structures,” Sydnor says, “so we need to step up and preserve the best

Those buildings were sometimes bladed and then sat for

of what remains for current and future generations to learn

a decade before being developed. “Obviously, there were

from it, respect it, cherish it, and, hopefully, protect it.”

no imminent pressures to improve the property in the first place, but the community may have lost a historic jewel in

BALANCING THEN AND NOW

the process,” he adds.

Born in Bremerton, Washington, Sydnor moved with his parents to the Valley in the 1950s and graduated

Some of these jewels are the 1923 Scottsdale High School,

from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale. He received a

Lescher & Mahoney Architects, Scottsdale; the 1931 Fox

bachelor’s in Architecture at Arizona State University in

West Coast Theater, S. Charles Lee, Phoenix; 1945 Palms

Tempe and later a master’s in Architecture at Harvard

Theater, Lescher and Mahoney Architects with William L.

University, where he learned from architects such as Jerzy

Scottsdale Artists School Renovation (former Scottsdale Grammar School), circa 2000, Scottsdale. Courtesy Douglas Sydnor Architect and Associates, Inc.

ABOVE: Scottsdale Grammar School, circa 1928, Lescher & Mahoney Architects, Scottsdale. Courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society BELOW: Scottsdale Heritage Connection, Scottsdale Civic Center Library, completed 2019. Courtesy Studio Asap

Sołtan, a Le Corbusier associate and Richard Meier, also

In early 1993, for example, as Sydnor was opening his firm,

a Corbu admirer, as well as abstract-expressionist painter,

he was project architect with the DLR Group of Phoenix on

Helen Frankenthaler.

the Scottsdale Artists School Rehabilitation, an adaptive reuse of the Scottsdale Grammar School No. 2, 3720

From 1977 to 1980, he worked for Varney Sexton Sydnor

North Marshall Way. Lescher & Mahoney Architects, the

Architects, in Phoenix. From 1980 to 1989, he collaborated

distinguished Phoenix-based predecessor firm of DLR

with his father at their Sydnor Architects, P.C., also in

Group, designed the building in 1928.

Phoenix. He opened his firm when his father retired. For the 16,016-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival oneOn his own, Sydnor has delivered historic preservation

story, the team refinished the interior and exterior as well as

projects as well as award-winning new-builds such as the

created five large art studios, a reception area, gift shop,

1998 Scottsdale Community College Applied Sciences,

public restrooms, gallery, visual arts library, administration

2009 City of Scottsdale Appaloosa Branch Library and

and staff lounge.

the 2016 Barry and Peggy Goldwater Library and Archives Study.

“This program adapted extremely well to the existing floor plan, as an earlier tenant had removed most of the interior

“Doug has an uncanny ability to balance contemporary

partitions, and the original north and east classroom

design with appropriate historic preservation,” Fudala says.

wings bathed the new studios with a wonderful diffused

“This delicate balancing act has allowed his clients and his

daylighting by which to paint and sculpt,” Sydnor explains.

community to benefit from his sensitivity for the past as well as his vision for the future.”

To replace some of the original clay roof tiles, the team visited a south Phoenix bone yard and discovered a few

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Maracay Corporation, 1997 (former Valley National Bank, 1967) ABOVE: Courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society BELOW: Photo Mark Boisclair Photography

The Kimsey (formerly Triangle Building, 1962) ABOVE: Courtesy Doug Sydnor BELOW: Courtesy Modern Phoenix and Scott Sandler

palettes that had been salvaged from the partially razed

some breezeways and adding spaces to optimize street

1930 Good Shepherd School for Girls and Church in

presence for future retailers. Fronting Scottsdale Road,

Phoenix.

some precast architectural concrete panels were kept intact; others were removed to open up the project’s center

The building was placed on the Scottsdale Historic Register

section.

May 23, 2000. In 1997, the team completed the project on the buildings’ A few miles north, the 1967 Valley National Bank, 4821

30th anniversary. Today, Postino’s Restaurant, Design Within

N. Scottsdale Road, was one of 40-plus Valley National

Reach, Sachi Salon and other retail tenants continue to

Bank branches in the Phoenix metropolitan area designed

make the original bank a continuing community investment.

by Weaver and Drover Architects of Phoenix (now DWL Architects) during the 1950s through the 1970s.

