https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2949-merzproject en-us A young firm tightly weaves an urban fabric in ever-sprawling Phoenix—next stop, the world.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14212 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14212-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