Defining Desert Living - Fall 2023 by azarchitecture

Architecturally Unique Homes

Defining Desert Living

ALFRED NEWMAN BEADLE FALL 2023

A New Architecture for the New West

JOHN DOUGLAS SEA RANCH

Architecturally Unique Homes

480.425.9300

IN HIS OWN WORDS Editor’s Note: Welcome to to our world! We believe that Architecture, Art and Design can influence, enlighten and enrich the lives of those who interact with and within it. It’s one of our core beliefs. Simply put… good design makes it happen! We’ve loved sharing our take on the amazing design and architecture found here in our magical Sonoran Desert. No matter which time of the year you may find us, there is always a surprise to discover in the natural beauty of this place. With the Winter comes mostly mild days and brisk nights, sweeping vistas coupled with an ever changing sky. As I said… magic! And so it is that architects and designers have flocked here. A place to practice and explore without limits. A place to become surrounded by inspiration. In celebration of this spirt of optimism, this issue is nearly entirely devoted to one man, a singular architect that made our “Valley of the Sun” his home, and in doing so left perhaps the most prolific and greatest contribution to architectural Modernism found in our desert state. That man was Alfred Newman Beadle. This issue is a deep tribute to his legacy. Scott Jarson, Editor

EDITOR / PUBLISHER

Debbie Jarson Scott Jarson CONTRIBUTORS

David M. Brown Andrew Jarson Alex Jarson Walt Lockley Nora Burba Trulssen ART DIRECTION

ps:studios inc. COVER IMAGE

Beadle House 11 Architect: Al Beadle Photo: Scott Jarson

ADVERTISING

info@azarchitecture.com

READ THE CURRENT ISSUE ONLINE AT azarchitecture.com

From an early age I was made aware of Beadle’s work. I often refer to him as Arizona’s Modernist. We hope that you will enjoy our dive into the deep pool of this talented and prolific Architect. In this issue we continue to devote space to explore unique travel, books and gifts, fine art and highlights of available architecture for sale, as well as past accomplishments. Architect John Douglas FAIA has been a friend for decades, his new book is featured in this issue, fittingly we believe, as his work was celebrated by us in one of our first publications. Lisa Sette Gallery will take you out of this world with a celebration of their stunning show, The Moon is a Lantern. Closer to home, we explore architecture in our neighbor state of California where we share our travels to the unique and beautiful Sea Ranch, a special place like ours where nature, design and architecture collide and coexist. Our business is selling and showcasing Architectural Real Estate… and by now you might see that its also our daily passion! azarchitecture / Jarson & Jarson Real Estate is the only real estate brokerage in Arizona that specializes in the sale of architecturally unique homes™️. We know design and share your love of architecture and fine living. This magazine is just another way we share and celebrate design in Arizona. It’s all part of what we call Defining Desert Living! azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson members are proud supporters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, The Arizona State University Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Taliesin Foundation, Local First Arizona, and AIA Phoenix Metro Allied Member.

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.

IN THIS ISSUE IN HIS OWN WORDS

Editors Notes

ON THE SHELF

Coveted Books & Products

OUR UNIQUE VISUAL WEALTH

Alfred Newman Beadle / A New Architecture for the New West

ON THE MARKET

WHAT WOULD BEADLE DO?

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

John Douglas

SEA RANCH

THE MOON IS A LANTERN

LOOKING BACK

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 midcentury 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.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert Murray

Design Shop COFFEE SERVER

THE WOMEN WHO CHANGED ARCHITECTURE

The latest synth-pop by Arizona brothers Alex and Andrew Jarson - aka Body Of Light. Available in Vinyl and CD.

This elegant Coffee Server captures a playful, experimental use of glass – with a clean, modern aesthetic.

A visual chronicle of the impact of over 100 women in architecture, from early practitioners to contemporary leaders.

BodyofLight.com

heathceramics.com

amazon.com

ON THE SHELF

BODY OF LIGHT VINYL

TABLE MORTAR

SUONA STR ATOCASTER ® THINLINE

SNOWDEN GRINDER

Made from high-quality European marble, Designer Mark Braun’s Table Mortar is an ergonomic and efficient crusher of spices.

With a semi-hollow ash body and a bound Italian spruce top, this strat boasts clarity, lively resonance and a warmth unique to Thinline models. fender.com

George Snowden’s bright salt and pepper grinders allows you to adjust grind coarseness to your liking.

MAPLE SYRUP

CRUZ HEX AGON VASE

EAMES HOUSE BIRD

Its rich flavor and amber color is perfect for topping pancakes, waffles, and ice creams or accompanying fresh fruit.

Expertly crafted with a unique, hexagonal shape and detailed with a speckled black glaze.

This artifact of American folk art was highly treasured by the Charles and Ray Eames.

gardenheir.com

stagprovisions.com

store.phxart.org

hem.com

us.hay.com

Leading The Way.

NUMBERS, LETTERS & PLAQUES IN MODERN FONTS AND GORGEOUS FINISHES

Exceptional addressing products for the modern dweller.

HHandcrafted in Tucson, Arizona | modernhousenumbers.com

OUR UNIQUE V ISUA L W E A LTH

ALFRED NEWMAN BEADLE A New Architecture for the New West DAVID M. BROWN

The hillside Novak House. Photo courtesy Ned Sawyer

Alfred ‘Al’ Newman Beadle (1927–1998), who died 25 years ago, exemplified Valley Modernism, designing and building sensitively sited homes with large windows, sliding doors and affordable materials. In the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Paul Rudolph, Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood, Bill Cody and the Valley’s Ned Sawyer, Beadle designed buildings that embraced the openness and lushness of the Sonoran Desert while remaining distinct from it in color and form.

“Al brought modern architecture to the Valley, and that

“I believe in my heart that he wanted good modern housing

legacy has lasted and appreciated to this day,” says Sawyer,

that anyone could afford,” says Gerri Beadle-Murray, one

who worked with Beadle from 1962, his first year at the ASU

of the architect’s five children. “He wanted to bring the

College of Architecture in Tempe, to 1971. The two then

outside in and give everyone more living space with lots of

formed an association known as Architects International.

natural light coming in. He also loved to play with the sun

“Each project is site specific, with appropriate materials,

through his ‘sculptures,’ the buildings, having shadows play

an indoor-outdoor relationship of views and sun control

in the yard or on the house.”

creating the floor plan.” “From the mid-1950s through the late 1990s, Al Beadle set Beadle’s designs are important because they are examples

a very high bar in how to deliver internationally conceived

of “Total Design,” he explains. “Total Design provided

architectural design with extraordinary proportions, great

not only the structures but their interiors, landscape and

scale and crafted detailing,” says Doug Sydnor, FAIA, son

eventually sculptures as well, such as ‘Ziggy’s Sister’ at the

of Reginald Sydnor, a leading 20th-century Valley architect

Scottsdale Artists’ School. Beadle designed more than 50

and Beadle contemporary.

different interior and exterior sculptures in different sizes and colors.

“He demonstrates how to create a strong and clear design idea and carry it through the particulars in an

“Without a doubt, Beadle integrated Modernism into the

uncompromising manner. He based his designs on

mainstream of the Valley’s architectural conversation,”

consistency and logical ordering,” he adds. “He knew

says Scott Jarson, co-principal of Scottsdale-based

about how to build and manage the assemblage of

azarchitecture / Jarson & Jarson Real Estate. “His designs

components and materials into a cohesive and coordinated

became more sophisticated over his career, but the early

whole. He wanted structures to sit lightly on the site and fully

houses were what I would describe as ‘Approachable

express their exposed structural components and glazing

Modern,’ which certainly paved the way for many architects

transparencies or translucency, while still contrasting with

to follow and be accepted with more expressive design;

the natural landscape.”

Beadle cemented the potential for the reflections of Mies [Van Der Rohe] in our desert.”

