- Architecture & development
Desert Palisades Guardhouse
Photography
Lance Gerber
Situated in the Coachella Valley, California surrounded by the rough, brown landscape of the Chino Canyon, we find Desert Palisades: modern residences with stunning views of the surrounding desert with the Guardhouse as a leading design. The sustainable and timeless materials compliment the surroundings.
This Palisades Guardhouse was designed by the Los Angeles-based Studio AR&D Architects. They created a dynamic dialogue between natural and artificial elements in a mid-century modern style. This building was intended as a 'gateway' to the residential development Desert Palisades. It should therefore reflect the calibre of the houses to be built here, while complementing the rough and rugged terrain. 
A dynamic dialogue between natural and man-made elements
The house is made of steel that has been naturally rusted. The colour matches the natural and earthy colour palette of the environment, but the rectangular geometry stands out among the organic forms of the landscape. The house is also in direct dialogue with the Canyon due to the gigantic rock that seems to support the roof above the driveway. They just don't touch each other. "It is a conversation composition that brings together the natural and the man-made in a poetic tension.” Further around the house, they worked with boulders and rocks too as well as desert flora. These rough textures fit perfectly with the rusted structure of the Guardhouse. You will also find, like steel, sustainable materials such as concrete and wood as finishes on the outside. 
The interior is more refined. The architects opted for a mid-century palette that evokes Desert Modernism, a style that flourished in Palm Springs in the forties and fifties. The finishes inside are more polished than outside, but still based on natural materials such as wood and cement so that here too the link to nature and the landscape is made. From the rooms you have a nice view of the surroundings through the large windows and you can enjoy the beautiful desert without being bothered by the hot and blinding sun. 
All Images Courtesy of Studio AR&D Architects, photography by Lance Gerber