Selldorf Architects

Located in a spectacular high desert setting, the Villas at Amangiri is planned as a collection of thirty-six private homes with access to the services and amenities of the adjacent Amangiri Resort. The villas are designed to integrate into the surrounding landscape through their low-rise scale and through the use of materials, colors, and textures which are complementary to the site. Each villa is organized around dramatic masonry walls and a shaded arrival court which define a series of airy, interconnected spaces. The living and dining spaces have sliding glass

walls which open to a large pool and terrace. Villas have either three or four bedroom suites which open to private gardens or terraces. Overall, the design minimizes environmental impact. Buildings and paved roads have been sited to reduce the effect on fragile desert flora, and energy use is moderated through the orientation of buildings, brise-soleils for shading, geothermal heating and cooling, and localized solar water heating. (Photos: Courtesy of AmanResorts)