And Reed Kroloff writes in “Constructions: Buildings in Arizona by Alfred Newman Beadle” (Gnosis LTD.: 2008):

He adds: “Beadle knew how to build, his designs were so

“Beadle . . . thrives on the order, precision and logic of

uniquely rational and efficient. So in many ways he laid the

[Modernism]. For Beadle the builder, the notion of structural

groundwork here for the exploration of day-to-day materials

expression and honesty is integral to his understanding of

used artfully, much of which we can see expressed in later

how and why one builds; there is no justification for doing

works by those inclined to the ‘Arizona School’ of Modernism,

more than what is necessary in construction, and if it is

albeit with a less rigid and more organic design path.”

done well, then it is a thing of beauty . . . For Beadle as

designer, the purity and abstraction of Modernism’s formal

runways for planes in the South Pacific. When he returned

language touches his inermost understanding of how the

home to Minneapolis, he met Nancy. “He swept her off her

world is structured: the platonic solids of Modernism are

feet. Mom was engaged to someone else at the time.”

the basis for all constructed form, and as such are things of elemental truth and beauty” (p. 30).

For Jarson, these roots are essential to his aesthetic. “Much of what I perceive of the genius of Beadle design

Seabees, then Navigating a Career

are found in his simplicity: that Midwestern upbringing coupled with the SeaBee’s service, that ‘can-do’ motto and

He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the youngest and

ethic engrained practical design in his lexicon. Al Beadle

only son of Fred and Marie Beadle’s four children. “He

could do ‘More with Less,’ to think of Mies. His materiality

spent a lot of time on the lakes and loved the mirror effect

was straightforward, and so much of this could be easily

of still water. You can see this passion of water with most

obtained even ‘off the shelf’; these Modern designs could

projects he did as most have some sort of water feature,”

actually be achieved at an obtainable cost.”

Beadle-Murray says. Fred moved to Phoenix in the early 1950s to start another He worked at Fred’s restaurant kitchen-supply company:

restaurant and kitchen design business; Nancy and Al

“Here you can see the love of stainless steel and clean

remained in Minnesota until a polio outbreak caused a

lines in his designs,” she says. He enlisted in the Navy when

friend’s death, when they came west.

World War II broke out and became a SeaBee-er, building

The Barrett House. Courtesy Ned Sawyer

He asked Al to design a house for him, starting him in his

Al and Nancy were frequent entertainers. “Dad was a great

career. “The architect he admired the most was Ludwig Mies

piano player and would play for everyone, jazz, of course,

van der Rohe, and he told me he was once in Chicago,

like Dave Brubeck and George Gershwin. He could not

standing in front of Mies’s office and just could not walk in,”

read music as he played by ear; he was just a natural,”

Beadle-Murray recalls. “He told me that was a big regret.”

recalls Beadle-Murray.

One often-repeated Beadle story is about his Arizona

He also loved automobiles. “My mom would say if my dad

architectural license, which he did not have starting out. The

had two nickels to rub together he would buy a car. Not

state offered to “grandfather him”; he refused. His lawyer

just any car, mind you: Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, Ferarris,

and a retired architect defended him. The first pointed out

Italias, Cads. They never stayed long; he often sold them

that another pretty good designer, Frank Lloyd Wright, was

to a client.”

not licensed; in the mid-’30s, the great architect began building Taliesin West in what is now Scottsdale. The

One story she tells is from the ’60s, just after the Beatles

second, New York resident and architect Alan A. Dailey,

had appeared on Sullivan’s popular Sunday-night show

opened Alan A. Dailey & Associates in Phoenix to provide Beadle with the required apprenticeship hours and signed the firm’s plans. Beadle then passed the written state test for the license. Gerri’s four siblings are Steven, Nansi Le, Caren, and Scott; four remain Phoenix residents. “We had a great life as kids, a big house, the biggest swimming pool in the neighborhood, different cars and lots of family,” Gerri recalls. “Family meant a lot to my parents; my mom’s sister would come to visit every year, and his sisters and their families would come often.” 12

The Beadles as the Beatles. Nancy Beadle Collection

and at New York’s Shea Stadium. Her aunt was coming to Phoenix, and her dad asked his friend Frank to put on a chauffeur’s uniform and drive the family to the airport in the Rolls to pick her up. “As he was waiting on the side for us to collect my aunt, a police officer told him to move the car, and Frank replied, ‘I am waiting for the Beadles, officer.’ Oh, my, the officer just about lost it, thinking that The Beatles were coming in! Frank ran into the airport and found us quickly as we were greeting my aunt and said, ‘Hurry, we have to go!’ We rushed into the Rolls and took off!” In Phoenix, he also designed what became Case Study Office, Hotel & Multi-Family

Apartment #1, a three-unit apartment development known as “The Triad” (1962) in midtown Phoenix, part of the Case

Soon after moving to Phoenix, he built a variety of

Study House program for Arts & Architecture magazine in

commercial and residential projects, including the early

the mid ‘60s. Triad is the only Case Study Program built in

housing project, Paradise Gardens, and the Safari Resort

Arizona, Jarson notes. Three Fountains (1963), 59 units, is

(1957) in Scottsdale and the Mountain Bell Building (1972)

also in midtown Phoenix.

in Phoenix; the last two have been razed. The 21-story Executive Towers condominiums debuted in Beadle regularly took Sawyer with him to experience how

1963, then the city’s tallest building; Nancy Beadle lived

the firm’s buildings were being constructed. “He told me

here for five years after Al’s death. And, in 1966, the

‘Ned, if you see construction it will be easier for you to

Sawyers managed the 34 unit Boardwalk apartments

draft our buildings and design them in the future. Always

(1965) in Phoenix in exchange for rent otherwise due to

remember our drawings and designs have to be better and

Beadle. “It helped because both Bev and I were going to

our buildings have to be more economical.’”

ASU,” Sawyer notes, adding that sometime later the units became condos.

This wonderful home does not get a lot of recognition, but the relationship between the Driggs family and Beadle work is so entwined, this home remains highly significant.

The Diggs Residence. Courtesy Ned Sawyer

“Beadle’s multi-family work laid foundations for some of the

and Sawyer and two other architects, Wayne Chaney and

most innovative in-fill designs by others that would be built

Eddie Jones, to identify 200-plus projects, most in the

up until the early 2000s and even today,” Jarson explains.

Valley, but others in California, Chicago, Albuquerque and

“It wasn’t necessarily about Beadle’s personal design ethic.

the first two homes he finished in Minneapolis. “It’s very

What Beadle did was prove to developers that good design

hard to pick a favorite. I love them all for different reasons,”

can sell, be profitable and actually get built. I think this

she says.

legacy is often overlooked today.” One is the Driggs’s house (1970) built sensitively on Beadle told his daughter that his favorite project was the

Camelback Mountain for the chairman of Western Savings

mid-rise office Metro Centre (1983), with a pinnacle angle

& Loan, Gary Driggs. He was a pioneer in supporting

at one end, in downtown Albuquerque. “When it was being

Modernist architecture for his buildings; he turned to

built, the newspapers were quite antagonistic about this

Sawyer for two in Tucson and one at the Paradise Valley

building, saying, ‘Who the heck would want to rent an office

Mall in Phoenix.

in the building; it’s going to be hard to rent those offices out” Beadle-Murray recalls. “Well, those office spaces were

“I love the way this house sits on the hill, the views and how

the first to be rented!”

he brought the desert in,” she explains. “I spent some time there when I was a child, as my grandmother would babysit

She adds: “Walking around this building, you can see how

for them, and their oldest daughter was my age, so we were

this building is really one big sculpture. I have always said

friends.”

that every building he designed is a habitable sculpture.” Jarson says of the home: “This wonderful home does not Homes: Room for Many Favorites

get a lot of recognition, but the relationship between the Driggs family and Beadle work is so entwined, this home

Beadle-Murray worked with Alison King’s Modern Phoenix, 14

remains highly significant. The Paradise Valley location is

Clockwise from top left: Beadle House 11 is widely considered a master work. The Patrick House in the Arcadia area of Scottsdale is one of Beadle’s finest homes. It has been maintained as original. Beadle House 11: Elevating the entire home on steel posts, allows for seasonal runoff from nearby mountains that flow beneath the home. A novel approach widely used by Beadle. The home was successfully added to the National Register of Historic Places. Heavily altered over time, Beadle House 7 in Paradise Valley retained its original rock walls. The Anderson House in north Scottsdale, retains its originality including a stunning sculptural steel gate.