KIVA & KIMSEY Two current downtown Scottsdale projects are the adaptive

The 22,000-square foot building included three levels with

reuses of the Kiva Craft Center and the Kimsey Building.

the main banking floor above the street level, a mezzanine in the high-ceilinged public lobby and a basement that

Artist and educator Lloyd Kiva New created the 31,000-

could become a bomb shelter –– a poignant Cold War

square-foot Kiva Center; the seven one- and two-story

memory. Political pressure from officials and community

artisan suites, built of CMUs and wood, opened from 1955

members helped ensure that this Native American-

to 1958.

influenced architectural building was not lost, Sydnor says. Architect Montgomery designed the lower scaled RanchAmong the renovations his firm completed were internalizing

styled modern retail structures around a centralized

courtyard with a water fountain, shade trees, indigenous

parking, will have 230 residential rentals and a 168-room

landscaping

boutique hotel. Completion is expected in late 2024.

and

seating.

Breezeways

between

the

structures lead visitors to the courtyard. The project will repair and respect the original building A Native American from Oklahoma, New asked artists to

envelope and offer new structures with step-back forms,

create on-site, where visitors watched and purchased crafts.

landscaped

These included leather handbags, dresses, gold and silver

cantilevered shading devices. Also planned is a gallery

jewelry, custom dyed fabrics, perfume, custom clothing,

focusing on the 110-year Kimsey family legacy, Haver,

mosaics, glass art, sculpture and pottery.

and possibly the greater context of Midcentury-modern

terraces,

wrap-around

balconies

and

architecture in Scottsdale. Sydnor will complete site improvements in the breezeways and courtyard with new landscaping, shade trees, seating,

“Integrating the 1962 Kimsey Building in this larger

a reflecting water feature with custom mosaic glass tile, a

mixed-use project is a wonderful and unique opportunity

multi-use plaza and integrated public art such as a mural.

to demonstrate how to balance saving our architectural heritage while addressing the current market demands for

An “Art Garden” environment will offer a cool microclimate,

urban residential and hospitality uses,” Sydnor says, noting

an urban oasis, and celebrate the original purpose of

that the project is probably the first of its type to adaptively

creating and selling artistic crafts. “We hope to embed

reuse a structure in a larger new development in Scottsdale.

artifacts in the new concrete slabs at the original-tenant-

He adds that the team is pursing various entitlements and

suite entries that were the types of crafts created in that

hopes to gain the approvals by April.

suite,” Sydnor explains. “In this way, the center will tell the fascinating and rich story about the original activities here,

The buildings remind all of us about our stewardship role

beginning in 1958.”

as a community.

Kiva Craft Center has been on the Scottsdale Historic

“The most dynamic towns and cities have managed to hold

onto the full spectrum of their architectural heritage, which

Properties, will be applying for inclusion on the National

has provided for a healthy rich mix of structures for all to

enjoy,” Sydnor says.

completed this fall. “Much of the architecture in the past was constructed A few blocks away, the partnership of Gensler + Sydnor is

with very durable materials and in an amazing thoughtful,

pursuing city approval to rehabilitate the Kimsey Building,

crafted manner that we simply could not begin to recreate

designed in 1962 by Haver and Nunn Architects. Of the

or afford today. Those hand-crafting skills, patience and

14 Haver buildings in Scottsdale, five have unfortunately

funding are no longer with us. And once a building is lost,

been lost.

it is gone forever.”

The developer, PEG Companies of Provo, Utah, is proposing

This is the first in a continuing series on contemporary

a 480,000-square foot mixed-use project on 3.3 acres.

Arizona architects working to preserve our built heritage.

The original Kimsey Building will offer residential amenities

(david@azwriter.com).

on the first level and six second-level townhouse units with high-pitched ceilings. A new structure, with below-grade

Defining Desert Living

MARCH/APRIL 2021

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

SALE PENDING CUSTOM CONTE MPOR A RY R A NCH IN TROON NORTH This contemporary ranch style home was built in 2006 by custom home builder Bernard Dixon for his own family. The home boasts 19+ foot ceilings with copper, glass, stone and wood finishes throughout. A stacked flagstone fireplace anchors the shared living/dining/kitchen space while telescoping window walls on both sides of the room and expansive covered patio incorporates the outdoors into the occupants’ daily experience. The home is surrounded by over 3,700 SF +/- of covered patio that provides both shade and shelter. READ MORE

