Greer Residence
Palm Springs, Calif.
Kanner Architects

Like an oasis in a desolate terrain, this house beams with life and serenity

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above.

Rocky terrain, heat, strong winds, and tract homes bracket this arid Palms Springs plot, where the client wanted a modest, serene home, "a frame for nature." The resulting dwelling plays with sun and shadow, mass and weightlessness. "L" shaped in plan, section, and roofline, the house is built of poured-in-place trombe walls formed of sand-tinted concrete with white oak floors. Ceiling heights drop and textures change along the route from public to private space. The windows are recessed so as not to bake in the sun’s glare. Each deeply shaded room opens to uninterrupted views down to the valley floor or up the hill behind.

Glass walls die into sills set flush with floor and ceiling. More glass pivots to frame a bridge that spans the fountain-fed channel running the length of the house. In evening and in winter most of the glazing swivels on its center points to welcome the cooler air. The design pays homage to the thin glass line of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann house.

Stepped terraces inscribe order onto the barren ground. A right-angled pool skirts the glazed corner of the kitchen/dining room. The water wraps a vast boulder, echoing Albert Frey's own house in the hills nearby. The desert itself partners this dwelling, nowhere more than in the decomposed granite motor court. Ranks of olive trees track the drive. Cacti, wild grasses, ocotillos, aloes and agave compose the landscaping. Just as this house both nestles and floats, so its setting is at once rock and garden.

Formal name of building:
Greer Residence

Location:
Palm Springs, Calif.

Gross Square Footage:
3,200 sq. ft.

Total Construction Cost:
$800,000

Owner:
Bob & Patty Greer

Architect:
Kanner Architects
10924 Le Conte Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
T: 310-208-0028
F: 310-208-5756

Project Team:
Stephen H. Kanner, FAIA - Principal in charge of design
David Ellien - Project Designer
Klaus Anker - Project Architect

Consultant - Landscape:
Pamela Burton Associates

Renderer(s):
David Ellien, Kanner Architects

CAD system, project management, or other software used:
AcadR14, FormZ www.formz.com , Photoshop www.adobe.com