Situated at the first uplift of the Catalina Foothills in Tucson, this residence for Rob Paulus and his family reaches up and out to capture impressive mountain and desert wash views while providing a clear counterpoint to the curvy site. Although over an acre in size, the small build-able portion of the site informed the design concept to float over the wash, freeing up the remaining area for a pool and guest house while preserving a majority of the natural landscape.

The main residence is zoned into a central living area with private rooms relegated to the ends; with an unrestricted view to the north and specific framed views to the south. Blue Venetian plaster cubes, containing storage and bath, clearly separate public from private areas. A steel frame with Veirendeel trusses cantilevers each direction to form the rectangular volume that sits upon a partially depressed concrete cube. This lower form houses storage against two walls and provides a space for music that spills out onto a patio area covered by the floating bedroom wing above. The guest house to the north completes the layout and reverses its primary view back to the city lights.

The R+R residence is a clear study in maximizing a site with structural ingenuity while maintaining as much natural area as possible.

location
Tucson, Arizona

client/owner
Randi Dorman + Rob Paulus

contractor
Randi Dorman + Rob Paulus

area
3,000 sf