Nothing says Palm Springs more than the desert views, glazed expanses, striking cantilever and low-rise, linear forms of this steel and concrete Guardhouse in the city’s Desert Palisades neighbourhood. Designed by California’s prolific contemporary architect Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D, this bold structure was conceived as a gateway to the Desert Palisades residential development.
Lockyer wanted the structure to reflect the calibre of the homes intended to be built there and aimed to balance his design with the raw and rugged terrain around them. This way, the Guardhouse connects with ease with both the built environment, and the desert.
A big part of the structure is clad in weathered steel. Photography: Lance Gerber
A boulder on site was a key reference in the design, the roof nodding to it but not quite physically touching it, symbolising in a neat and legible way this dialogue between the natural and the manmade.
‘The materials used for the exterior and interior of the Guardhouse were methodically chosen to not only represent strength and durability, but to also complement the surrounding Palm Springs desert hillside.
The exterior materials – steel, board-formed concrete, and wood – flow into the interior separated by frameless glass, allowing for a seamless indoor outdoor aesthetic’, say the architects.
Sitting on the slopes of a hillside just on the edges of town, the Guardhouse offers long views of the Coachella Valley city, which is known for its unique constellation of modernist buildings; a heritage that is celebrated extensively during this month’s Palm Springs Modernism Week and the popular Palm Springs Modernism Tours. §
The Desert Palisades Guardhouse was featured as the location for the March 2019 (W*240) fashion shoot by Joachim Mueller Ruchholtz
