Winter Residence Conversion | Tucson, Arizona | Ibarra Rosano

winter residence
location: tucson, arizona
year completed: 2004
square footage: 3550 sf total
(3510 sf remodeled, 40 sf added)

architect’s project team:
luis ibarra, teresa rosano

contractor: repp design and construction, inc.
cabinetry/steelwork: mark perry
landscape: ibarra landscapes
photography: bill timmerman

The owners wanted to transform the dark, circulation-dominated rooms of their 1940s brick residence into a luminous space with crisp detailing reminiscent of the boutique hotels and spas they had visited. Tackling one room after another, we opened the house to daylight and to a series of garden courtyards.
One key to transforming the house was to remove the fireplace that bisected the main living spaces. Once the fireplace was demolished, the opening for the chimney was fitted with a large skylight that now fills the living spaces with natural light. Applying the same principle, we removed the dividing wall between the master closet and bathroom to create a large, bright space for dressing and bathing. Outside, the area that had once been an awkward, circular dirt driveway became a serene courtyard with a fountain, a single tree, and a horizontal aperture that perfectly frames the city skyline. The guest bathroom also connects with the exterior. Its glass-enclosed shower (the only additional square footage to the house) extends out into a private courtyard. Two cantilevered concrete walkways bridge the pool, and link the main deck to the master bedroom deck and its outdoor fireplace. After over a year of living in the dust of remodeling, the house has become the Winter’s own private spa in the desert.
Text and images from ibarra rosano