Dancing Light, Arizona-US

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Project Name: Dancing Light
Location: Paradise Valley, Arizona-US
Typology:  Residential
Architectural Group: Kendle Design Collaborative
Designer: Brent Kendle
Project Completion: 2016
Total Area: 5600 Sq.ft.
Image Courtesy: Alexander Vertikoff

Architecture AwardsAwards:

2018 gold nugget winner Best indoor and outdoor lifestyle for a custom home

2018 gold nugget merit winner 4000 to 8000 sq ft.

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

[dropcap style=”flat”]D[/dropcap]esert form, indigenous materials, natural light, and mountain views inspire this home. Layered walls of rammed-earth, metal, concrete, and glass create a playful collection of organic forms within a natural desert setting while visually articulating the various functions within.




The signature feature of this home is its floating roof canopy, the underside of which is comprised of tectonic-like forms inspired by local geology and monsoon cloud formations. More than just sculpture and protection from the elements, this canopy balances the owner’s desire for both grandeur and coziness, starting low within the interior living spaces and raising dramatically towards the 180-degree mountain view.

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

All lighting and mechanical devices are carefully concealed within the fissures of this feature allowing the form and materials to be the focus.

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Passive features include interior spaces arranged about a central outdoor atrium, allowing modulation of daylight and breeze to provide natural interior comfort.




Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Natural light brings this home to life, seeping in through carefully articulated crevices or reflecting off the strategically located pool, constantly transforming the mood of this home. At times water-reflected light dances across the fractured planes of earth and wood while at other times it provides a Zen-like sense of calm.

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative

Dancing Light, Arizona | Kendle Design Collaborative