A Desert Oasis by Charles F Johnson

by Michael Satterfield – 12/12/2021

In my travels, I get to visit some amazing homes and on a recent trip to Scottsdale, Arizona I had the opportunity to tour a Southwestern masterpiece by New Mexican architect Charles F. Johnson. The home is built into and around the natural landscape, including a large boulder in the living room from which a large built-in sofa springs forth. The entire room draws your eye up to the large skylight ringed by an ornate wooden ceiling. 

Johnson was known for building homes around large boulders, another property in Scottsdale simply known as “Boulder House” was completed in 1983. Boulder House is on the National Registry of Historic Places and Johnson would go on to be named one of the 100 best designers in the world by Architectural Digest. His work in the Southwest was the antithesis of Desert Modern architects like Albert Frey who designed buildings that stood in stark contrast to their environment, as opposed to blending into the desert-scape organically. 

All my residences are organic sculptures–architectural extensions of nature–and this gives them naturalness. They are soft, inviting, and look like the perfect design for that land. They are sophisticated in a very low-key way. .. Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and John Lautner, have influenced my work.

Johnson, Charles F., Architectural Digest, August 1991

The 11,560 square foot home is situated atop a fifteen-acre hilltop overlooking the North East Valley. property features large areas for entertaining as well as private areas for relaxation. City light views, disappearing doors, infinity pool, spa, multiple patios, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and separate guest casitas make the home the perfect winter escape to host friends and family.

It is always an experience to tour a home designed by a world-renowned architect where the home is as important as the art collection inside it. The home is currently off the market but last sold for $3,500,000 in January of 2021