Vision and Site

Architect’s location-specific design draws the desert mountains indoors.

Views, views everywhere – and plenty of fresh desert air. That was architect Mark Sever’s recipe for making an indoor-outdoor living masterpiece in north Scottsdale, Arizona.

Categories

Residential
Classic Line
Series 600
Series 670
Series 980
Windows
Pivot door
Sliding glass door
Multi-slide door

Location

Scottsdale
Arizona

To capitalize on the desert landscape, architect Mark Sever went big with glass, incorporating floor-to-ceiling sliding patio doors

“Arizona’s environment is completely unique to the rest of the world,” says Sever, principal of Sever Design Group. “It’s a desert climate, so nine months out of the year, it’s spectacular. You really let the weather live around your lifestyle.” To capitalize on the distinct desert landscape and create seamless indoor-outdoor connections, Sever went big with glass, incorporating floor-to-ceiling sliding patio doors, multi-slide doors, a pivot door, and vast expanses of windows into his design.

“I like to specify lots of glass… every space has a view

- Mark Sever,

Sever Design Group

Much of the home’s interior can be seen through the moving walls of glass in the back.

“I like to specify lots of glass,” Sever says. He turned to Western Window Systems for the most striking solutions. “Western Window Systems has been able to create massive walls of glass with minimal vertical interruption.”

Sever outfitted nearly every area of the house with massive glass, including the front entrance. “As you walk through this house, you’ll find that it’s only about one room wide,” Sever says. “Every space has a view—it’s not just a view to the backyard. Most of the spaces have backyard and front yard views, and incredible views into the courtyard, too.”

Another trick with site-specific design for a desert home relies on protection from the region’s notorious heat. Sever managed to use a gratuitous amount of glass while still shielding the space from the sun. “I designed [this home] around the site’s sun angles,” he says, “So, in the summer, I’m in the shade by 9:30 in the morning and the glass never sees direct sunlight again, all day long.”

A glass pivot door provides a dramatic entrance into the home.

Every room in the house has a view through massive glass.

In addition to harnessing desert views while building around the site’s solar patterns, Sever was able to give almost every room in the house a strong indoor-outdoor connection through floor-to-ceiling glass.

“I spend a lot of time outdoors. A lot of my clients like to spend time outdoors,” Sever says. And with Western Window Systems products, “Every room in this house wants to welcome the outdoors in.”

“In the summer, I’m in the shade by 9:30 in the morning and the glass never sees direct sunlight again, all day long.”