Clockwise from top left: Now home to the Lisa Sette Gallery, The Catalina Office Building had a completely complimentary renovation. (Photo High Res Media) The tragically demolished 1971 Mountain Bell Building. “Ma-Bell” was one of Phoenix’s best Modernist landmarks. The Wosco Building on 12th Street in Phoneix has been home to many notable architecture firms Beadle’s 1968 5th Avenue Medical Building has been recently renovated and given a new life. The Triad Apartments. Al Beadle designed the first Arts + Architecture Case Study House apartments and the only Case study building built outside of California. The 1963 Boardwalk Apartments (now condominiums) followed the success of the Triad. Past and present residents of both Boardwalk and Triad reads like a “Who’s Who” of local design talent.

superb, and the design and site integration speak of a time when

For Jarson, the home is “signature Beadle. Along with the White

the town was visually a much more ‘desert’ community.”

Gates home (1958) at the base of Camelback Mountain, the Beadle house on McDonald remains an absolute masterwork.

Among its other distinctions, Sawyer adds, the home showcases

It’s been well cared for, and I am pleased to see it relatively

the first residential use of sandblasted concrete block in the

unaltered, especially in regard to the facade.”

Valley, here for the hillside retaining wall. He also likes The Patrick House (1974) in the historic Arcadia Mary and Sam Colachis’s house (1969) in Phoenix is another

neighborhood of Phoenix: “This home is one of my favorites and

favorite of Beadle-Murray’s. “This house is so different from the

has excellent caretakers. Another signature work and perhaps

Driggs’s. The living room is the center of this house, with a pit

one of the finest of Beadle’s homes yet standing.”

in the middle. The house I grew up in on Oregon had a pit and was wonderful for entertaining; there was always a place to sit

White Gates is also a Sawyer favorite. The Beadles lived here

on the steps.”

before moving to the McDonald Drive home. “A lot of the homes being built in the Valley then were Ranch styles, such as in

Beadle-Murray’s top home is the Burton Barr (1955), also in

Arcadia, and Ralph Haver homes with their signature diagonal-

Phoenix. She saw it recently, when it was for sale. “As soon as

entry porticos, but this home was new with its sculptural sense

I walked in, I just felt at home,” she says. “I could still feel my

and various textures,” he says.

dad’s touch everywhere: the built-in cabinets, the openness of the great room but with a bit of an angle to hide the rooms down

He notes that the home received a masonry award because

the hall and make the most of the outside views without seeing

the group thought the perforated panels sunshielding the living

into another room.”

room exposure were just that, but they’re actually sheet metal and plaster.

For Sydnor, the 1962 Beadle Residence, 4323 E. McDonald Drive, in Phoenix was his first exposure to Beadle’s architecture;

For Jarson, the home “has slipped away from us in so many

he was 12 or 13, and the house was relatively new. “My father

ways, would that it could ever be restored. Nancy told me it was

was driving his late 1950s MG convertible through the northern

one of her very favorite homes that they owned. And it was highly

hills of Phoenix on a gorgeous sunny spring day when he came

celebrated and published. If intact, it would be highly admired to

upon this contemporary residence spanning a dry wash,” he

this day. Interesting to me, as so often is the case, it still gains a

recalls.

lot of commentary even in its unfinished state. That speaks well to the enduring simplicity of this original work.” He explains that the

His father and Beadle were friends and attended the same social

unoccupied home has had the landscape scraped, the separate

events. “He had a great deal of respect for Beadle’s architecture,

carport demolished and the interior taken down to open studs.

as he knew the level of commitment required to create and

The shell remains, including the metal sunscreens.

execute the work,” Sydnor says. Novak (1994) is one of Beadle’s final homes; Sawyer calls “I was mesmerized by the exquisite proportions and scale of the

it “courageous” for its stilted hillside siting. Fran Novak, a

exposed white steel structure, bridged entry floating over the

Boardwalk tenant, asked Beadle to design the two-bedroom

wash, translucent glass panels, light grey plastered infill walls,

home. “It floats,” says Sawyer, referring to its light appearance,

and an open carport,” Sydnor says. “I had never seen anything

despite the steel structure.

quite like it before, and it reinforced my future pursuit of a career in architecture and creating contemporary work,” he adds, noting

Adds Jarson: “Beadle or no Beadle, the Novak house is one of my

he tried to purchase it years later, but it was not for sale. The

favorite modern houses in Arizona, period. The architect shows

home received an Architectural Record Magazine House Award,

his complete mastery here. Turning a difficult site into an utterly

was widely published and received numerous other professional

intriguing home loaded with engaging geometry is enough, but it

design awards.

is the scale of this home, a very refined, yet compact nature, that makes it particularly superb.” 17

A Legacy of Art, Fortitude & Joy Beadle stayed true to his vision and craft. “I am old enough to remember a time when Beadle designs were not universally celebrated here, when the term ‘Beadle-box’ was not always complimentary,” Jarson says. “He proved the naysayers wrong, and that’s a legacy unto itself.” Nostalgia has, however, lessened the legacy. “It’s easy to imagine that we all accepted good design here in the Valley of the Sun. It was never a given that this man could accomplish the works that he did. Beadle faced great odds in order to achieve his success. It did not always come easy and he suffered detractors and obstacles,” he explains. “Obviously, he had a personal force, that, when you look back on it, was used to move not only the needle of acceptance of his work but modern architecture in our community at large. In hindsight it looks like a simple path from those early postwar houses to the last fine works in steel in glass, but it took dedication and fortitude. “Like anyone in creative work, architects follow a path that comes with exuberant joy and recognition, sometimes coupled with a modicum of rejection and struggle. Perhaps that’s an important piece of the legacy of this man: a post-war American Modernist architect whose legacy of design shaped a desert valley when it was most needed and receptive. He was in the right place at the right time. We are all the better for it.”

The Fearnows Redo a Beadle “It really was a wreck. I asked Al what he thought people thought

The wooden roof fascia was clad in aluminum. The painted

of us buying the house. He said, I am not kidding, ‘People

cinder block was sand blasted to its original surface. Beadle’s

thought you’d lost your minds.’” recalls Bill Fearnow who with

crew removed the wood paneling and a wooden wainscot in the

wife Betsy purchased a Beadle home in April 1995.

den, and they returned the wainscoted area to its correct fullheight windows and sliders. Sliders and window walls replaced

Beadle drew the plans for the Paradise Valley home in 1959 for

the small windows in what became the guest bedroom.

