Design Vanguard 2009: Merzproject
Started in 2004, this project was the firm’s first major commission. The 7,500-square-foot concrete masonry building contains a graphic design studio, art gallery, wine cellar, and private residence with a rooftop terrace. Several key features were clever solutions to zoning restrictions. For instance, a 30-foot height limit inspired the single-sloped roof, which meets the requirement at its median point but rises 37 feet at its peak, allowing a higher ceiling in the living quarters on the top floor. Located in central Phoenix near a light-rail stop, the building is one of the first to rise in a newly created transit-oriented-development zone. It recently received an environmental excellence award from Valley Forward, an organization that promotes sustainability in Phoenix.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Started in 2004, this project was the firm’s first major commission. The 7,500-square-foot concrete masonry building contains a graphic design studio, art gallery, wine cellar, and private residence with a rooftop terrace. Several key features were clever solutions to zoning restrictions. For instance, a 30-foot height limit inspired the single-sloped roof, which meets the requirement at its median point but rises 37 feet at its peak, allowing a higher ceiling in the living quarters on the top floor. Located in central Phoenix near a light-rail stop, the building is one of the first to rise in a newly created transit-oriented-development zone. It recently received an environmental excellence award from Valley Forward, an organization that promotes sustainability in Phoenix.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Started in 2004, this project was the firm’s first major commission. The 7,500-square-foot concrete masonry building contains a graphic design studio, art gallery, wine cellar, and private residence with a rooftop terrace. Several key features were clever solutions to zoning restrictions. For instance, a 30-foot height limit inspired the single-sloped roof, which meets the requirement at its median point but rises 37 feet at its peak, allowing a higher ceiling in the living quarters on the top floor. Located in central Phoenix near a light-rail stop, the building is one of the first to rise in a newly created transit-oriented-development zone. It recently received an environmental excellence award from Valley Forward, an organization that promotes sustainability in Phoenix.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Started in 2004, this project was the firm’s first major commission. The 7,500-square-foot concrete masonry building contains a graphic design studio, art gallery, wine cellar, and private residence with a rooftop terrace. Several key features were clever solutions to zoning restrictions. For instance, a 30-foot height limit inspired the single-sloped roof, which meets the requirement at its median point but rises 37 feet at its peak, allowing a higher ceiling in the living quarters on the top floor. Located in central Phoenix near a light-rail stop, the building is one of the first to rise in a newly created transit-oriented-development zone. It recently received an environmental excellence award from Valley Forward, an organization that promotes sustainability in Phoenix.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Started in 2004, this project was the firm’s first major commission. The 7,500-square-foot concrete masonry building contains a graphic design studio, art gallery, wine cellar, and private residence with a rooftop terrace. Several key features were clever solutions to zoning restrictions. For instance, a 30-foot height limit inspired the single-sloped roof, which meets the requirement at its median point but rises 37 feet at its peak, allowing a higher ceiling in the living quarters on the top floor. Located in central Phoenix near a light-rail stop, the building is one of the first to rise in a newly created transit-oriented-development zone. It recently received an environmental excellence award from Valley Forward, an organization that promotes sustainability in Phoenix.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Completed in 2007, Galleries at Turney was the first project to receive the LEED for Homes certification in Arizona. The complex, built on a 0.62-acre lot, contains eight detached dwellings made of concrete and partly clad in corrugated-zinc panels. The units are organized in two rows of four, with an interior driveway separating the rows and providing access to each home’s two-car garage.
Roughly 2,000 square feet in size, each two-story unit contains all of the amenities a Phoenician might expect to find in a single-family residence: a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, two flex spaces, and an outdoor deck. Large windows offer views of the city and surrounding mountains. The architects integrated a number of green elements, such as double-pane, low-E glass and walls finished with low-VOC paint. Moreover, each unit is prepped for 4-kilowatt solar panels. Modern and compact, Galleries at Turney is a striking departure from the sprawling developments so common in the Phoenix area.
Photo © Matt Winquist
Completed in 2007, Galleries at Turney was the first project to receive the LEED for Homes certification in Arizona. The complex, built on a 0.62-acre lot, contains eight detached dwellings made of concrete and partly clad in corrugated-zinc panels. The units are organized in two rows of four, with an interior driveway separating the rows and providing access to each home’s two-car garage.
Roughly 2,000 square feet in size, each two-story unit contains all of the amenities a Phoenician might expect to find in a single-family residence: a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, two flex spaces, and an outdoor deck. Large windows offer views of the city and surrounding mountains. The architects integrated a number of green elements, such as double-pane, low-E glass and walls finished with low-VOC paint. Moreover, each unit is prepped for 4-kilowatt solar panels. Modern and compact, Galleries at Turney is a striking departure from the sprawling developments so common in the Phoenix area.
