54 DIGS.NET
| 10.30.2020
P R O F I L E | T U B A C H O U S E
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he integration of architecture and nature
drives architect Rick Joy, a native of
Maine whose eponymous practice in
Tucson, Arizona is admired throughout the world
for its diverse oeuvre of emotive, painstaking
and often experiential works. Many of these
are in dramatic high-desert settings, from the
striking resort Amangiri, set amid the ethereal
rock formations of Utah, to a series of acutely
atmospheric residences in Southern Arizona,
including the Tubac House.
Even by Studio Rick Joy standards, Tubac
House is of uncommon stature. Located
South of Tucson, roughly 25 miles from the
northern Mexico border, the project exploits
and explores a relationship to worlds both
immediate and distant; it's allied to the land
yet has a celestial connection to the heavens
to which it sits in observation, as well as to
a host of natural phenomena from intense
rainstorms to vivid lightning displays. Oriented
to capture views of these events, along with
three mountain ranges and a range of wildlife
that is out and traversing the land, the liberally
windowed Tubac House coalesces form,
feeling and a heightened sensitivity to the
environment of which it is part.
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) TUBAC HOUSE IS AN
EXPERIENTIAL WORK IMMERSED IN NATURE; LARGE
WINDOWS HELP MELD INDOORS AND OUT; CONCRETE
AND 24-GAUGE CUSTOM WEATHERED STEEL ARE
PRIMARY EXTERIOR MATERIALS; GEOMETRY IS A
DEFINING FEATURE OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
Sited into the side of a hill, the residence is
ordered in two orthogonal, shed-like structures:
the 2,500-square-foot family wing and a
1,500-square-foot two-bedroom guesthouse
with garage and workshop, united by an entry
stair and modest courtyard that one comes
to via a gravel path and cactus garden. It's a
desert oasis in miniature, appointed with dark
shaded spots, water features and flowers,
birdsong and sage. "The courtyard provides
relief from the overwhelmingly expansive
setting while the two buildings frame a
cropped view of Tumacacaori peak—the
client's favorite," notes the studio. A negative