Bob Healey, a Seattle-based builder who completed tract homes in Maryvale, west of Phoenix, and owned Maximillian’s Mexican

Beadle’s crew removed the asphalt and gravel roof and repaired

Restaurant, also on the west side.

the deck, covering it with a polyurethane foam roof; more than four inches thick, it keeps out heat and water. An exposed

Bob and his wife Bev had built a high-peaked roofed house

I-beam replaced the failing carport joists in the carport, and the

across the street from the Beadles’ house on White Gates Drive

crew added either steel, glass and aluminum doors, replacing

at Camelback Mountain; it blocked the Beadles’ view. “Al went

the original wood doors.

across the street to grump at his new neighbors, but they became friends,” Fearnow explains. “When Bob wanted to build his family

“Al thought a house should be a man’s castle, and he loved

a new home in Paradise Valley, he hired Al to draw the plans.”

making bridges into his houses, so he tore out the concrete entry way and replaced it with a pseudo-bridge made of aluminum

Healey’s construction crew built the original Fearnow house,

‘boot scrape,’ four feet wide and twelve feet long and about

but his superintendent did an inadequate job, finishing it with

eight inches off the ground,” Fearnow recalls.

components such as nondescript tract home cabinets. “Al visited the construction site and was so annoyed with how it was being

The crew gutted the bathrooms and the kitchen. Stainless steel

built he stomped off and never visited the house until we called

laboratory cabinetry or cabinets custom designed by Beadle

him in 1995,” Fearnow says.

replaced the wooden cabinetry, and, using a cementitious floor leveler called “Ardex,” in black, he replaced the carpeting and

The home is on 1.3 acres. Beadle’s original design was 1,800

linoleum on the concrete slab. Aluminum vertical blinds replaced

square feet, and the contractor added 200 square feet. It was

the Shantung curtains. The Fearnows ordered a new fireplace

originally three bedrooms, two baths, and is now two bedrooms

from France and replaced the HVAC as well as the kitchen

and two baths. As part of the restoration, Beadle combined the

appliances.

two children’s bedrooms into a guest bedroom. The renovation took two years, with Beadle frequently on site, This is one of the few wooden Beadle houses extant. He told

superintending his subcontractors. “Al died pretty much a little

Fearnow, “We knew the wood wouldn’t last, but it was cheap. I

before we were done,” Bill recalls. “Very sad. But he got to see

asked him whether we should try to preserve it with its original

the house mostly done. He was really happy with it.”

redwood batting, ‘Beadle Batten,’ but Al looked at me and said, ‘It’s history, it has to go. The house has cancer. We need to cut

“This home remains a celebration of Al and his work: a superb

it out.’”

desert house,” says Scott Jarson, cofounder of azarchitecture / Jarson & Jarson Real Estate. “Bill and Betsy have been so good

All the walls that were battened two-by-fours were torn off, then

to their home, such good stewards, bringing Al in to make this

stuccoed and left unpainted. The wooden shade screens were

house live again. It’s a fitting gift to the Beadle legacy.”

replaced with a shade screen incorporating “hat channel” in which galvanized strips of sheet metal hold suspended ceilings spaced to make a lattice for partial shade and engaging shadows.

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

FOR SALE PA R A DISE VA LLE Y MEE TS A RC A DIA – C A MELBACK MOUNTAIN VIE W Classic Tradition meets Location! Updated 1950’s Ranch is tucked in on a near 2-ACRE lot! Paradise Valley prime location boasts views of Camelback Mountain and Praying Monk. Desirable cul-de-sac lot offers privacy, possibilities to add a guest casita. Room to roam or build on this irreplaceable lot! READ MORE

Price: $4,495,000

FOR SALE TE MPE MODERN R A NCH - LEE/UNDERHILL A RCHITEC TS Every detail was considered when building and constructing this home with a mission to create an open, light-filled, low energy and livable floor plan – a solid and comfortable home designed for generations. Every detail was considered when building and constructing this home with a mission to create an open, light-filled, low energy and livable floor plan – a solid and comfortable home designed for generations. READ MORE

Price: $2,390,000

Architecturally Unique Homes 20

FOR SALE 1959 A RC A DIA MID -CENTURY MODERN This Fully Restored Mid Century Modern magically blurs the edges of time. Purchased from the Architect’s family (Michael Defiel, known for Central Park West), brings the tech & convenience of today together w/the charm and design sense of the 1950’s. Troy Strumpfer, Modern Building & Design, expertly navigated the remodel creating a 2023 home that offers true homage to its’ Mid Century Roots.. READ MORE

Price: $2,395,000

FOR SALE TROON DESERT MODERN – CH A RLIE L A ZOR A RCHITEC TUR A L DESIGNED Desert Modern Architecture nestled in the boulders & saguaros of Troon Ridge. 2-acre hilltop property boasts sweeping views & every sunset. This home simply belongs in the mountain graciously adapting to its Sonoran environment. Secret patios, roof walk decks and formidable fireplaces add to the intrigue. Designed by Architectural Designer Charlie Lazor who incorporated deep vision to the smallest details. READ MORE

Price: $2,295,000

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

FOR SALE THE PA L MCROF T – PA R A DISE VA LLE Y Welcome to the Palmcroft! This playful Spanish inspired desert ranch home in Paradise Valley offers super location and ultra-FAB interiors! This vibrant property boasts a separate casita will accommodate up to 14 guests. Experience the charm of the Palmcroft, where bold design and desert beauty unite. Make this unique and stylish home yours, and immerse yourself in the vibrant lifestyle of Paradise Valley! READ MORE

Price: $2,585,000

FOR SALE A RIZON A MODERN R A NCH - TE MPE GOLF COURSE A RE A Life is good at Shalimar Estates! Single-story/Single Level Ranch: hallmark of EZ AZ Living! Block construction generous floorpan offers space & livability. Inside, gas hot water/heat, fireplace and updates: Stainless appliances, solid wood cabs & granite counters in kitchen+baths. Stone floors, 4BR-1 3/4 baths on oversized lot. Private & serene! Outdoor oasis with deep patio, green lawn, mature landscape. READ MORE

Price: $699,900

Architecturally Unique Homes 22

FOR SALE C A REFREE MID -CENTURY – B L AINE DR A KE A RCHITEC T For the MCM lover: A once in a lifetime opportunity! This rare one-owner property was designed by acclaimed Mid-century Architect and Frank Lloyd Wright fellow, Blaine Drake in 1965, you’ll find all the original millwork and details which include Terrazzo Floors and updated appliances. Incredible 1.6 acre view lot- Sale subject to court approval. READ MORE

Price: $1,695,000

FOR SALE BON VIE MODERN PERFEC TION! This stunning Bon Vie unit is a rare find in the heart of Scottsdale. Professionally remodeled by Kaitlin Wolfe at Iconic Design, it’s the perfect place to call home. You will be awed from the minute you walk in the door by its mid-century modern design and calming atmosphere. Every detail has been carefully considered to create a space where you can relax and unwind. READ MORE

Price: $449,900

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

ON THE MARKET

Property Listings | azarchitecture.com

PENDING A HWATUKEE FOOTHILL S – M A RK KR A NZ A RCHITEC T Affordable Modern Architecture! This home created architect/designer Owners showcases modern design in a highly sustainable package. Design, renovation, permitting and construction began in 2006 and features superb detail and functionally. Open plan lives large: 350SF+addition include office and flex room which can serve as play/study or private guest w/rolling frosted glass door READ MORE

Price: $595,000

FOR SALE RESERVE AT TR A NQUIL TR AIL LOT Great opportunity at Tranquil Trails! Stunning views of Black Mountain to the West, and Continental Mountain to the North, await you in one of the most spectacular and private communities of Carefree, Reserve at Tranquil Trail. This untouched, high desert, custom homesite is located within minutes of the quaint downtown Carefree area, with the famous Carefree Sundial and Desert Gardens park. READ MORE

Price: $425,000

Architecturally Unique Homes 24

FOR SALE THREE FOUNTAINS #28 - A L B E A DLE A RCHITEC T The vision for Three Fountains #28 combines Beadle’s signature low-profile, clean lines with a timeless color palette, creating an inviting atmosphere that radiates sophistication. To realize this harmonious concept, By Design Development assembled a team of renowned experts, featuring Lawrence Lake Interiors, architect Ned Sawyer, Beadle’s long-time collaborator, and Scott Jarson. READ MORE

Price: $525,000

FOR SALE SWEDISH MODERN – B ILTMORE TERR ACE This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Rare is it to find a one owner property that has been meticulously maintained and wonderfully upgraded in a PENTHOUSE location with views of the lake and golf course. This is it! Not only this but a fabulous floorplan with the master split with great room, dining and kitchen in between the bedrooms. READ MORE

Price: $499,000

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

What would Beadle do? A development team aims to restore and update a Three Fountains townhouse, an iconic project by Al Beadle.

