The dwelling is best described as an “off-the-grid capable, Bauhaus-inspired, desert-adapted, modern yet approachable lake house made for indoor/outdoor living".
The project team began with a simple yet powerful move of creating an unbroken walkway leading directly from the street, through the front courtyard, into and through the house, and down to the boat house.
This compositional element emphasizes homeowners’ main priorities, waterskiing and paddle boarding, drawing them and visitors to the lake upon arrival.
In the first part of the program, the walkway passes are the garages, splitting them into two. One garage provides parking and electric charging for the cars.
Combined with a well and septic system, this allows the house to be completely off the grid, although it is hooked up to the utility provider to earn money with the excess power it creates.
The courtyard was created to provide an outdoor living space protected from the occasional harsh desert wind, a place where the homeowners could soak in the morning sun or escape it in the hot afternoon.