Photo © Matt Winquist
Completed in 2007, Galleries at Turney was the first project to receive the LEED for Homes certification in Arizona. The complex, built on a 0.62-acre lot, contains eight detached dwellings made of concrete and partly clad in corrugated-zinc panels. The units are organized in two rows of four, with an interior driveway separating the rows and providing access to each home’s two-car garage.
Roughly 2,000 square feet in size, each two-story unit contains all of the amenities a Phoenician might expect to find in a single-family residence: a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, two flex spaces, and an outdoor deck. Large windows offer views of the city and surrounding mountains. The architects integrated a number of green elements, such as double-pane, low-E glass and walls finished with low-VOC paint. Moreover, each unit is prepped for 4-kilowatt solar panels. Modern and compact, Galleries at Turney is a striking departure from the sprawling developments so common in the Phoenix area.
Photo © Matt Winquist
Completed in 2007, Galleries at Turney was the first project to receive the LEED for Homes certification in Arizona. The complex, built on a 0.62-acre lot, contains eight detached dwellings made of concrete and partly clad in corrugated-zinc panels. The units are organized in two rows of four, with an interior driveway separating the rows and providing access to each home’s two-car garage.
Roughly 2,000 square feet in size, each two-story unit contains all of the amenities a Phoenician might expect to find in a single-family residence: a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, two flex spaces, and an outdoor deck. Large windows offer views of the city and surrounding mountains. The architects integrated a number of green elements, such as double-pane, low-E glass and walls finished with low-VOC paint. Moreover, each unit is prepped for 4-kilowatt solar panels. Modern and compact, Galleries at Turney is a striking departure from the sprawling developments so common in the Phoenix area.
Photo © Matt Winquist
For its own headquarters, Merzproject chose to reuse a 1950s steel-and-brick building in central Phoenix. The architects gutted and renovated the 7,000-square-foot structure and painted the exterior white. Merzproject resides on the upper level, while the ground floor accommodates a coffeehouse, gallery, and office for a nonprofit organization. Polished concrete floors, an exposed concrete ceiling, and an open layout give the space an industrial vibe; glazing on the front facade gives it a powerful street presence. The Link, finished in 2008, is one of six projects by the firm in a six-block area in the Phoenix core, including a tavern, food market, and the mixed-use After Hours Building. A new light-rail stop and the renowned Burton Barr Library, designed by Will Bruder, are within walking distance.
Photo © Matt Winquist
For its own headquarters, Merzproject chose to reuse a 1950s steel-and-brick building in central Phoenix. The architects gutted and renovated the 7,000-square-foot structure and painted the exterior white. Merzproject resides on the upper level, while the ground floor accommodates a coffeehouse, gallery, and office for a nonprofit organization. Polished concrete floors, an exposed concrete ceiling, and an open layout give the space an industrial vibe; glazing on the front facade gives it a powerful street presence. The Link, finished in 2008, is one of six projects by the firm in a six-block area in the Phoenix core, including a tavern, food market, and the mixed-use After Hours Building. A new light-rail stop and the renowned Burton Barr Library, designed by Will Bruder, are within walking distance.
Photo © Matt Winquist
For its own headquarters, Merzproject chose to reuse a 1950s steel-and-brick building in central Phoenix. The architects gutted and renovated the 7,000-square-foot structure and painted the exterior white. Merzproject resides on the upper level, while the ground floor accommodates a coffeehouse, gallery, and office for a nonprofit organization. Polished concrete floors, an exposed concrete ceiling, and an open layout give the space an industrial vibe; glazing on the front facade gives it a powerful street presence. The Link, finished in 2008, is one of six projects by the firm in a six-block area in the Phoenix core, including a tavern, food market, and the mixed-use After Hours Building. A new light-rail stop and the renowned Burton Barr Library, designed by Will Bruder, are within walking distance.
Photo © Matt Winquist
Merzproject designed a 16,000-square-foot expansion to a health-services building on Arizona State University's main campus in Tempe. The proposed scheme, which was part of a campaign to drum up funding for the project, features a two-story structure with a translucent skin; a tall "cooling" tower sheathed in vegetation connects the new building to the old.
Rendering courtesy Merzproject
Merzproject designed a 16,000-square-foot expansion to a health-services building on Arizona State University's main campus in Tempe. The proposed scheme, which was part of a campaign to drum up funding for the project, features a two-story structure with a translucent skin; a tall "cooling" tower sheathed in vegetation connects the new building to the old.
