Intrinsic Connections – Desert Palisades by Woods + Dangaran

Positioned on a hillside looking over Palm Springs, Desert Palisades by Woods + Dangaran is a family home intended to introduce an intentional style of modernism to the desert. Constructed with materials and textures that converse with the landscape, the structure does not take away from the surrounds but instead becomes part of it.

Paying homage to the nearby San Jacinto Mountain, Desert Palisades enables its owners to experience the home’s distinctive form and location without disruption. In line with the base of the mountain, the house encompasses views of Palm Springs whilst also allowing the owners to place themselves amid the rocky landscape. However, recognising the authority the structure holds, Woods + Dangaran worked with responsibility to make sure the home feels timeless and fits into the desert landscape.

In line with the base of the mountain, the house encompasses views of Palm Springs whilst also allowing the owners to place themselves amid the rocky landscape.

Like a natural procession, the home begins to unfold from the pool and into the pavilions that showcase the intended connection between the natural and man-made. However, it is from the materials of the building that this connection is wholly felt. With the base made up of a concrete masonry unit, the support walls and ends of the pavilions are formed with burnished natural grey CMU blocks that appear as if they come right out of the soil. Additionally, understanding that the design of the home needs to account for the desert environment, Woods + Dangaran have encased it in brass, which sees minimal expansion under the desert heat and can patina over time.

Plaster is employed throughout the interior of the home to add depth, warmth, and a textural quality that speaks back to the natural landscape. Additionally, the use of travertine across countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms, and flooring throughout the interior and exterior, reemphasises the residence’s timeless quality. Tones of green and brown are also used to continue the dialogue between the natural rocky landscape of the property and the man-made environment – a connection further enforced using expansive glass panes.

Like a natural procession, the home begins to unfold from the pool and into the pavilions that showcase the intended connection between the natural and man-made.

Designed to disappear into the landscape, Desert Palisades offers a mode of living where the occupants can immerse themselves within a usually harsh landscape. Along with a fine curation of lighting, material and colour choices, Woods + Dangaran have initiated the conversation between the rugged outdoors and the security of home spaces.