Bunting Residence, Sonoita, Arizona

Sonoita, Arizona was selected by Wade and Alison Bunting, because of its astronomical advantages.  The site is situated south of Tucson, below Kitt Peak and its world renowned observatories. The owners are serious amateur astronomers, now retired from their previous careers.  There were many other considerations taken in the sites selection, including its remarkable climate.  Sonoita is at a higher elevation than Tucson below it, and therefore enjoys a more temperate climate.  We were asked to design a single level home with clear reference to the architecture of southwest, while maintaining a modern point of reference.  The result is a home organized around a central gallery with alternating rooms and courts.  This provides for interior and exterior areas to be intermingled, and protect the courts from the daily breezes, and produce significant shaded areas to moderate the summer heat.