BY NOR A BURBA TRULSSON

A 1964 real estate advertisement in the Arizona Republic

formed By Design Development with the goal of working

touts living at the recently completed Three Fountains

on architecturally significant projects,” explains Lake, whose

apartment complex on 40th Street, at the edge of the

four-decade design career has included work on residential,

Arcadia neighborhood in Phoenix. According to the ad,

commercial and multi-family projects. “We feel that every

for $175 a month unfurnished and $225 furnished, tenants

part of the development process should be by design,

could live the mod life in the two-story, 1,000-square-foot

and with intention.” Tucson-based Pozez is the business

townhouse-style units, which featured dishwashers and other

counterbalance to Lake’s creativity. He’s an Arizona native

electric appliances, two pools and even poolside phones.

who has worked on hundreds of residential and commercial

It was the epitome of the Swinging Sixties lifestyle, with a

development projects, always, as Lake puts it, “by finding the

design that featured two upstairs bedrooms, all meant to

solution that nobody realized was there.”

appeal to singles and young professionals. The partners of By Design Development found the Three And, of course, it was sleek and modern—designed by

Fountains condo unit through Realtor Scott Jarson, co-

the late architect Al Beadle—who has himself become the

founder of azarchitecture.com / Jarson & Jarson Real Estate,

epitome of midcentury modernism in Greater Phoenix.

a Scottsdale real estate firm specializing in architecturally significant homes. “I’ve listed and sold a lot of the units

Today, one of the units—now condominiums—is being

at Three Fountains,” explains Jarson, who serves as the

restored and updated by a newly formed development

development team’s real estate advisor. “The one that Larry

team headed by interior designer Larry Lake and real estate

and Ben purchased is significant because it is virtually in

developer Ben Pozez, who, respectively, are also Sources

original condition and has had very few updates.”

for Design’s editor/publisher and travel editor. “Ben and I 26

Indeed, the untouched quality of the interior and the

at the time.” The units, Sawyer explains, were all built in

adjoining patio appealed to Pozez and Lake, and prior to

a 16-foot modular design, creating good-sized rooms and

working on the restoration and updating, they hosted an

a pleasing aesthetic. Rather than putting all the units into

informal charrette in the empty condo, inviting input from

a monolithic block, Beadle broke them down into several

not only Jarson, but from architect Ned Sawyer, who worked

separate buildings, rotating them on the site and linking

on Three Fountains at the start of his career with Al Beadle.

them with a series of pathways and plant-filled beds, all cooled by an overhead shade structure. At the front of the

Sawyer, who worked with Beadle from 1961 to 1972, through

complex, a shallow pool with three fountains served as both

his years of studying architecture at ASU, recalls the 59-unit

a focal point and the namesake.

Three Fountains apartment complex was completed about 1963. “Three Fountains was an expansion on Beadle’s

Each unit opened up onto a generously sized patio, visible

design of The Triad, a three-apartment unit he designed for

through the living room’s wall of windows and fenced with

his in-laws and friends on 28th Street in Phoenix,” recalls

what were actually masonite door panels, for privacy. Other

Sawyer. The Triad, the only Arts & Architecture modernist

details included a two-story strip of colored bubble glass at

“Case Study” project in Arizona (the rest were in California)

the front entry, filling the interior with blue or green light; and

put Beadle on the map, and led to larger projects, like Three

jalousie windows in the upstairs bedrooms.

Fountains and nearby The Boardwalk, another apartment complex.

“Al Beadle thought of Three Fountains as a place where executives and singles could live, prior to starting families

“Three Fountains was done with developer Frank Braggiotti,”

and wanting single-family homes,” says Sawyer. Jarson has

Sawyer continues. “With its landscaped central core and

his own observation of Three Fountains. “I am quite certain

private back patios, it was meant to capitalize on the

this land was once part of a citrus grove,” Jarson says. “Most

townhouse style, which was gaining popularity in Phoenix

of Arcadia was filled with citrus years ago.”

A more personal memory for Jarson is that his older brother

The Three Fountains project is the start for By Design

lived in one of the apartments from 1969 to 1970. “I was

Development, with more to come. “Larry and Ben have a

seven years younger,” he remembers, “He had a stereo with

commitment to find midcentury works to do a restoration

quadraphonic sound there, and I thought he was living the

that not only makes it functional for today, but honors the

life in these ‘swinging’ apartments.”

original intent,” says Jarson. “They are seeking the authentic by asking, what would Beadle do if he was building this

Some time in the early 1980s, Jarson says, the apartments converted to condominiums and established an HOA before hitting a rough patch in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. “Most of the loans on the condos were from savings and loan institutions,” Jarson says, “and many of the savings and loans failed during those years, resulting in foreclosures. At one time, you could buy a Three Fountains unit for $29,000, cash. Nobody would lend on them.” But things turned around in the mid-1990s, particularly when Beadle’s name gained recognition and his designs became coveted by discerning buyers. “A lot of big names in Arizona’s design community have lived here,” Jarson says, “including Marwan Al Sayed and Mies Anderson, before they moved to Los Angeles.” During the charrette, Pozez and Lake confirmed their plan of treading lightly and respecting history with the work they’re doing within their Three Fountains unit. “I have a huge contact list of resources, so we can get this project just right,” says Lake. “It’s already under construction. We’re doing design elements like terrazzo-style floors, Beadle-influenced pendants over the kitchen island and replacing the overgrown landscape on the patio with shrubs and an orange tree, just like the original plantings. We even uncovered the bubble glass strips, which had been drywalled over by a previous owner.” New bathroom fixtures, an updated kitchen and LED lighting will bring today’s technology into the plan without disrupting Beadle’s original intent. “Beadle was always on the cutting edge of design, so we wouldn’t want to just do a historical restoration,” Lake points out.

Top: Unlike other designs of this era, Beadle incorporated welcoming shade in the desert. Center: The rational architectural grid shows crisp as the day it was drawn. Bottom: The design and development team: Scott Jarson, Larry Lake, Ned Sawyer FAIA and Ben Pozez enjoy a moment together at Beadle’s signature Three Fountains entry. 28

today?”

Beadle’s design ethic was channeled into every decision on the project from space to decor.: a color palette of black, white and grey echo Beadle’s common choices. An expanded interior plan opens the kitchen into the living space to create an indoor-outdoor relationship which offers clear view of the celebrated outdoor spaces Beadle incorporated in these homes. From entry to patio, the team retained and celebrated crisp lines, clear details and high design. 29

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT For decades, John Douglas, FAIA has been one of the architects

Although the state boasts an impressive legacy of architectural

we’ve admired the most. His new book culminates a lifetime of

and landscape architectural accomplishments, many of its most

amazing achievements, it’s no wonder we featured him in the

well-known practitioners came from lands far away. Frank Lloyd

1992 edition of Defining Desert Living. A true Arizonan, John’s

Wright, for instance, hailed from Wisconsin and Chicago, while

career has expanded cutting edge modernism and pain-staking

Paolo Soleri called Turin, Italy home. Will Bruder and Eddie Jones

historical resources. This new publication offers a beautiful tour

also made their way to Arizona from Wisconsin and Oklahoma,

through his architectural career.

respectively. Still, their encounters with the Arizona landscape fueled their creativity, which, in turn, enhanced their practice.

In his new book, Douglas lays down the foundations of his

In contrast, John’s roots have always been firmly planted in

architectural journey, showcasing a diverse portfolio of work.

Arizona. His understanding of and passion for the state’s

From educational institutions to cultural landmarks, the reader

distinctive environment radiate through his work. While the great

can explore his vast range of projects, demonstrating how he has

architectural influencers of Arizona may have been come from

continually pushed the boundaries of design while maintaining

elsewhere, Douglas is living proof that extraordinary architectural

respect for Arizona’s rich history and environment, something that

talent and vision can emerge from within the state itself.

we appreciate deeply. Each project is accompanied by beautiful photographs, detailed descriptions, and personal anecdotes that

Douglas’s architecture is deeply influenced by his upbringing on

provide a fascinating insight into the creative process behind

an Arizona cotton farm, its expansive landscapes, and the unique

each design.

characteristics of the southwest. His keen eye for Arizona’s natural

beauty, along with his vast experience in the state, allows him to

innovations and the unique characteristics of the local landscape.

create designs that gracefully complement the environment.