Price: $1,795,000

SALE PENDING C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN MODERN - K AISERWORKS A RCHITEC TURE Located on the south side of Phoenix’s iconic Camelback Mountain, this fully renovated and modernized home provides grand views of the surrounding desert landscape without forfeiting privacy or its ranch-style heritage. Showcasing inspired design by KAISERWORKS architecture, it departs from traditional wall-and-hallway conventions, and is organized with discrete volumes for privacy that combine with open living spaces. The large north-facing clerestory window dramatically brings the mountain into the great room. Stacking sliders serve, READ MORE

Price: $2,249,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

SALE PENDING MODERN C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN SA NC TUA RY – C W A RCHITEC TURE A modern sanctuary at the foot of Camelback Mountain! A rare find: a bright and sophisticated Contemporary home in one of Paradise Valley’s most desirable pockets. In an abode defined by subdued sophistication, this is an interior of rich materiality, with walls covered in black basalt tile, rolled steel features, and long flanks of hardwood flooring This home is an entertainers dream which won’t last long under this hot market! READ MORE

Price: $4,950,000

SALE PENDING PUEB LO MISSION RE VIVA L FOURPLE X – WILLO HISTORIC DISTRIC T Fantastic Investment Opportunity for a fully-leased historic four-plex in the Central Phoenix Willo Historic District. Located nearby the Light Rail, eateries and cafes, ASU Downtown Campus, Downtown Phoenix, Melrose Arts District, Encanto Park and Golf Course, St Josephs Hospital, the I-10 freeway,much of the original charm has been preserved; this is a rare find for this Downtown Phoenix location! READ MORE

Price: $1,289,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN! CLE A RWATER HILL S The rarest of finds…own an entire Mountain Top! You enjoy pristine 360 degree views from this nearly two acre hill-top lot located in Clearwater Hills, a guard-gated island across from the Paradise Valley Country Club. Conceive your own design or contract to bring to life the inspired “sky Island” design by award winning architect Darren Petrucci, AIA of a-i-r, inc, illustrated here. First time offered on over a decade. This is a superb property for the very discerning. READ MORE

Price: $4,950,000

SCOT TSDA LE MODERN LOF T - KIERL A ND COM MONS Nestled in the heart of Kierland Commons is the Plaza Lofts at Kierland. Walk to your favorite shops and restaurants and be minutes away from the Waste Management Golf Tournament and the Barrett Jackson Car Show. Split two bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a loft area perfect for an office, or extra bedroom. From its fully equipped, top-of-the-line chef’s kitchen to the open living area, which’ll take you to your very own private backyard with a built in grill and gorgeous furniture, this is the perfect place for entertaining friends and family. READ MORE

Price: $1,399,000

Architecturally Unique Homes

HISTORIC PV A DOB E – MODERN RENOVATION – L A C ASITA DE M A RIA This charming Adobe home estate in the heart of Paradise Valley features a total renovation and stunning architectural updates, making it one of the most unique homes available today: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a nearly 100-year-old adobe home nestled in the midst of its own desert botanical garden with views of fabled Camelback Mountain, the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and Piestewa Peak. READ MORE

Price: $4,295,000

B RIDGE VIE W AT H AYDEN FERRY – PENTHOUSE This stunning two-story Penthouse perched atop the luxurious Bridgeview Condominiums offers unparalleled exclusivity and comfort, as well as captivating views of the mountains, the city lights and Tempe Town Lake! Once featured in Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine, this exquisite 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom penthouse comes replete with soaring 18-foot ceilings in the entry, a kitchen fit for a chef, an elevator, a two-story chandelier and much, much more! READ MORE

Price: $1,950,000

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251

FEATURED ARTIST

MARIE NAVARRE Capturing timeless, universal scenes, such as the abstract pattern of a flock of birds traversing the sky, a spray of branches in early bloom, or horizons unmoored from specific times and places, Marie Navarre’s photo constructions resemble the Japanese haiku form that inspires her. Working with vast collections of images of natural phenomena captured on her travels, Navarre conjures images that appear to be from just outside the realm of human observation. Navarre’s prints are often collaged and hand-stitched over backgrounds of satin-like Gampi paper, enigmatic photographic constructions that document the implications of a moment in nature and in time. “I have this trouble of being a photographer but wanting to make the photographs into something else. I still think like a photographer even though in some ways I’m sabotaging the way that photography works. I still begin my artmaking process by making pictures. I don’t know how to begin without the photograph.” Celebrating a long-anticipated season of renewal, Marie Navarre’s timeless, universal scenes illuminate the contradictions at play during this current moment of dramatic environmental and social change. To see Marie’s work visit: LisaSetteGallery.com

