Sustainable Design Elements of Desert House by Marmol Radziner

- Thursday, October 11th 2012.

Desert House by Marmol Radziner is located on a five-acre site in Desert Hot Springs, California. Designed for an active couple as a vacation home, Hidden Valley celebrates nature in its careful sitting, emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, and integration of sustainable design elements. The house is oriented to best capture views of San Jacinto peak and the surrounding mountains. Called a “hybrid” because the house combines prefab with site-built construction, the ground floor of the home includes two large rooms that are built into the foundation of the house.

Desert House by Marmol Radziner extends through the landscape with additional, covered outdoor living areas, which double the 2000 square foot interior spaces. The modules came fully finished with plumbing, electrical, and built-in casework and the kitchen module is complete with appliances already hardwired. Factory production also centralizes trades, which reduces vehicular emissions from travel to construction sites. The primary axis of the main house runs along a rock ledge, creating dramatic views out over the landscape.

The design of the Desert House by Marmol Radziner blends indoor and outdoor living spaces, with expansive decks, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open plan. The two-bedroom, two-bath structure is comprised of five interior modules and seven deck modules. The main approach winds around the solid, metal-clad side of the home, revealing the opening of the front entry deck with a broad view across the pool to a tall boulder formation. The modules were then shipped to the site on flatbed trucks and lifted on to the foundation with a crane.

Modular construction maximizes factory production, thereby minimizing construction waste due to precise cutting and the ability the reuse and recycle of excess materials. The modules were then bolted together and welded to the foundation to become a permanent structure. Desert houses can benefit from many features plenty of sunlight, beautiful design or the promise of blissful isolation

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