His designs exhibit an understanding of materiality, climate awareness, and a celebration of place, blending architectural

In the realm of landscape architecture, the emergence of local

vision with an inherent respect for Arizona’s indigenous nature,

talent in Arizona is even more pronounced. A prime example of

which is prominent within landscape architecture.

this is Steve Martino, a Phoenix native who has had a significant impact on developing a landscape architecture identity

As a result of this unique approach and expertise, major cultural

celebrating Arizona’s indigenous plants and topography.

institutions in the Greater Phoenix area have turned to Douglas to help them meet the evolving needs of the growing community. The

It’s unsurprising, then, that John Douglas found inspiration early in

Desert Botanical Garden, Scottsdale Center for the Performing

his career by working alongside Steve Martino. The two visionary

Arts, and the Heard Museum are just a few of the establishments

designers, both deeply attuned with their native environment,

that have entrusted him with their projects, a testament to his

have worked tirelessly to develop a landscape architecture that is

status as a reliable and accomplished professional.

respectful of Arizona’s natural beauty and individuality. Many of John Douglas’ projects embody a sense of growth and This collaboration of local talent has demonstrated that a

evolution in their design. Rather than starting from scratch, the

profound understanding of one’s surroundings, coupled with

foundation of an existing structure is used to create something

a commitment to emphasizing the distinctive characteristics of

bigger, better, and more in tune with its surroundings. This

the environment, can result in innovative and transformative

approach can be seen in several of his residential projects, where

landscape designs that go beyond passing architectural trends.

the original, smaller homes are expanded and transformed to fulfill their spatial and site potential.

As local landscape architects such as Steve Martino and John Douglas continue to challenge conventional design language,

John Douglas is in many ways a general practitioner in the truest

they pave the way for future practitioners to embrace Arizona’s

sense; adept at recognizing architectural potential in a wide

unique natural aesthetic. Their dedication to promoting an

variety of contexts. Regardless of the situation, Douglas brings

authentic representation of the state through their designs will

his wealth of knowledge and creativity to each project, always

undoubtedly inspire the next generation of landscape architects

pushing the boundaries of design.

to follow suit, bringing even more local talent to the forefront of this vibrant creative field. In John Douglas’ work, the impact of his predecessors is evident in numerous ways, most notably, through the development of an architectural language that pays homage to both past

Opposite page: Book cover shows the speaker enclosure detail at Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts Below left: Haver residence remodel Below right: Exterior of Civic Center office

Book design by ps:studios, Phoenix Az

SEA RANCH BY DEBBIE JARSON

A few times in my life I have been fortunate enough to

and the wildlife wander casually by and glimpse the ocean in

experience an environment that makes me stop and take notice

the distance. Nights were dark and quiet like what I experienced

in the amazing world we live in. This summer, a week spent in the

in my childhood; nothing to disturb you but your thoughts. A

small town of Sea Ranch, CA was one of those places. Foggy,

calmness falls over you and you can breathe once again fully

misty mornings, coved beaches each with their own feel, and

and deeply.

trails along the cliffs that go for miles, but feel like something even more spectacular will be seen around the next bend. I was

Our first day in Sea Ranch we happened on the Sea Ranch

in awe from the moment I stepped on this precious soil till the

Chapel, a small community built sanctuary for prayer, meditation

time we bid it farewell.

and spiritual renewal. Designed by James Hubbell and built by local craftsmen including stained glass by Arizona artist Mayme

The Sea Ranch is a magical place that was a dream and then

Kratz, the structure flows like a wave and invites you inside to the

a reality for 6 thoughtful men - architects Joseph Esherick,

comforting space.

William Turnbull Jr, Donny Lyndon, Richard Whitaker and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. Their intent was to place

As we explored the land around us, we happened on one of

homes gently on the land where they are informed by the nature

the community pools and were delighted to have done that. The

surrounding them.

building was designed as a “wind-dam” in the words of William Turnbull, sheltering the tennis courts to the south, and joining

We stayed in a beautifully restored 1967 “Binker Barn” designed

the hedgerow to the north resulting in a calm space to swim and

by William Turnbull with an interior update by Kay Kollar. One

sunbathe. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked inside

of the first things we noticed was that the houses were placed in

the locker rooms to find the sun filtering through the space onto

a row down the lane, but focused on the natural grasslands and

the modern painted walls designed by the graphic designer/artist

the ocean beyond. Never did you feel distracted by neighbors,

Barbara Stauffacher Solomon. The designs seem commonplace

but instead could breathe the fresh air, watch the grasses sway

today with the mid-century modern mania, but it all started with

Barbara, who’s hand and eye touched nearly every sign and graphic element at Sea Ranch. Our explorations took us to many wonderful sights such as the sunbathing seals at a protected preserve beach. Better than any zoo in America and such a delight to become emerged in the rugged and primal Northern California Coastal environs of Sonoma County. We steeled ourselves away from the aweinspiring cliffs and drove towards the hills to view a magical space designed by our own Arizona-based architect Mark Philp. It’s always a joy for us to see that the land surrounding a home is an integral element in the design of the home, where a person can be one with the setting. After years of hearing friends tell us we MUST go to The Sea Ranch, I can now see why. The only problem is now that I’ve had it…I want more!

Location/Drive: Sea Ranch is located up the coast bisected by the iconic Highway 1, about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco. When you go: If you dream of getting off the grid while relaxing into an atmosphere of serenity, one of the easiest introductions would be to explore the opportunity to stay at the Sea Ranch Lodge, which is now open after completing a serious and impressive renovation. This 17-room lodge offers architectureforward design completely harmonious and in sync with It’s natural setting. The accommodations are superb, the bar and restaurant excellent:

https://www.thesearanchlodge.com/lodging/ 33

In recent group shows including Subversive White,

Michael Lundgren, Marie Navarre, Luis González Palma,

Temporary in Nature, and Wear Your Love Like Heaven,

Shana and Robert ParkeHarrison, Charlotte Potter, Lily

Lisa Sette Gallery takes on the challenge of envisioning

Reeves, and James Turrell consider Earth’s moon as

the contemporary art space as a cultural conscience of

a contemporary metaphor and a sublime example,

the city, a place where creative experimentation sets a

illuminating human darkness with a continuing cycle of

template for human and ecological transformation.

renewal and reflection.

The Moon is a Lantern, on view through January 6,

The Moon is a Lantern proposes that our planetary

2024, continues this investigation with an exhibit of

guidepost possesses literal and symbolic powers deriving

radically diverse artists and media, each turned toward

from its movement and position: As we orbit the sun,

Earth’s only natural satellite as an allegory for change

so the moon orbits us, shaping our awareness of time,

and remaking. In experimental works of photography,

raising tides, and waking us to the radiance of night. The

neon, resin, glass, porcelain, bronze, and painting,

works in this exhibit follow the moon’s refulgent light to

incorporating moon dust as a material and moonlight

discover the persistence of hope, the urgent need to re-

as a processing agent, 15 artists including Sam Chung,

envision our relationship with the Earth, and the shining

Binh Danh, Ala Ebtekar, Cameron Gainer, Timothy

beacon of our constant lunar counterpart as an example

Horn, Mark Klett, Mayme Kratz, Richard Laugharn,

of our interconnectedness with the cosmos.

