Inside a Stunning Glass and Steel Desert Home in Scottsdale

Glass and steel desert home in Scottsdale at dusk, with a saguaro beside the lit dining room

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Lake Flato Architects designed this award-winning modern desert home in Scottsdale, Arizona. It sits on the 15th Fairway of the Geronimo Golf Course in Desert Mountain, a guard-gated community in the northern part of the city. Known as the Brown Residence, this project received an AIA San Antonio Merit Award.

The architects shaped the dwelling’s minimalist forms to block views of nearby houses and highlight the vast Sonoran Desert vistas. This steel and glass desert pad offers 3,947 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT Lake Flato Architects
BUILDER The Construction Zone
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Tonneson Inc.

Sunken patio with a steel fire pit and lounge chairs at dusk, surrounded by desert plantings

Interesting Fact: At the time, this was the only home in the Arizona desert that the Texas-based Lake Flato Architects had created. So their mission was to integrate local materials into the design while partnering with the finest local craftsmen. They have created a home that is tactile and modern, environmentally responsible and authentic, artful and beautifully executed.

Weathered steel fire pit on a stone patio, with steel steps and stacked firewood below the house

A glass and steel home in Desert Mountain, Scottsdale

On the exterior, a series of public and private courts with native plantings respects the fragile desert eco-system. From the street, the home has a modest scale. It then steps down with the slope of the lot, so the interior spaces feel much larger. Generous roof overhangs provide shelter to the glass-enclosed living spaces from the harsh desert sun.

Entry with a wood-paneled wall and wood block floor opening into the living room

Above: At the entry, a wood-paneled wall and wood block floors lead into the open living spaces.

Glass pavilions with Sonoran Desert views

The original homeowners wanted a simple, minimalist residence with plenty of wall space for their art collection. They also asked for outdoor living spaces and a pool. Lake Flato designed the living and dining rooms as glass pavilions set into the desert. These rooms feature 14-foot ceilings, oak ceilings, and floors of polished concrete and mesquite hardwood. In the living room, a corner fireplace sits right where two glass walls meet.

Living room with a curved sofa, an oak ceiling with steel beams and a glass wall to the courtyard

Above: Oak ceilings with exposed steel beams run the length of the living room, while a wall of glass looks out to the courtyard.

Kitchen with wood cabinets, a stone waterfall island with black bar stools and a window backsplash

Above: The kitchen pairs wood cabinetry with a stone waterfall island, and a strip window along the backsplash frames the desert.

What We Love About This Home

This Sonoran Desert home offers a fabulous indoor/outdoor connection to create a feeling of spaciousness while highlighting the surrounding views. Expansive outdoor living spaces and an incredible infinity pool connect to the landscape while providing areas for entertaining. We are especially loving the intimacy of the sunken patio. Its large fire pit provides warmth and ambiance for a desert winter night.

Tell Us: What do you think of this modern desert home in Scottsdale, any details you would have done differently? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Have a look at a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign in Scottsdale, Arizona: This stunning contemporary home provides an oasis in the Sonoran Desert and Tour a brilliant modern home for a retired couple in the Sonoran Desert. Be sure to check out the “Related” tags below for more Lake Flato Architects home tours.

Galley kitchen with a stainless steel range, wood cabinets and a stone-topped island with a double sink

Kitchen at dusk with wood cabinets, a stone waterfall island and three black bar stools

Dining area at dusk with a stone-topped table and gray swivel chairs beside the kitchen island

Dining area with a large pivoting glass door open to the courtyard

Above: Massive pivoting doors open up to take advantage of the seasonally temperate climate.

Dining area with an oak ceiling and glass walls overlooking the pool and distant mountains

Above: Warm oak overhead balances the cool concrete and glass in the dining room.

Outdoor living with an infinity pool

Infinity pool and spa with a weathered steel edge, saguaros and mountain views

Above: A steel-wrapped infinity-edge pool and spa draw the eye out toward the horizon.

Square spa set into the pool deck, with steps leading up to the glass and steel house

Dining area with blue chairs and glass doors open to the pool terrace and mountains

Open living room, kitchen and dining area under an oak ceiling with exposed steel beams

Above: The living room, kitchen and dining area share one open space, with a curved sofa, a kitchen island lined with bar stools, and a round dining table. Exposed steel beams run across the oak ceiling overhead.

