Tubac House Research

a) A house as an environmental filter

Main Points from research:

-Steel roof blends in with the harsh surrounding desert environment, allowing the building to make minimum impact visually on it’s surrounds, however also providing an oasis for the resident within it’s walls.

-Oriented to frame the clients favourite views of the surrounding landscape, highlighting the relationship between the inhabitant and the environment.

-Floor plan and layout dictated to by environmental conditions, such as breezes, views, sun mapping and other climatically related issues.

-Two U-Shaped retaining walls cut the house into the landscape, giving the impression the house belongs there – a part of the landscape.

Supporting Text:

"It is crucially important to Joy that his projects rest lightly upon, or within, the landscape"

http://www.arch.uiuc.edu/events/lectures/fa2006/11_01_06/

"Lying placidly in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona is a modest yet eye catching dwelling known as the Tubac House. Designed by Rick Joy, the Tubac House, constructed of untreated steel, sits among the cacti, sand and arid mountains like a discarded piece of rusted metal. However, upon further inspection, it becomes evident that the building is inarguably beautiful and serene in its raw form as material, geography and climate meld seamlessly under the hot sun and cool nights of the desert."

http://inventorspot.com/architecture_tubac_house

“Form follows location”

http://www.urbanzeitgeist.com/design/tubac_house_rick_joy.html

“The house’s weathered steel forms, like some rusted artifacts from a cowboy camp, are oriented to frame prime views.”

Desert Works – Rick Joy

Princeton Architectural Press

New York - 2002

b) A house as a container of human activities

Main Points from research:

-Oriented to frame the clients favourite views of the surrounding landscape, highlighting the relationship between the inhabitant and the environment.

-Contrasting materials from the inside to the outside (harsh outside and refined inside) providing comfort and tranquillity for the inhabitant within the relentless and unpredictability of the desert.

Supporting Text:

“The huge undivided glass walls flatten the landscape on the window surface and turn it into a monumental painting.”

http://coolboom.net/architecture/tubac-house-by-rick-joy/

“The coarsness of the rough steel exterior contrasts with the refinement of the interior palette of white plaster, stainless steel, maple, and translucent glass.”

“The two buildings frame a cropped view of the Tumacacaori Peak – the clients favourite view. A negative edge pool located to the west end of the courtyard extends this experience to this view.”

Desert Works – Rick Joy

Princeton Architectural Press

New York - 2002

c) A house a delightful experience

Main Points from research:

-Use of high-end man-made materials on the interior of the house provides juxtaposition to the landscape.

-Simple form – “Less is More” – The form does not overcomplicate anything.

-Human elements give a feeling of safety and belonging in a place which could otherwise seem incredibly hostile.

Supporting Text:

“Breaking from the style of his early homes that were built using rammed earth, he experiments with contemporary materials, steel, and glass, which resonate with the extreme desert climate and bold desert colors.”

http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Publishing-industry/Rick-Joys-Tubac-house-Desert-treasure-Mirco-Ilic.html

“From here, an oasis unfolds: cool dark shaded areas, the sound of water trickling, humming birds, the smell of sage and flowers, reflections. Planting arrangements and detailing assert a refined man-made character.”

Desert Works – Rick Joy

Princeton Architectural Press

New York - 2002