Design / Architect Paul Fendler designed an Arizona retreat that integrates natural and man-made elements in one spectacular house

Architect Paul Fendler designed an Arizona retreat that integrates natural and man-made elements in one spectacular house

“I don’t want to say the architecture is secondary, but it’s not the main event,” says Fendler.

by Kim Hill April 19, 2019 at 4:00 AM February 8, 2025

The striking Mexican bird of paradise grows easily in the desert Southwest. Dinner plate prickly pear, like most species of cacti, is native only to the Americas and appears throughout residential and commercial landscapes in the Phoenix area. “Planting native plant material is an integral part of the built environment,” says Fendler. Massing plantings have yielded a lush look.

Before designing a home in the Mirabel Golf Club community north of Scottsdale, Arizona, architect Paul Fendler of Fendler + Associates had never visited the Southwestern United States. But when a client gave him considerable creative license to build a second home there, the St. Louis–based architect was inspired by the harmony he observed between man-made and natural elements. “I don’t want to say the architecture is secondary, but it’s not the main event,” says Fendler, of Fendler + Associates.

Next destination: The Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland. “In addition to the landscape, culture, and architecture, I want to see the northern lights.”