The Stone House at Pine

The residence, built primarily as a summer escape from the Sonoran desert heat, truly grows harmoniously and naturally from the site. The essential character of the design was influenced by the early buildings of the National Parks, and, as is the case in National Park buildings, all stone came from site excavation and clearly reads as a structural element, not as a veneer. Attention to southern and northern exposures, resulting site preservation, and energy requirements determined design choices. On southern exposures, heavily insulated, wooden walls mitigate summer heat gain; the stone wall mass on the northern exposure slowly releases cooling during daytime hours. The home’s interior continues the organic, traditional theme established by natural exterior features to create simple and honest finishes. The stacked-on- stone, thick, traditional foundation tapers on the interior walls to a thickness of 20” at the ceilings, recalling the early 1900’s character. All exposed posts and beams are structural, while exposed joist tails reveal the simple stick-framing and durability. Ultimately, the symbiosis of stone, wood, and steel reflects a structure rooted to its site.