Red Rocks Residence by The Ranch Mine in Phoenix, Arizona

Project: Red Rocks Residence
Architects: The Ranch Mine
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Area: 4,491 sq ft
Photographs by: Roehner + Ryan

Red Rocks Residence by The Ranch Mine

The Ranch Mine is an Arizona-based company led by Cavin and Claire Costello, husband and wife. Their design of the Red Rocks residence has placed them in our spotlight and we want to showcase their transformation of an old Spanish Colonial Revival style house into a contemporary home that is nestled against Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.
The owners of this residence didn’t want the “enclosed” look that limited the views and sunlight access, so the first thing the architects did was to strip the building of all the additional design features that gave it the characteristic look. From then on, they began working on their own design.

When the homeowners approached us to redesign their mountainside home, they were frustrated that the Spanish Colonial Revival style of this home was limiting the potential of the site.
The 1st move to fix this was to strip back the additive design features, leaving a simple, 2 story stucco box. Inside we rearranged the floor plan to prioritize the connection between the living spaces and the primary views.
An additional ensuite bedroom was added via a 2nd story addition clad in limestone, cantilevering it out over the mountain to preserve the most amount of outdoor living area.

Over 2000 square feet of shaded exterior patios were created, extending the living of the house in every direction and providing shade for the interior spaces.
The south facing 2nd floor patio features bi-folding custom steel screens that help shield the deck from the harsh desert sun but can be folded aside at dusk to take in the Arizona sunsets.
On the interior a fairly neutral palette of walnut and white cabinetry with quartz counters and marble tile were used throughout to keep the red rocks as the star material.

–The Ranch Mine