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Although in some ways the new structures on the property take their inspiration
from the old clubhouse, the intention was never to recreate midcentury Modernism.
"We wanted to do something that was stylistically a modern arid-climate
building," Philp says. "Not necessarily midcentury in terms of
wide overhangs, low roof, the things we see in the clubhouse, but to play
off of some of its character in terms of materiality." The buildings
are simple and elegant, and sit comfortably and unobtrusively in a plan
designed to emphasize the views of Camelback (especially an outcropping
of rock known as the Praying Monk) and the hills across the valley below.
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Westroc recently purchased the 1956 Valley Ho resort (above & below)
in downtown Scottsdale, which was most recently run as a shabby Ramada
motel. The landmarked building will be completely rehabilitated into a
Schrager-esque boutique hotel. The Valley Ho's original plans show an
unbuilt third floor on one of the wings, so Philps has designed an
addition that will use that space for a spa and new guest rooms.
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Courtesy Westroc Hospitality
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"We tried to use common materials in an uncommon way," Philp says.
"When you go through the buildings, they're painted stucco with masonry
walls and concrete floors, everyday stuff. But they don't come across
as being as bare bones as they are." The overall effect is simple,
clean, and serene, contrasting nicely with the rococo excess and Southwestern
kitsch typical of many other area resorts.
"We basically tried to celebrate the desert," says landscape architect
Martino, an arid-climate specialist. "When we started here it was almost
a historic landscape from the fifties and sixties--all these nonnative
Mediterranean plants like oleander, bougainvillea, ficus, and olive
trees that were really out of character." In their place Martino chose
local species like paloverde, the state tree; sweet acacia, which blooms
in January when the resort is full; creosote bush; and mesquite. "When
you use native plants you get a lot more for your money, because they come
with their own entourage of pollinators and predators," he says. "By
using the right plants you can tap into the food chain, and the garden becomes
a habitat."
Allen + Philp have begun work on another project for Westroc, a renovation
of the recently landmarked 1956 Valley Ho resort in downtown Scottsdale.
The two-story hotel has 175 rooms arranged around a pool courtyard landscaped
to feel like an oasis and is known for the charmingly odd 350-pound cast-concrete
decorative panels that hang off the balconies. Because of the extreme neglect
of its previous managers, which most recently included Ramada, the Valley
Ho is remarkably, if inadvertently, well preserved. "It still has 1956
boilers," Lyon says. "It's in horrible shape, but the good news
is the structure is built like a bomb shelter." In addition to the
full rehabilitation, Philp has designed a one-level expansion--inspired
by archival drawings that show that part of the building was originally
planned with a third floor--to house the spa.
At Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, the spa is entered through a minimal
jewel box of a room--an almost perfect cube with a single slot window aligned
with a view of the Praying Monk in the distance. After changing into a heavy
terrycloth robe and slippers in a locker room, you are led back outside
through a courtyard and into either a dimly lit treatment room or a private
outdoor area called the Sanctum--which is demarcated by two rock walls that
curve toward each other to form a tube. "When you lie on your back
in there you get a James Turrell sky-space kind of feel," Philp says.
"On a clear day with no clouds, the celestial dome really makes itself
visible."
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