Harnessing Arid Land With Amazing Desert Homes

The arid desert isn’t your typical landscape for a white picket fence, but these aren’t your typical family homes. These magnificent examples of modern architecture carve something special into these wide and wild landscapes, something that transforms the desolate and inhospitable country into a place that dreams are made of. Check out this series of four exceptional home tours that feature blissful outdoor pools to wash away the desert dust, and unique interiors that will wow. Would you choose an embedded mansion amongst the tent rock, a linear LA abode with cacti laden terraces, an arcing lair of elegance in the wilderness, or a brutalist feat of desert architecture?

Visualizer: Bartosz Domiczek

Tucked into the bedrock among striking tent rock formations, Hoodoo House is a mysterious arrangement of embedded volumes and protruding white vents.

The towering white vents communicate a sleek translation of the surrounding geology. They also serve a practical purpose in bringing diffused light into the deeply recessed rooms.

A spectacular pool stretches away from the Hoodoo House, carving a man-made crystal blue river through the red rocky desert. The shaded pool valley supports natural circulation of cooled air to the home.

Inside, a modular sofa continues the cool blue meets rocky red contrast, with a blue toned modular sofa and protruding rock face feature walls. Light shafts square up along the length of the room to increase the influx of natural daylight.

Blue pools permeate the interior of the house to counteract the dry desert ambiance.

A small waterfall rushes down into one of the pools, creating a refreshing soundtrack for the home.

The unique front door of the home has been erected in a minimalist interpretation of the tent rock formations.

Glowing lights add intrigue and mystery around the entryway, which continues within the home.

Home layout and side elevation.

Architect: Studio AR&D Architects Visualizer: Hālō Studio

Our next luxury home is a linear stretch of modern architecture, situated in the hot LA climate. A landscape of cacti and rock brings the desert to its doors.

Large sheets of glass break up the home’s boxy volumes, breaking open interior spaces to magnificent mountainous views.

The L-shaped structure wraps a stepped terrace, which descends toward a two car garage.

Rich wood grain cocoons the luxurious home interior, which is furnished with shades of grey and tonal brown accents. An Oda floor lamp adds a designer touch by the large sectional sofa.

As is typical in Los Angeles, much of the entertaining is done outdoors. Expansive interior spaces open up to connect the two living zones.

The outdoor living areas spill onto the pool terrace, where family and friends can take a dip to cool down from the blazing sun.

An outdoor bar/dining table is situated poolside, perfect for a spot of R&R with an iced drink in hand.

When approaching the outdoor dining table from the raised patio off the house, a seat pad and scattered floor cushions create a relaxed aesthetic.

The dining table cantilevers over the bench seat and modern chairs.

An outdoor lounge area sits snug in the space behind the al fresco dining spot.

A built-in planter of cactuses adds a touch of desert chic to the table.

Stacked bowls add a rustic decoration to the stylish outdoor coffee table, which complements solid wood lounge chairs.

If the sun gets too much for outdoor recreation, a shaded kitchen awaits with open arms and a huge kitchen island for dining.

The kitchen’s stunning timber ceiling is extended across the architectural overhang.

Rustic wooden stools skip the indoor-outdoor boundary.

The rich ceiling feature continues on into the bedrooms in one cohesive sweep.

Dual aspect windows dissolve the corner of the master bedroom, making it one with layered desert landscaping.

A dipped sun terrace scoops up the pool’s blue waters.

The feature creates a cooling path of shallows across the patio.

Modern concrete crashes into natural rock to create textural contrast.

Desert plants have been bedded around the borders to feather the home’s harsh linear edges.

A cast concrete rocking chair adds a cool feature to the bedroom patio.

The clean cut swimming pool mirrors the clear sky.

Visualizer: Atelier Monolit

Our third tour takes place under glorious arches, a form that silently instills a hushed spiritual atmosphere. A round rug, coffee table and circular wall art echo the architecture’s curvature.

A round pedestal dining table confidently carries the shape theme amid contemporary green dining chairs.

A clustered dining room chandelier bursts over the table, framed by the view.

On the terrace, an angular outdoor chaise lounge counteracts a curvaceous pool design, and connects with the hot desert sands. A small lounge area is positioned close enough to the water’s edge to dip a toe.

Visualizer: Deniz Taylan

Our last featured home is a crisp concrete creation with an elegant pool terrace. Modern outdoor furniture makes comfortable exterior living spaces around the deck.

The brutalist house exterior is formed as one teetering volume over another, ending in opposing acute and obtuse angles.

The desert lines up obediently along the entry pathway, delicately framing the front entrance door.

The upper volume overhangs the backward sloping ground floor windows to afford them some shade without encroaching too far onto the spectacular view. Side windows slice along the length of both the living spaces and the bedrooms module to drink in the desert panorama.