Images courtesy of the artist and Lisa Sette Gallery

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”

– Frank Gehry

ON DISPLAY

Valley Arts & Culture The Phoenix Metro area is brimming with architecturally significant museums—some new, some nearly a century old. Here are a few of our favorite buildings that house the Valley’s unique art collections (and their stories). SHEMER ART CENTER & MUSEUM, PHOENIX, 1919 Named “One of the 10 Best Museums in Phoenix” by USA Today, Arcadia’s first home was designed and built in 1919 for a foreman who worked for the Arizona Water Company (the citrus groves were just being planted). Renovated several times, it was purchased in 1984 by Martha Evvard Shemer, who later donated it to the City of Phoenix. Shemer’s plan was twofold: preserve the historic property and provide local residents with an arts education and community center, and a “home for the arts” was born. SEE

Color In Play

A juried exhibition that features outdoor sculptures combining color and whimsy with a touch of sophistication!

WHEN

March 29, 2019 – March 31, 2021

VISIT

shemerartcenter.org

HEARD MUSEUM, PHOENIX, 1929 (1958, 1968-69, 1983, 1999, 2005, 2011 EXPANSIONS) Originally conceived as a small Southwestern museum by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard in 1929, the Heard Museum is recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, educational programming, and festivals. Having enjoyed several expansions over the years. HH Green’s original, graceful Spanish Colonial has continued to expand within its current footprint. SEE

Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight Smith, one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century, has been studied and celebrated through major exhibitions, publications, and scholarship over many years— and yet, a significant source of inspiration and influence on his artistic production remains largely unexplored.

WHEN

February 5 – May 31, 2021

VISIT

heard.org

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM (PAM), PHOENIX, 1959 (1965, 1996, 2006 EXPANSIONS) Building plans for PAM began in 1940 but it wasn’t until January 1959 that a construction contract at the 6.5 acres of land at the corner of Central Ave. and McDowell (donated by the heirs of Adolphus Clay Bartlett) was awarded to student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Alden B. Dow. In November of that year, PAM opened to the public. Dow designed the complex that housed the original Phoenix Public Library, the Phoenix Little Theater (now the Phoenix Theatre) and PAM (which opened in 1959). After an expansion in 1965 that nearly tripled the square footage, PAM carried on for nearly thirty years without a major overhaul. Additional expansions by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in 1996 and 2006 provided, amongst other things, the infamous forty-foot cantilever of the new entrance canopy on the north side. PAM is the Southwest’s largest art museum for visual art and has something for everyone. SEE

Out of Print: Innovations of 19th- and 20th-Century Printmaking from the Collection of Phoenix Art Museum and the Schorr Collection

WHEN

January 2 – April 25, 2021 Located in Harnett Gallery

VISIT

phxart.org

SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (SMOCA), SCOTTSDALE, 1999 SMoCA was conceived in order to complement the existing Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts by architect, Bennie Gonzales. Architect Will Bruder utilized the adjacent building (a former Cineplex) and gave SMoCA four galleries for exhibitions and its permanent collection, and a fifth for gallery space: the SMoCA Lounge. Outdoors, James Carpenter Design Associates’ free-standing Scrim Wall of 56 laminated translucent glass panels make their way to James Turrell’s Skyspace, Knight Rise. Bruder, Carpenter, and Turrell collaborated to create the signature look of SMoCA, with consistent materials, colors and forms throughout the building, which nevers fail to delight the senses. SEE

Gohar Dashti | Land/s Influenced by human-geographical narratives, Land/s questions the physicality of borders within nature and instead attempts to make connections between two versions of “home.”

WHEN

October 3, 2020 – May 8, 2021

VISIT

smoca.org

ASU ART MUSEUM, TEMPE, 1989 Named “the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona” by Art in America magazine, the ASU Art Museum is located on campus in the Nelson Fine Arts Center, by Antoine Predock. It hosts theater arts and dance departments as well as the Galvin Playhouse with Dance Studio Theater. Featuring three floors that gradually become cooler, from street level to subterranean space, and due to the mass of the building and underground pools, the Museum is truly an oasis in the desert. SEE

José Clemente Orozco: The Final Cut The ASU Art Museum presents an important exhibition of late work by José Clemente Orozco (1883–1949), a pioneering artist who founded the Mexican Mural Renaissance with Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. “The Final Cut” is the first solo exhibition by Orozco in Arizona. Orozco’s bold murals were the most complex of Los Tres Grandes and prominently featured universal themes of human experience and modernization.

