The film
A house on the Camelback north slope, from the first blast of caliche to the night the owners moved in. Shot monthly by the same cinematographer.
The practice
A narrow list, deliberately. Everything here is run by a partner, not delegated to a coordinator.
Ground-up homes on difficult desert sites — hillside, wash-adjacent, view-constrained. We build to the drawings, and when the drawings and the desert disagree we bring options, not excuses.
Reworking significant homes without erasing them. Structural reconfiguration, envelope and systems brought current, finishes restored or reinterpreted.
Small buildings held to the same standard as the main house. Often the first project a client trusts us with, and often the reason they come back.
In this climate the outdoor rooms are the house. Negative edges, shade structures, outdoor kitchens and the lighting that makes them work at night.
For clients still choosing a site or an architect, we consult on feasibility, budget reality and constructability before a line is drawn.
Standing
Portfolio
Four of the last nineteen. The rest are private, and we will show them to you in person.
A 9,400 square foot house cut into the hillside with 41 feet of grade change. Every room holds the valley view; nothing on the roof is visible from the street.
Four pavilions around a shaded courtyard, oriented so the great room never takes direct west sun. Rammed earth walls poured on site.
A 1962 estate reconfigured for a family of five while the owners stayed in the guest wing. New structure, new systems, original terrazzo saved.
A guest house, negative-edge pool and shade structure added to an existing estate without a single day of disruption to the main house.
Recognition
Awards matter less than the referral rate, but our architects like seeing them.
How it goes
Twenty-six months is a long time to be in someone’s life. This is how we keep it comfortable.
A partner walks the land with you and your architect. Sun, wind, grade, views, and what the site will refuse to do.
A constructability review of the drawings and a budget with real subcontractor pricing, not allowances.
Value decisions made deliberately with the architect in the room, before anything is ordered.
Site work, foundations and frame. Weekly walk with photographs, and a live schedule you can open any time.
Millwork, stone and the details that make the house. Mock-ups approved before anything is installed permanently.
A full home orientation, documented systems, and a dedicated line for two years afterwards.
Depth
Clarity about who does what is the difference between a calm build and a loud one.
Engagement
Three structures, chosen with you at the outset. All three are open-book — you see every subcontractor bid we receive.
Fixed fee$45k – $120k
Constructability, budget and schedule work before the drawings are finished.
2–5 months
Discuss an engagementTypically12% – 15%
Our standard structure for architect-led custom homes. Full transparency on every cost.
16–26 months
Discuss an engagementFee plusGMP
For clients who need a ceiling. Priced once the drawings are complete enough to mean it.
18–30 months
Discuss an engagementFees vary with scope, site difficulty and duration. We will give you a fee proposal after the first site visit, and it does not change unless the scope does.
Clients & architects
Architects and designers we build for
Questions
Ideally yes, and we are glad to introduce you to several whose work suits what you are describing. If you are earlier than that, our preconstruction engagement can run in parallel with choosing one.
New construction in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale currently runs $650 to $1,200 per square foot depending on site difficulty and finish level, before land and landscape. Hillside sites carry the most variability.
Because a partner is personally on every one of them. The moment we take a thirteenth, someone gets a coordinator instead of a principal, and that is the thing our clients actually pay for.
Every change is priced and approved before work proceeds, and the running total is visible in your project portal at all times. No change is executed on a verbal.
A two-year comprehensive warranty on the whole house, plus manufacturer coverage on systems. You get a direct line to your project partner, not a general voicemail.
Those are most of our sites. We carry the blast, shoring and drainage engineering relationships that make difficult lots buildable, and we will tell you at the site visit if a lot is not worth the fight.
Bring your drawings, or just the land. An afternoon on site tells you more about a builder than any brochure.
Begin
Most of our clients come with an architect and a site. If you have neither yet, that is fine too — we have introductions worth making.