Take a former conference center set on 23 acres of striking Sonoran Desert vistas, add the sensibility of Alexander Girard, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Paolo Soleri, mix in the stunning craftsmanship of local artists and artisans, and the result is a new addition to the Andaz family, which has found a way to bring a fresh vision to the typical Southwest hotel.
Novato, California-based EDG Interior Architecture + Design was tasked with crafting the hotel’s interiors (the new-build main building and spa are by Andrew Rodriguez of San Diego-based Delawie), a project Jennifer Johanson, EDG’s president and CEO, tackled with a determination that the design would not follow “the same narrative” of so many desert community properties, she says. Looking for a modernist point of view that avoided many of the “desert clichés,” she found inspiration in the influx of post-WWII artists who were seduced by the saturated colors, foliage, shapes, shadows, and sundrenched vistas of the Southwest. “They were modernists,” says Johanson, “but they also embraced the folk art of the area.” In short, she says, “We wanted a cross between Palm Springs, which has a modernist vibe without the retro overlay, and Scottsdale.”
She also wanted to create the sense of an artists’ colony, a nod to the spirit of those who were flourishing in the 1950s, as well as those in nearby communities who are still contributing their personal visions. Structurally, the existing buildings were perfect for a sense of community: 201 casitas situated in clusters of four with meandering pathways and courtyards with firepits.
Situated in clusters of four and connected by meandering pathways, each casita was modernized and renovated. “We inherited beautiful, textured beam ceilings that we sandblasted to get to the right color” and left them exposed, she says. Cement block walls with a textured plaster finish between the rooms were replicated on one key wall in each room, while the others were done in a gallery finish. “We call the rooms ‘desert ateliers,’ to suggest that this light, airy space is your studio,” says Johanson.
One of EDG’s most serendipitous discoveries, a mere mile away, was the Cattle Track Arts Compound, a near century-old compound for resident artists that became something of a creative partner to the Andaz. All of the hotel’s considerable art comes from these artists, and EDG provided three of their residents with a stipend and a charge to find local art, including their own, to fill the shelves of the public spaces and guestrooms. “Andaz also has an artists-in-residence program,” says Johanson, “that allows guests to observe the artist at work. This collaboration makes the narrative that much stronger.”
