International studios Morq, GOMA Taller, Studio Andrew Trotter and Taller Hector Barroso have been selected to design Pala Zion, a series of luxury residences in the Utah desert.
Pala Zion is a collection of 22 residences in the Utah desert, sited to complement the forthcoming Paréa landscape hotel, which will be designed by Spain-based Studio Andrew Trotter.
Studio Andrew Trotter is also among the architectural firms selected for the Pala Zion residences, a collection of desert-oriented homes designed for use as short and long-term rentals in the state’s Kolob Canyons outside of Zion National Park.
“The landscape of Kolob Canyons is truly incredible, especially at sunset, when the colors become vivid and surreal,” said studio founder Andrew Trotter.
“Pala Zion is a place where architecture harmonizes with this splendor – a realization of a dream.”
Trotter’s designs consist of five dwellings of various sizes, all rendered in a rich brown plaster to meld with the arid landscape.
The low-lying structures were designed to embody “quiet luxury”, according to the team, and will have pools as well as deep overhangs to account for the climate.
Mexican studio GOMA Taller will contribute six houses to the development.
Renderings show low-lying structures with a blocky, hollow roof capping a program of floor-to-ceiling glass to provide “panoramic” views of the landscape.
The studio described the design as “balancing a rock in the desert” and said that because of the harshness of the climate, it “approached the house as a modern shelter or shell house”.
Another Mexican studio, Taller Hector Barroso, took a more segmented approach to its design, creating a series of houses with staggered facades.
The studio said that it plans on using “natural materials” when possible and that it wanted the design to be in dialogue with the other studios’ designs.
“The project arrived firstly, through friendship,” said founder Hector Barroso.
“I believe that all of the studios admire one another’s work and ideas. It could be said that we share a common ground.”
Finally, Australia-based studio Morq designed a bunker-like house with a long concrete form. Glass-window walls are interspersed by structural walls, creating a series of vantage points for inhabitants to enjoy the surroundings.
The studio described the design as a “device” for enjoying the landscape.
The whole of the development will sit on a 35-acre plot and the owners plan to wrap up construction by 2027.
Other luxury projects sited in desert landscapes include studio Malek Alqadi’s recent series of architectural follies in California and an upcoming resort with tent-like structures in Saudi Arabia by French studio AW2.
