Refuge, shelter, retreat. There are any number of words that telegraph the essence of a home as, to quote poet Robert Frost, “the place where, when you have to go there/They have to take you in.” As for “house,” there’s residence, abode, domicile. But whatever you call the place where you live, it’s all a matter of mass and volume. And in the case of this Nevada dwelling, the word “envelop” comes to mind.
Set in an arid expanse in the shadow of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, the property, designed by California-based Avalon Architectural, Inc., is a strikingly linear affair in which the play of planes not only defines space but also embraces it. Ceilings, clad in Thermory (a heat-treated ash), create a comfortable sense of containment, while raw stone walls generate a satisfying feeling of mindfulness and practicality. At the same time, the amply fenestrated house is determinedly oriented to the outdoors. The living room, family room/kitchen and primary suite open both to the north and the south, providing expansive views, cross ventilation and abundant access to daylight. The dining room is framed by floor-to-ceiling glass on the east and west and a large picture window to the north.
“I design homes that have layers created by overlapping indoor and outdoor spaces through particular sight lines,” explains Avalon’s principal, Jeff Anderson. “When designing the physical flow in a home, I consider the visual experience as you travel through. At the end of circulation paths, I create a focal point. This could be an art wall, or in some cases, a view through the home to a significant sculpture or specimen in the landscape beyond, like a mature Joshua Tree.”
Anderson’s clients are an art-loving couple, so devising interior vistas that showcase their holdings was central to the program. “It’s not so much that rooms were created for a single piece of art, but that deliberate opportunities for art were created through the architectural design and site planning,” shares Anderson. “Once specific locations were determined for each piece of art, my role was to create a museum-like experience by designing appropriate lighting and thoughtfully placing light switches, electrical outlets and smoke detectors.”
The architect worked closely with art consultant Jody Knowlton as she and the client determined the best location for each piece. “One of the most stunning places that art and architecture work together is in the entry foyer,” describes Anderson, “where I created a significant wall for art that you not only see as you walk through the front door but that guests can also see when they approach the house through the entry courtyard.” Knowlton and the homeowners settled on “Circling Inward and Outward” by New York artist Brie Ruais for this space. “The circular movement of this piece is an interesting juxtaposition to the straight, hard lines of the architecture,” notes Anderson, “and the colors and textures of the glazed and pigmented stoneware marry well with the desert environment.”
“It’s not so much that rooms were created for a single piece of art, but that deliberate opportunities for art were created through the architectural design and site planning.”
Committed to making sure the house inhabited the site sympathetically and responded to the environment in every direction, Anderson was keen on curating space near at hand as well. “When I designed the entry courtyard, I created a specific location for an important sculpture or installation,” he relates. “I was imagining not a singular piece, but something that dispersed and changed as guests experienced it along the 150-foot path from the entry courtyard gate to the front door. As the project developed, I asked for the opportunity to design an art installation. I selected The Portal, a boulder sculpture by Roger Hopkins, then added nine, three-sided vertical steel forms of my own design that are carefully placed to create a changing experience as you walk around them.” And that, as the poet said, “made all the difference.”
Photography by Manolo Langis.
Builder: Merlin Custom Home Builders. Interior Design: Jeff Anderson, Avalon Architectural, Inc.; Nicholas Proietti, Nicholas Vincent, Inc.; Nour El Nasrani, By Nour Design. Art Consultant: Jody Knowlton, Artsource Consulting. Landscape Architect: Dennis Vang, Vangson Consulting LLC. Structural Engineer: Vector Structural Engineering, LLC MEP. Engineer: Comfort Engineering, Inc. Civil Engineer: JPL Engineering, Inc.
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