Garcia Residence is a large modern home completed by Ibarra Rosano Design Architects. The house sits on a steep slope in the northern foothills of the Tucson Mountains, with breathtaking views of the city and the surrounding mountains. The architects' challenge was to create a home that seems to rise from the rocky desert hillside without dominating the landscape.
A solid modern stone house
The axis of the house was placed parallel to the site contours, creating three narrow bays terraced around the hill and keeping excavation to a minimum. The terraced platforms contain the home's three main zones. The entry gallery invites visitors into the living room with kitchen and dining area on the lower level, while connecting to the bedrooms upstairs.
Garcia Residence – modern house from afar
Excellent city views led the architects to break the axis of the house and turn the windows toward the lights of Tucson and the Catalina Mountains to the northeast. To bring southern sun into the living spaces, the bedrooms were separated, creating a small courtyard with views up the ridge. The material palette – sandblasted block, steel, birch wood and concrete – is simple, robust and suited to the desert climate. The architects believe that good design can create extraordinary space from common materials.
Environment and hillside
Luis Ibarra and Teresa Rosano are connected with the University of Arizona School of Architecture and founded the Ibarra Rosano Design Architects architectural firm in 1999. Since then, the firm has gained recognition for modern desert architecture in Arizona and beyond. Their work is known internationally and has received numerous regional and national design awards.
From interior design to industrial design inspiration 
Exposed pipes
Floor-to-ceiling windows for a full view
Sandblasted stone material
miranda_shida
Anna Lohan
Peter Dark
