Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
THE NEW LOOK OF VEGAS
Modern, contemporary, desert looks are trending
The people who design and build our homes have their own lingo. They talk about “production homes.” They use terms like clean lines, thin profile, light and airy to describe a model house, not a supermodel.
Where we just see a roof, they see a “cocoon system.”
For many young architects, the process of being permitted to create our dream homes begins in childhood and ends after years of study and a daunting licensing process. Then comes the hard part: Finding a job here designing homes that make sense for our valley.
Too many leave for other locales, says Eric Strain, associate professor at UNLV School of Architecture and principal of Assemblage STUDIO. “We lose too many talented individuals to other cities because they do not see the opportunity to advance in architecture here,” he said.
In past decades, Las Vegas housing designs have reflected an anywhere-but-here state of mind, says Michael Gardner who founded studio g ARCHITECTURE. “Everything was based on a thematic approach, even our residential architecture, and even today we’re trying to replicate Mediterranean architecture.”
That sentiment was reiterated by John Sather of Swaback Partners of Scottsdale, Arizona. “The trouble with Las Vegas is it looks like the builders went on vacation and fell in love with something like Tuscany and came home and set out to re-create it, instead of creating something that truly belongs there,” he said. Sather’s firm is the lead designer of Henderson’s luxury Ascaya community and the architect of its clubhouse.
Blue Heron Design Build, Pinnacle Architectural Studio and studio g ARCHITECTURE are local companies building homes for clients and new “concept homes,” which are pre-designed homes approved by Ascaya’s Architecture Review Committee that homeowners can choose for specific home sites. CJ Hoogland of Hoogland Architecture is the only local company selected to create one of seven inspiration homes, which are funded by the developer. These homes will be showcases for the community and not be sold for several years.
“These new architects being featured at Ascaya are a tremendously talented group who are bringing a sensible, natural style to the desert that will be a big improvement to the landscape,” Sather said. “I hope more Las Vegas builders embrace this style and that it proliferates throughout the valley.”
On the other side of the valley, Discovery Land Co. is building Summit Club, an ultra-luxury, private golf community in Summerlin. Quinn Boesenecker of Pinnacle Architectural Studio and Hoogland were chosen to build custom homes there.
“The developers of Summit Club want … midcentury modern architecture.” Hoogland said.