Desert Palisades is a minimal house located in Palm Springs, California, designed by Woods + Dangaran. From siting to floor plan to finishes, this residence is deeply connected to the desert environment and its context in the hills above Palm Springs. Surrounded by boulders and spanning a natural arroyo, the home is lifted above existing site features, yet still retains a powerful connection to the earth. The architecture-emphasizing horizontal lines, natural materials, and visual and physical linkages between indoors and out-celebrates and elevates the tenets of desert modernism. Exterior walls of earth-toned plaster and textured concrete masonry units tie the slab-on-grade structure to the site. Deep roof overhangs are wrapped in brass paneling. Strategically-placed floor-to-ceiling glazing frames stunning views of the desert in all directions. A glass-enclosed bridge connects two wings of the home and creates a central atrium that can be viewed from nearly every room. Large sliding glass doors run the length of the great room and provide an uninterrupted transition to an outdoor dining area, deck, pool, spa, fireplace, and lounge.

Photography by Joe Fletcher