Hillview Cove Residence by Studio AR&D Architects

Hillview Cove Residence by Studio AR&D Architects is a striking reinterpretation of desert modernism and the perfect repository for its owner’s impressive art collection.

Occasionally, an architectural decision can have an unexpected – and grander – flow-on effect. That was certainly the case with Hillview Cove Residence, a striking modernist home in the heartland of American modernism, California’s Palm Springs. To avoid blocking a neighbour’s view, architect Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D Architects opted to lower the ceiling height of the cavernous home, which clocks in at about 668 square metres. “What began as an idea that we thought would benefit the neighbours to the east developed into something that had a calming sense on the main volume and also forced a better relationship between the landscape and architecture,” says Lockyer. “The project looks a lot sleeker because of the common lower roof plan, as well. We all look back on this decision with a certain fondness for how it came to be and the dividends it has paid for the project.”

“The materials were chosen for their ability to create a feeling of cosiness and to soothe the senses,” says Lockyer.

The low-slung roof also helps to create a sense of intimacy in the home, essential for such a vast space. Its spaciousness is also tempered by the natural light that streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows and a material palette that evokes warmth and connectedness. “The materials were chosen for their ability to create a feeling of cosiness and to soothe the senses,” says Lockyer. “The house feels large when you’re in it, that’s true, but it doesn’t overwhelm or feel cold. The Douglas fir ceilings, the texture and colour of the concrete and the texture of the timber, leather, goat skin and natural stone work together to create a feeling of warmth and soul.”

Interestingly, the owner, Marc Walters, was strongly opposed to both concrete and terrazzo, feeling they were too cold. But Lockyer persisted, and now both are integral, with the dark grey terrazzo grounding the home and the mostly board-formed concrete creating dramatic statement walls throughout. The latter is a key material for Lockyer. “Board-formed concrete is a favourite of ours in the desert environment. It has the durability and maintenance-free characteristics that we need in this harsh climate. And by using a board form to create the walls, we get a very organic appearance. They’re not perfect and we don’t want them to be. I think we tend to celebrate some of the imperfections or ‘mistakes’ more than most architects do.”

“I think this is something our firm does well – documenting and curating the existing art collection of our clients and then providing new spaces for new work.”

Hillview Cove Residence isn’t complex in its layout; it’s essentially two wings comprising guest quarters and a primary suite with a central living space. What elevates the home is not just Studio AR&D Architects’ choice of earthy materiality but the refined curation of furniture and the owner’s impressive art collection, which adorns spaces large and small, from entire walls to bookcase shelves. Stand-out pieces include a dramatic red triptych by Ko Kirk Yamahira in the living room and a fringed work by Ali Silverstein, which provides the backdrop to the suspended timber bed in the main bedroom. Lockyer considered how the art was incorporated in the home. “We are aware of each piece of art throughout the design and construction process. I think this is something our firm does well – documenting and curating the existing art collection of our clients and then providing new spaces for new work.”

To embrace Palm Springs’ enviable climate – some 300 days of sunshine annually – almost every space connects to the outdoors. An extended roofline on the home’s western-facing aspect is not only practical, offering respite from all of that sunshine, but visually striking. “We wanted the long, continuous plane of the outdoor roof to create a dramatic line extending along the exterior. There is a very dramatic effect created when you view the outdoor space from north to south or vice versa. Also, the eave line along the west elevation has a very clean, continuous appearance by having just a singular eave line.”

Studio AR&D Architects has created a dwelling that is grounded in its locale as a contemporary descendant of desert modernism.

Central to the outdoors is a shimmering, black mirror-like pool that serves to reflect the mountains, the landscaping and the architecture. It was a shared vision between Studio AR&D Architects, interior designer Sam Cardella and landscape designer, the late Marcello Villano. “We wanted the pool to be a work of art in itself, so we decided to make all the surfaces dark so that the object became the focus,” says Lockyer. “Black granite was chosen for its durability and to enable the reflective quality of the water to enhance and extend the landscape.”

It’s one stand-out moment in a house that overflows with similarly elevated moments. Studio AR&D Architects has created a dwelling that is grounded in its locale as a contemporary descendant of desert modernism – pioneered by the likes of Richard Neutra and Donald Wexler – where “the interior and exterior spaces not only read as one but are experienced as one”.

Architecture by Studio AR&D Architects. Interior design by Cardella Design. Build by Qualcon. Landscape design by Marcello Villano.