When Drewett Works was presented with a project in a highly sought-after neighborhood in Paradise Valley that featured overgrown landscaping and a poorly situated home, the architecture firm embraced the challenge.
“This was a very complex site and we had to wrestle with it a bit, but it yielded something really special and the architecture just revealed itself,” notes architect C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB.
The original structure was knocked down, and Drewett designed a spectacular residence that would incorporate views of the four prominent mountain ranges that could be seen from the lot, manage two nearby washes, and help abate the harsh summer sun.
Today, the new 5,458-square-foot custom contemporary masterpiece is dubbed “Razor’s Edge” in homage to the razor-like folding forms in its design. Those elements are as stunning as they are functional—they not only frame view corridors but protect the homeowners and outdoor living spaces from the intense desert sun.
Appearing to soar above the desert floor, defying gravity, those forms also contrast the stone massing elements that firmly ground the architecture to the unique site.
And those washes? The south wing of the house hovers above the Earth, which allows the rain to easily flow through, without impacting the home itself.
Clean lines and windows abound in the design, and a conservative, neutral-hued materials palette adds to its contemporary aesthetic.
“The whole form of the house is based on what I like to call a never-ending ribbon that wraps and folds and forms spaces and creates the architecture,” Drewett explains. “You can see it in the angular fascia and soffits that define the house.”
Razor’s Edge features four bedrooms, as well as an upper game loft that offers nearly 360-degree views through its windows and adjacent patios.
And—of course—the home was designed to offer incredible view corridors from every room.