WHEN

Through June 5

VISIT

asuartmuseum.asu.edu

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM (MIM), PHOENIX, 2010 Rated the #1 attraction in Phoenix and one of the top 20 museums in the U.S. by Trip Advisor, the MIM, designed in 2010 by award‐winning architect Rich Varda, in conjunction with RSP Architects, is the largest of its type in the world. It hosts a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments and objects from nearly 200 countries and territories, and brings these instruments to life in their original cultural settings. The solid masses of the galleries and theater form a barrier against the Sonoran desert climate as the simple elegance of the museum contrasts with the complexity of the instruments contained within. Sustainable features include an exterior sunscreen wall, photovoltaic solar panels, and a grey water irrigation system. Simply put, the MIM is as beautiful, elegant, resourceful, and meditative as the mountainous desert itself.

Defining Desert Living

SEE

Congo Masks and Music: Masterpieces from Central Africa

Offers a glimpse into the dramatic and lively masquerade traditions of Central Africa with an exclusive collection of more than 150 stunning and rare masks, instruments, and costumes from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

WHEN

November 8, 2019 – September 12, 2021

VISIT

mim.org

MARCH/APRIL 2021

ON THE BOARDS

a-i-r, inc.

PROJECT: SKY-ISLAND CONCEPT DESIGN BY SCOT T JA RSON

When you have a very special place, in this instance, an

define cantilevered volumes to provide continuous

entire hill-top in Clearwater Hills, a guard-gated island

shade to the lower level of the home. Overhangs of

across from the Paradise Valley Country Club, you pick

the upper level provide shade in the summer but allow

the very best to bring to life an inspired design concept

direct light into the interior during the winter months.

that illustrates the magnificent potential of such a site.

A central courtyard, discreetly hidden for privacy, provides morning light on the pool area and shade

“Sky-Island” presented here, is just such a design.

during hot afternoons.

Award winning architect Darren Petrucci, AIA of a-i-r, Inc., was retained by the owner to conceive an

360˚ views allow the owner to command the hill. Here

exclusive platform for living that both reinforces the

you’d greet each day with the sunrise and welcome

morphology of the hill and establishes an iconic image

each evening as you watch the Valley transform into

that responds to nature and the climate of our area.

a carpet of lights. The home would offer what may arguably be the best remaining view site of Camelback

What would “Sky-Island” living be like? Imagine a

Mountain.

modern luxury home with all the amenities necessary to create a private oasis. The house capitalizes on our

While strictly a well-considered conceptual design, this

unique year-round weather conditions by seamlessly

12,450sf home was meant to be constructed. We are

integrating indoor and outdoor experiences. Clad it in

not certain you can land your private helicopter on the

steel, glass and stone it stands as a beacon of design,

roof, but the architect has allowed a landing pad for it

intended to become one with the site and sky.

just in case!

The bespoke architecture allows a variety of visual

This nearly 2-acre lot is currently offered for sale at

“moments” for the owner, constantly unfolding to

$4,950,000; concept designs not included.

revealing new views and vistas. Solar studies helped

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson is the only Real Estate firm in Arizona that specializes in the sales and marketing of Architecturally Unique Homes.© Since 1990, Scott & Debbie Jarson, have stood by their original mission to celebrate and honor design & architecture. They remain devoted to adding value to architect-designed properties and are committed to celebrating, encouraging and promoting good design. Over the many years, azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson have been defining desert living by searching out homes from modern to historic, that add enjoyment and harmony to our clients’ lives. A keen aesthetic sense and a deep appreciation for the Valley’s rare and diverse architecture define their commitment to marketing unique properties like no other firm. azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson remains deeply committed to historic preservation and are proud EcoBroker® Affiliates. Whether you are buying, selling, or are just an enthusiast of architecture, remember to contact azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson — the Valley’s true expert in Architecturally Unique Homes.© Meet our team or contact us to learn more about how we can help you.

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

Architecturally Unique Homes

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251 DESIGNER: Michael Rumpeltin ARCHITECT-BUILDER: Construction Zone If your home is currently listed this is not a solicitation. Copyright 2021 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.

IMAGERY: Bill Timmerman