Dining area at night with a pivot door open to the lit infinity pool

Courtyards and patios open to the desert

Glass living pavilion at dusk with open pivot doors and a lounge chair on the terrace

Pool terrace at dusk with a lounge chair, saguaros and distant mountains

Sunken patio with woven chairs around a steel fire pit and steel steps lined with firewood

Above: The sunken patio centers on a weathered steel fire pit, with firewood stacked beneath the steel steps.

Steel fire pit on a stone patio with woven chairs, cacti and stucco walls

A palette of raw weathered steel and earth-colored stucco ground this house to the indigenous landscape.

Shaded patio with a double lounge chair and rain chain beside the glass living room

Infinity pool and spa overlooking the golf course, saguaros and distant mountains

Above: Jack Nicklaus designed the Geronimo Golf Course, which runs along the edge of the Tonto National Forest. From the home, the views stretch out toward the desert and distant mountains.

Living and dining spaces with mountain views

Dining room with wood-paneled walls, a long wood table and a low window framing barrel cactus

Above: A second dining room pairs wood-paneled walls with a long wood table, while a low window frames a bed of barrel cactus.

Dining room at dusk with wood-paneled walls, tall windows and yellow and white chairs

Living room with red lounge chairs, a tree-slice coffee table and end-grain wood floors

Above: In the living room, red lounge chairs and a tree-slice coffee table sit on end-grain wood block floors.

Living room with a yellow coffee table, white sofa and tall glass walls facing the desert

Living room at dusk with a yellow coffee table and floor-to-ceiling windows to the desert

Private bedroom retreats

The owner’s bedroom opens to its own private courtyard. The two guest bedrooms sit apart from the main house, and shaded walkways link them together.

Bedroom with a large window and glass door opening to a terrace with desert views

Above: A floor-to-ceiling window and glass door open this bedroom to a private terrace with desert views.

Bedroom with a built-in wood media wall and a tall window looking out to the desert

Bedroom at dusk with framed prints above the bed and a large window to the terrace

Bathroom with a glass walk-in shower in gray stone and a wood vanity

Built-in desk with a white chair below a window looking out to the desert

Bedroom with a glass wall opening to a courtyard with cacti, boulders and orange chairs

Above: Another bedroom opens to a private courtyard filled with cacti and boulders.

Bedroom with built-in wood shelves, a desk and a corner window framing saguaros

Bedroom at dusk with built-in shelves, framed prints and a corner window to the desert

Water closet with wood-paneled walls and a frosted glass partition

Small courtyard with agave, a stone floor and a steel planter wall

Bedroom with an orange patterned headboard and a glass wall to the cactus courtyard

Bathroom with a white stone vanity and a shower lined in slate tile

Soaking tub with a slate tile surround and a small window

Exterior views of this Scottsdale desert home

Bedroom seen through glass at dusk beside a walkway with a steel slat canopy

Above: A shaded walkway with a steel slat canopy runs past one of the bedrooms.

Infinity pool and lit spa at dusk with saguaros and mountains beyond

Infinity pool beside an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill at dusk

Just off the pool terrace sits an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill.

Rear of the house at dusk with deep roof overhangs, a fire pit patio and a steel-wrapped pool

Above: Deep roof overhangs extend past the glass walls, while the pool’s weathered steel edge rises above the desert landscape.

Street view of the home behind a low concrete wall with saguaros and desert plants

From the street, a low concrete wall and native desert plantings keep the home’s profile modest.

Glass and steel home seen from the Geronimo Golf Course, set among saguaros and boulders

Above: Seen from the Geronimo Golf Course, the home sits low among saguaros and boulders.

Floor plan of this modern desert home

Floor plan of the Scottsdale desert home by Lake Flato Architects

Above: The floor plan shows the two guest bedroom wings set apart from the main house, with the pool extending out toward the view.

PHOTOGRAPHER Timmerman Photography

Impressive glass and steel house in Scottsdale immersed in the Sonoran Desert