A house by Amit Upadhye in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Slideshow: Essence of the Desert Architecture

That “life thrives” in the shadows of desert boulders roots the concept of Amit Upadhyes house in the desert of Scottsdale. The architect writes, “The southwestern desert makes vivid impressions in the mind. One that strongly remains, are the boulders and the shadows in the wilderness. During one of my hiking trips near Pinnacle Peak, Arizona, I noticed that these boulders create micro climates around themselves and life thrives in the shadow of these boulders. They act as heat sinks and as thermal masses. The Native Americans were aware of this phenomenon, often building homes in the shadows of such boulders.”

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