Rendering courtesy Merzproject
Located in the heart of Scottsdale and a short walk from shops and art galleries, this boutique hotel is intended to bring the Arizona resort experience into an urban setting. The roughly 60,000-square-foot building will include two restaurants and approximately 75 guest rooms. The top volume will serve as a community space and will look toward Camelback Mountain, one of the valley's most identifiable landmarks. The project currently is in the planning phase.
Rendering courtesy Merzproject
For a small town in Arizona, Merzproject has conceived a contemporary library that will add verve to the streetscape. Creating a contextual building was essential to winning support from the community; in response, the architects proposed a design that takes its cue from the lodge construction common in the nearby White Mountains. The facility will be topped by a metal roof and partly covered in a brise-soleil made of cement fiberboard.
Rendering courtesy Merzproject
For a small town in Arizona, Merzproject has conceived a contemporary library that will add verve to the streetscape. Creating a contextual building was essential to winning support from the community; in response, the architects proposed a design that takes its cue from the lodge construction common in the nearby White Mountains. The facility will be topped by a metal roof and partly covered in a brise-soleil made of cement fiberboard.
Rendering courtesy Merzproject
Architects & Firms
While sipping beers on their porches in downtown Phoenix in 2003, neighbors Chris Nieto and Joe Herzog, AIA, began brewing up the idea to start their own architecture firm. At the time, Nieto was running his family’s contracting company, while Herzog was working for architect Wendell Burnette, following a four-year stint with Will Bruder. “We had a lot of evening conversations about how we wanted to change our city, and our world for that matter,” says Herzog.
Those casual chats morphed into a serious venture. In 2004, the duo founded Merzproject — now one of the most popular design studios in Phoenix. In short time, the firm has built a series of economical, sustainable, and urban projects and garnered several honors: Its Galleries at Turney (2007) was Arizona’s first project to earn LEED for Homes certification, for instance, and Hoover House was AIA Arizona’s Home of the Year in 2008. Moreover, The Arizona Republic recently named Nieto one of the state’s top entrepreneurs under the age of 35. (Nieto handles Merzproject’s business affairs, while Herzog is the creative force.) “I think we’re part of a new generation, and people are looking to us for design leadership,” says Herzog. “We’re now pushing into the establishment, and we’re pushing the dialogue.”
That dialogue often centers on curbing sprawl. With its abundance of tract housing, golf courses, and swimming pools, Phoenix can be a tough place to campaign for a dense urban fabric. Herzog, an Indiana native, started to take on this challenge while earning his M.Arch. degree at Arizona State University. For his thesis project, he proposed stitching together nodes of activity in the valley’s core. He called his scheme “[merz] Phoenix,” inspired by a word (merz) invented by the 20th-century German artist Kurt Schwitters to describe his collage-style paintings and sculptures. Herzog was particularly struck by Schwitters’s Merzbau, in which the artist transformed his own home into a giant collage, filling it with a bewildering array of objects. “He started to find connections between different pieces, literally taking a string to make the connections,” Herzog explains. “A web started to emerge, and new spaces started to form.”
Herzog’s own “merz” project won a graduate thesis award, and the idea of connectivity has continued to intrigue him, especially as it relates to urban renewal. His and Nieto’s firm, which now totals eight employees (two principals, four directors, and two designers), has completed a half-dozen projects within a six-block area in central Phoenix, including its own office, dubbed The Link. Housed in a refurbished 1950s masonry building, the studio is within walking distance of a new light-rail stop, along with an art museum, library, shops, and restaurants.
Merzproject also has a talent, perhaps even a hunger, for handling constraints. Consider After Hours, a 7,500-square-foot, mixed-use building that required some tricky maneuvers due to a 30-foot and two-story height restriction. After discovering that the city measured building height at the median point of the street-facing elevation, the architects devised a single-sloped roof that meets the requirement, yet peaks at 37 feet on one side. And they scooted around the two-story rule by inserting a mezzanine. “There’s nothing you can’t figure your way out of,” Herzog says. “If you set a project in motion with a strong idea, it’s easy to resolve problems as you go forward.” He adds that their studio is highly collaborative and egalitarian, noting that clients will ask who conceived a specific feature, “and we don’t even know.”
While Phoenix has served as a fertile testing ground, Merzproject has set its sights much farther out: It’s submitting proposals for projects across the globe, focusing on civic work in particular. “We are open to the world,” says Nieto. Indeed, one gets the sense that this eager young firm is just beginning to weave an expansive web.
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