With glimmering plated bronze and mirrored blown glass

address this analogue in intriguing ways. Ala Ebtekar uses

spheres, Timothy Horn’s Gorgonia 16 (blue moon) draws

light reflected from the moon in an experimental cyanotype

a connection between human ornamentation and earth’s

process in which a ferrous solution is exposed to lunar

living organisms, casting in silvery bronze the complex, myth-

light, producing the vivid cyan that distinguishes Ebtekar’s

generating form of Gorgoniidae coral, interspersed with

swirling, stippled canvases. Influenced by writings of the

lantern-like iridescent spheres. Horn’s breathtaking creation

11th-century Islamic philosopher Suhrawardi, who proposed

spans 6 feet, a reminder of the vast generative power of the

a framework for understanding the universe based on

Earth’s seas and the equally immense perils that oceans and

properties of illumination and intuition, Ebtekar’s process

marine life confront in our anthropocene era. In the revelation of an image or idea through exposure to light, there’s something fundamentally photographic about our moon. The artists included in The Moon is a Lantern

Opposite: Ala Ebtekar, Zenith (moonlight) (detail), 2023, acrylic over cyanotype exposed by moonlight on canvas. 36” x 72” x 2” Above: Timothy Horn Gorgonia 16 (blue moon), 2023, nickel-plated bronze, mirrored blown glass, 49.5” x 62.5” x 7” Right: Michael Lundren Butte in Moonlight, 2023, archival pigment print, 30” x 40”, edition of 7

becomes an alchemical technique merging material and

Illustrating the serene expanse of our universe, a place apart

myth, earth and sky.

from human ego, Marie Navarre’s silver gelatin diptych and Binh Danh’s daguerreotype portraits of the moon share a

Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison employ lunar metaphor to

spare aesthetic: silhouetted scythes of light floating in the

create a cautionary vision in The Distance, a photo collage

depths of the upper atmosphere.

in which a 1910 glass observatory slide image of the moon descends into tar-like shadow, slung upon a charred branch:

In contrast, Luis González Palma’s La Luna series are entirely

“We have all looked to the Moon for its wonder provoking

abstract but no less dramatic: folded bursts of black and white

qualities, its ability to transfix us, allow us to imagine. By

onion paper prints of negatives obtained from the archives

imagining the moon engulfed in the fumes of its diseased planet, and simultaneously being cradled by a ritualized limb, we perform a dual intervention with this magical Moon, reminding the viewer that as humans we have the ingenuity to destroy or to create.”

Top: James Turrell, Roden Crater Suite, 1995, photo lithographs, 14” x 14.75” each, edition of 20 Left: Cameron Gainer, Hypatia, 2023, oil and marble dust on panel, 36” x 36” Right: Mark Klett, Color Saguaros series (Saguaro in Darkness with Moon, November 2018), 2020, inkjet print on handmade Japanese paper, 10.75” x 8.25” unframed, edition of 20 Opposite - top left: Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, The Distance, 2023, kozo on theatrical gauze with Golder acrylics and Golden UV varnish, burnt tree limb and waxed braided cord, 75” x 104” Top right: Mayme Kratz, December Moon, 2023, resin, bones, wolf fur on panel, 48” x 48”

of the Astronomical Observatory of the City of Cordoba,

fullness and back again. Each night we are reminded that we

Argentina, where the artist lives. González Palma comments:

are creatures who live in a cosmic state of flux. The moon is

“I explore in parallel the subject of portraiture and the

a lantern, revealing a radiant path through current struggles

universe as ways of investigating the sacred space inherent to

and cycles of despair, a face that turns away from self and

the human being.”

toward the universe. The moon, which is remade every night, may guide us in the remaking of our societies and civilizations.

Throughout the moon’s pattern of illumination, our sublunar doings are cast in various arrangements of shadow and light, as we undertake the ongoing journey from emptiness to

Lisa Sette Gallery / 210 East Catalina, Phoenix AZ 85012 t. 480.990.7342 lisasettegallery.com

Sam Chung, Moon Jar 4, 2023, stoneware, white slip, glaze, 21” x 21” x 21”

LOOKING BACK

A collection of our most interesting recent sales | azarchitecture.com

SOLD THE MYERS RESIDENCE – DESERT HIGHL A NDS Design by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice and Taliesin Architects co-founder, John Rattenbury. This remains one of the most significant homes by this firm and is deeply connected to Wright and his principles of organic architecture. Constructed with precision and incorporating the highest available building skills, this home is nearly irreplaceable today. READ MORE

Price: $ 4,700,000

SOLD H A L AS HOUSE - EDDIE JONES There are few homes remaining that represent the “Arizona School” of Desert Modern Architecture. The Halas House designed by award-winning, “Master of the Southwest” Architect Eddie Jones, FAIA is one of them! This award-winning home nestles into the hillside of Camelback Mountain hillside offering a quiet, yet expressive design that is delightfully integrated into nature. READ MORE

Price: $ 2,775,000

Architecturally Unique Homes 38

SOLD ESTATE H ACIENDA A NDA LUSIA – PA R A DISE VA LLE Y OASIS This secret oasis is in the heart of Paradise Valley! This pristine, completely renovated gated estate offers exceptional privacy. Modern Interiors & Innovations of today seamlessly blend with Old World Charm. Inside the modern details blend old and new with a sense of elegant whimsy coupled with refined shape, form and decor. READ MORE

Price: $ 3,435,320

SOLD ROSENTH A L HOUSE - ORGA NIC MODERN DESIGN Frank Lloyd Wright influenced Organic Modern Design showcased in this Paradise Valley Estate. This serene and gated 2.5 acre compound in Paradise Valley, Taliesin-trained Architects Gustad Irani and Yumi Doi of Organic Design Workshop incorporates Wright’s concepts of organic architecture. READ MORE

Price: $ 5,200,000

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

LOOKING BACK

A collection of our most interesting recent sales | azarchitecture.com

SOLD PA R A DISE VA LLE Y MID -CENTURY ESTATE - MODERN BUILDING A ND DESIGN This amazing Mid-Century Modern home has been completely updated and remodeled to perfection! With roots that reach back to the 1950’s, it was one of the first homes built in this “Heart of Paradise Valley” location. This home was recently re-crafted and reimagined by Troy Strumpfer with Modern Building and Design. READ MORE

Price: $ 4,075,000

SOLD C A MELBACK MODERN - GEORGE CHRISTENSEN FAIA This elevated modern home was designed by none other than Architect George Christensen for one of Phoenix’s most recognizable families. Originally designed for Woody Johnson, owner and founder of the fabled Macayo restaurant, the home is perfectly sited on an elevated lot at the foothills of Camelback Mountain. READ MORE

Price: $ 2,110,000

Architecturally Unique Homes 40

SOLD THE H AWKINS RESIDENCE – B L AINE DR A KE A RCHITEC T Designed by Blaine Drake in 1964, this remarkable Camelback Mountain area home offers true Mid-Century Desert Modern Design. With a wonderfully generous floorplan and incredible Mountain and City light views, this classic home nestles in the Camelback Mountain foothills on a gently elevated acre lot. This home includes amenities often unseen in this architectural era. READ MORE

Price: $ 2,195,000

SOLD RECORD SA LE - CLE A RWATER HILL S LOT a 360 degree view from Downtown City Lights to a complete view of Camelback Mountain, to the McDowells to the east. This pristine hillside lot at almost 2 acres is fully ready for an exceptional build to match the location. Cleared, flat prepped site, driveway and utilities already in. This is the crown jewel property that Clearwater HIlls, Paradise Valley have to offer. READ MORE

Price: $ 5,000,000

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

LOOKING BACK

A collection of our most interesting recent sales | azarchitecture.com

SOLD WE ISS HOUSE - WILLIA M P. B RUDER FAIA Award Winning Hillside architecture by world renown Arizona Architect, Will Bruder FAIA. Originally designed and built for the Weiss Family, this very special home is nestled into a spectacular hillside Mummy Mountain lot overlooking the Paradise Valley Country Club and beyond. The home blends into the land using a palette of materials that include copper, glass, steel, concrete, and native stone. READ MORE

Price: $ 3,475,000

SOLD PA R A DISE VA LLE Y – C A MELBACK VIE W MODERN This stunningly perfect modern contemporary home with outstanding Camelback Mountain Views is a designer’s delight. Sited in the heart of Paradise Valley near Camelback Mountain it is located in one of the most desirable neighborhoods around. From the beautiful white aggregate honed-faced block, to the crisp detail of the steel fascia,this home presents a timeless modern design by Ross Design Group. READ MORE

