Polaroid House

The Polaroid House is a small, off-grid vacation home for a chemistry professor and his partner from Minnesota. Located on a 40-acre site in the Chiricahua Desert 170 miles west of Tucson, Arizona, the property is framed by the Chiricahua Peak to the east and the Withmire Canyon Wilderness Area to the west.

One of the main design considerations was to frame the incredible views on the property while giving the owner the feeling to be immersed in the desert even when they are inside the house.

After a careful on-site analysis we identified the ideal location and orientation of the house to take full advantage of the main views and developed what we called the Polaroid Scheme (referencing the framing of the views and the building shape) consisting of two connected units that each open to opposing sites to frame views of both mountain ranges.

In addition, we raised the building on a concrete plinth, which seems to emerge out of the desert landscape while providing a deck that connects the two units. Overlooking the scenery, the deck is also a transition zone between the surrounding site and the building and an important element in its composition. By raising the building, the user gets the impression to float over, yet to be completely immersed in the desert landscape.

Due to its remote location, the home is completely independent from traditional public amenities and services, providing its own septic system, water and solar power.