Designed by will bruder+PARTNERS, Approached from its north façade along Whitton Avenue, owners, neighbors, and visitors are welcomed to Mezzo through a native desert garden. Site benches and weathered welded wire mesh fences enhance this natural environment and define the exterior spaces of the project. Sandblasted concrete pale green masonry site walls work within this composition to further delineate shared and private areas.
Photography By© Bill Timmerman
The project emerges from the land by a first level architectural plinth. Four-inch pale green concrete masonry unit walls with ‘weeping’ mortar joints are deeply sandblasted for a distinctly rustic appearance. This creates a datum at the first level that corresponds with the courtyard entrances to the homes. Above, coursed pale green eight-inch concrete masonry defines the second and third levels of the north and south façades. Raked mortar joints track the organization window openings on these façades, providing a rich architectural composition. This design is enhanced by the use of both clear and mirrored glazing to further animate the façade and several sculptural perforated metal view scrims which animate these elevations.
Photography By© Bill Timmerman
As these facades ‘kiss’ the sky, a distinctive profile is reflected in their sloping roof lines. Balcony and shade screens on the third level of the east and west facades add additional layers of depth and interest to the architecture. The balconies are clad in galvanized metal while the screens are perforated galvanized metal on weathered steel frames. The auto courtyard is animated by the ‘pop-out’ bay windows that articulate and enhance the kitchen areas of the homes.
In scale and proportion, massing and materiality, as well its finely articulated details, Mezzo draws carefully from the character of its neighbors. Carving out its own unique place in the city for comfortable and appropriate urban desert living. The facades of Mezzo complement both the project’s overall material composition and its relationship to the neighborhood.
Photography By© Bill Timmerman
Project Info:
Architects: will bruder+PARTNERS
Location: 3438 N 12th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014, USA
Project Team: Will Bruder (Lead Design), Rob Gaspard (Project Manager), Ben Nesbeitt, Nathan St. John, Greg Packham
Structural Engineer: Rudow & Berry, Inc.
Mechanical/Plumbing Engineer: KS Design
Electrical Engineer: Woodward Engineering
Civil Engineer: Hess-Rountree, Inc
Landscape Architect: Coffman Studio
General Contractor: CZ Multi, Inc.
Area: 17250.0 ft2
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Bill Timmerman
Project Name: Mezzo