Price: $ 3,750,000

Architecturally Unique Homes 42

SOLD C A MELBACK FOOTHILL S MODERN - 180 DEGREES A RCHITEC TS SOLD IN ONE DAY – Mid-Century Modern gem transformed by 180 Degrees Design + Build Architects! COMPLETE 2018 Remodel: contemporary interiors, infrastructure updated, systems refreshed. Camelback Mtn & Praying Monk Views throughout this special property. The entire 1/3 acre property has mature desert xeriscape that plays off the best of Arizona. READ MORE

Price: $ 2,295,000

SOLD C A MELBACK CHOLL A TR AIL – MID -CENTURY R A NCH Incredible Mid-Century Modern house gets FULL ‘down to studs renovation’ saving great architecture, rooflines, and history for another 100 years! The collaborative team includes: Kent Architects, Bent Nails, and The Refined Group to take Jim McGrath’s 1965 gem with iconic gabled roof and clerestory windows on Sage Drive to a whole new level. READ MORE

Price: $ 3,300,000

azarchitecture.com

480.425.9300

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

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

Desert House – Lazor/Office

Nestled in the boulders & saguaros of Troon Ridge in north

between oversized boulders and a punch of Barragán-inspired

Scottsdale, this delightful home was designed by Architectural

colored plaster, echoing coral colored blossoms of the desert

Designer Charlie Lazor of Lazor/Office as a desert home for his

in spring. Exposed steel beams form a colonnade to create a

parents, and a destination place for family gatherings.

protective shelter against the sky while sophisticated lighting leads the way.

This 2-acre hilltop adjacent property boasts sweeping views & sunsets. The home nestles into the boulder-strewn mountain,

The main house offers a primary suite, generous livings spaces,

graciously adapting to our unique Sonoran environment.

central courtyard and loft library; three vanishing guest suites ”in

Sheltered patios, roof-walk decks and wood-burning fireplaces

the sky” are accessed across the roof walk creating privacy for

add to the intrigue and visibly anchor the home to the desert floor.

guests and family.

Lazor incorporated his deep vision with attention to the smallest

Founded in 2003 by Charlie Lazor, Lazor/Office is a dynamic

details. Finished concrete floors and a palette of natural wood,

design practice committed to producing spaces that enhance

steel, glass, stone and copper are artfully detailed throughout.

their clients lives. They place primacy on place-making and

Custom glazing and subtle reveals create a ”floating roof” effect.

developing sensitive, integrated responses to the sites They

Butt-glazed corner windows and multiple wide opening sliding

work on. Lazor/Office has resisted becoming specialized in

doors allow this house to open fully to the outdoors. The open-

any particular aspect of design. The office handles a range of

plan kitchen, complete with pro-range and absolute-black granite

residential, commercial, and theoretical projects, with a scope

counters, complete a timeless workspace. A lap pool scissors in

that varies from furniture to architecture to building systems.

Desert House - Lazor/Office

Sold “As-Is” Some refurbishments required. For more information on this home contact us directly or visit azarchitecture.com

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

Richert House – Blaine Drake Architect

Carefree Arizona is a special place. This small community

and beams. The appliances have been thoughtfully updated

located at the far northeast area of the Phoenix Metropolitan

to reflect the original scale. Located on an incredible 1.6 acre

Area is positioned between the mining town of Cave Creek,

natural desert lot, the sweeping views to the north and east offer

and what is now Scottsdale. Originally developed in the early

stunning vistas of the Continental Mountains.

1960’s, we’ve often highlighted some of the original architects that helped shape this charming town of less than 4000.

Never previously offered for on the market, the terms and sale will be subject to court approval.

One can only imagine the natural beauty and stunning backdrop that this community provided for this very special mid-century

For a personal tour of this delightful Arizona home, contact us

home. Designed and built in 1965 by one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s

directly or visit azarchitecture.com for more information.

original apprentices, Architect Blaine Drake, the house remains nearly completely original. For the MCM lover this presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain a pristine and unchanged example of Drake’s signature design. The classic “Arizona Tan” slump-block constructed home features materials and finishes that echo other significant designs from Drake created during a highly productive era for him. This home offers original millwork and details which include Terrazzo Floors, floor to ceiling glass, and exposed wood ceilings 46

Scott

“I believe that simplicity taken to an extreme is elegance.” www.azarchitecture.com – Alfred Newman Beadle 47

AWARDS

Gary Herberger, AIA, Award of Distinction

SPECIALIZING IN ARCHITECTURALLY UNIQUE HOMES FOR OVER 30 YEARS

azarchitecture.com

Knowledge REAL ESTATE

Experience REAL ESTATE

Service REAL ESTATE

Marketing REAL ESTATE

We are the only real estate brokerage in Arizona that specializes in the sale of architecturally unique homes. We know design and we share your love of architecture. For a thoughtful approach to any real estate sale or purchase contact azarchitecture / Jarson & Jarson Real Estate today. Call 480.425.9300

visit: azarchitecture.com

azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson Real Estete is proud to

Owner, CEO and Designated Broker Debbie Jarson shares

announce that we were the recipients of the Gary Herberger

this, “The Gary Herberger Award is an honor we are very

Award of Distinction. Given in recognition to organizations

proud to receive. We are humbled by the support of our

that have contributed to a better understanding and

clients, colleagues, friends and family who have helped us

awareness of architecture in Arizona.

to grow and evolve into the firm we are today.”

Awarded last November, this recognition spanned 2023 as

The named award celebrates Gary Herberger, a pioneer

a hallmark achievement for our firm. This prestigious award

in architectural design and construction in Arizona and a

celebrates azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson’s groundbreaking

renowned philanthropist and businessman. An architect,

work

historic,

Herberger was one of the last to apprentice under Frank Lloyd

sustainable and luxury architectural homes. The reaction at

Wright. He had a hand in shaping some of the most beautiful

the event was electric and we were awestruck to receive

and distinctive buildings in Arizona, including the Arizona

such support from the architects we admire and support.

Biltmore Hotel and the Arizona State University campus.

representing

and

selling

modern,

“We wish there was a firm like azarchitecture /Jarson & Jarson in Los Angeles,” said AIA President, Kathy Hancox.

Since 1990 azarchitecture /Jarson & Jarson has stood by their original mission to celebrate and honor design

“It is truly an honor to receive this award,” said Scott

and architecture. We remain devoted to adding value

Jarson, co-founder and President of azarchitecture /Jarson

to architect-designed properties and are committed to

& Jarson Real Estate. “This award is not only a testament

celebrating, encouraging and promoting good design.

to our team, but also to the design community here in Arizona, which embraces the highest standards in the

As the only Real Estate firm in Arizona that specializes in the

field of architecture. Our entire team is grateful for this

sales and marketing of Architecturally Unique Homes™, we

significant recognition.”

find this award not only inspiring, but a validation of our mission to celebrate with a deep appreciation the Valley’s

Throughout the last three decades, azarchitecture/Jarson

rare and diverse architecture.

& Jarson has grown from a two-person practice specializing in residential homes to a full-service brokerage firm with

Our sincere thanks goes to all those who have supported

a national reputation for excellence. Our firm’s growth

us on this journey.

reflects the growing recognition of outstanding work in architectural design, uniqueness, and sustainability.

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 many years, azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson Real Estate 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 Real Estate remains deeply committed to historic preservation and are proud EcoBroker® Affiliates. Whether you are buying, selling, or just an enthusiast of architecture, remember to contact azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson Real Estate — the Valley’s true expert in Architecturally Unique Homes.© Meet our team or contact us to learn more about how we can help you.

Architecturally Unique Homes

azarchitecture.com 480.425.9300 3707 N. Marshall Way #5 | Scottsdale, AZ 85251 If your home is currently listed this is not a solicitation. Copyright 2023 azarchitecture/Jarson & Jarson all rights reserved.