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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,
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
