Hall Residence
This mid-century Ranch style home on a large flat corner lot in Palm Desert, CA was in dire need of updating. The new Owners from Seattle envisioned the structure as a winter time retreat that would ultimately become their retirement home.
The existing structure is composed of four interconnected wings arrayed at angles around a courtyard with that features a pool at the rear of the lot. A continuous row of mature citrus trees along the rear property lines help define the court and provide a sense of privacy.
The intent was to keep the original plan configuration and low horizontal scale of the project intact but to improve the indoor/outdoor connection to the pool and terrace at the rear. In addition, the Owner wanted a form of structured protection from the hot afternoon sun of the desert environment on these southern and southwestern exposures to better enjoy the outdoor experience.
The design addressed these issues by opening up the entire façade facing the rear yard with a series of floor to ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. A deep continuous Loggia was added to the entire rear of the structure to protect these openings from the desert sun and to provide covered outdoor entertainment areas. Other building improvements include an expanded and reconfigured Master Bathroom that discretely engages the rear yard, the relocation and renewal of the Kitchen which takes the place of the formal and little used Dining Room, the addition of a Family Room adjacent to the Kitchen, the reconfiguration of the Powder Room and the expansion and rededication of the narrow Sun Room adjacent to the Living Room which is intended to be repurposed as a Sitting Area and Study.
The design also envisions a complete redesign of the rear Landscape area to create a more engaging and appealing environment for the home to open up to. This would include the reconfiguration of the very deep existing Pool to decrease its volume and depth by adding shallow lounging areas at each end, adding a raised podium spa which physically engages the pool and is connected to it by a spillway, reconfiguration of the entire terrace area surrounding the pool and adjoining the Loggia’s, addition of a built-in BBQ area and sunken fire-pit, addition of a new pool/spa equipment coral that incorporates a reflecting pool and new landscaping throughout.
The Loggia’s have parapets that have been extended vertically for proportional considerations in addition their height serves to conceal new roof top mounted mechanical units, related ductwork and new roof mounted photo voltaic arrays. Numerous Skylights have been strategically added to the Roof to provide natural light to the Entry, Bathroom and Dressing Rooms.
The exterior material pallet is comprised of stucco and stone veneer in earthen tones that help integrate the Project into the desert Landscape. Sheet metal roofing is intended to replace the existing tile shingles in an effort to give the project a more contemporary appeal.
Design completed 2011.
