Molecules is a series of five interactive water molecules rising up from the Arizona Canal that come to life through the interactions of its users and the surrounding environment in Scottsdale, Arizona. The installation, created by The Urban Conga, is meant to showcase that, much like our communities, the water within the canal is created by a series of interpersonal connections between neighboring elements coming together around conflicting reactions.
Project Title: Molecules Client: Canal Convergence & Scottsdale Arts Designer / Creator: The Urban Conga Firm leads: Ryan Swanson & Maeghann Coleman
Technical sheet
Year Installed: November 2024 Location: Arizona Canal at 7135 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Project Size: Total space 13,860 sqft; Five clusters of three different sized molecules approx. 18’L x 10’H x 10’W spanning down the Arizona Canal. Website: https://www.theurbanconga.com/
Social: @theurbanconga
Originally built in 1961 by Allied Builders, this midcentury modern home was about to suffer the fate of many similar houses in the Arcadia neighborhood of Scottsdale, Arizona, scraped and replaced with a “farmhouse”, when the homeowners decided to call national award-winning architecture firm The Ranch Mine to see if they could somehow save it while meeting the modern demands for their growing family.
Downtown Scottsdale LEED platinum Fire Station 2, the first Fire Station in the US to be certified LEED Platinum, was designed for LEED certification as part of the City of Scottsdale’s green building initiative. Lawrence Enyart, FAIA, LEED Fellow and Lance Enyart, AIA, LEED AP a Father-Son team from LEA Architects, LLC, Phoenix, AZ, designed the new Downtown Scottsdale Fire Station No. 2 as part of an urban infill project. The two-story Emergency Service facility meets the daily operational needs of the new City of Scottsdale Fire Department and the community, while utilizing both passive and active sustainable green building principles to maximize sustainability and enhance overall energy performance. The contemporary architecture responds to both the civic & historical context of the surrounding urban area drawing from the materials, colors, and textures of the existing built environment. Sustainable materials were used throughout the design in vertical and horizontal applications. Natural materials including locally manufactured ground face concrete masonry, in combination with Arizona sandstone, glass, and weathering steel define the building surface and exude a sense of sustainability and presence while units offering contrasting texture and form throughout the project.
The context for this site consists of larger homes on one-acre lots. Aesthetically, the neighboring houses’ architectural language is more often than not, associated with speculative developer trends and styles, rather than an integrated understanding of the site, the views, and other opportunities. As a result, the project required a strategy which would edit out the immediate context of this neighborhood while focusing on distant views of the McDowell Mountains to the north and the valley to the south and southwest. The project also sought to create a protected courtyard space for the backyard and pool area as an immediate focus for the lower level of the house in contrast to the second level taking advantage of the more distant views.
This 1975 performing arts center was one of the most notable projects designed by the late Arizona architect Bennie Gonzales, FAIA, who also designed Scottsdale’s signature municipal structures, including the city hall and main library, which are linked to the arts center by the park-like Scottsdale Civic Center. Gonzales was known for his simple, pure forms that echoed both classic Southwestern and Native-American architectural themes. Gonzales designed the 100,000-square-foot arts center to include a large main theater, a smaller, secondary theater, gallery space, offices and a vast central atrium.
This projection came to life when Mr. Lavance and Benjamin Hall drank a few brew’s at a local pub. Lavance expressed his desire to shad his outdoor BBQ / kitchen. A few napkin sketches later and a real enthusiasm for raw materials that weather and age over time due to the brutal desert sun bearing upon. The high arcing paroblolic steel arcs crest to allow seating behind the counter on the east, while converging to the west to screen the Arizona summer sun.
Seeking a desert haven, the Engel’s relocated to Scottsdale several years ago from the East Coast. After purchasing a residence built in the late 80’s, an extensive renovation and addition was in order. As the house doubles as the Engel’s office and design studio, the addition includes a gallery and art studio that wraps around a large existing mesquite tree. The tree provides shading for the large expanses of glazing incorporated into the design.
The architecture of Loloma 5 is a thoughtful and sophisticated acknowledgement of the traditional and modern roots of its Old Town Scottsdale context—a place with pride in its false-front, covered boardwalk, and “old west” friendly downtown image. The project creates a live/work environment in the heart of Scottsdale that celebrates both the historic and physical context of the place.
Situated on a compact sub-5 acre parcel in a developing urban area of Scottsdale, Arizona, the new Dial/Henkel headquarters is an innovative collaborative center, completely integrated into its broader context of the Sonoran desert. The building is conceived as a crystalline cloud floating over a desert mesa, a graceful presence at the prominent intersection of Scottsdale Road and the 101 freeway.
PROJECT INTRODUCTION: Black Rock Studio is a 3150 SF loft/studio which houses an entry courtyard, gallery, and meeting space on the ground floor with studio/work spaces on the second level. Black Rock Studio creates a dynamic relationship between building and the streetscape on the south and the canal on the north. The transparency of the north and south façade through large sliding glass doors create strong links between the studio and the canal to the public way. The loft/studio space transforms over the course of the day as the daylight moves and washes down the side walls of the space. Slot skylights run the length of the studio creating a floating ceiling effect and contributing to the balanced day-lighting.
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