Desert Retreat

This 3700-square-foot adobe-style home near Tucson, Ariz., embraces the outdoors with its view-oriented windows and multitude of outdoor courtyards.

Making the most of the mild weather that beckons people to the Southwest, this 3563-square-foot Arizona home literally surrounds itself with shaded courtyards that extend living space to the outdoors.

In a valley cradled by the Catalina Mountains, this $700,000 spec home features an authentic adobe-style exterior that harmonizes with its desert surroundings. Builder and developer Scott Stiteler constructed this single-floor plan for use as the sales model at his 128-lot custom development, The Estates at HoneyBee Ridge, within the master-planned community of Rancho Vistoso, near Tucson.

Development was featured in TucsonÆs 1998 Street of Dreams. All five of the luxury model homes constructed for the show were sold before completion, setting a new national record, according to Stiteler. Although this home was not one of the actual Street of Dreams models, it was also sold before the show.

Cherry cabinetry, granite countertops and the latest in stainless steel appliances accent the gourmet kitchen.

No wonder. With its flexible floor plan, which features separately accessed guest quarters, the home offers the convenience of single-floor living, and access to the outside from virtually anywhere within.

ôPeople who live here really love to be outside,ö says Stiteler. ôThey literally arrange their lives around spending as much time outside as possible.ö

Other than the spectacular views offered by the site, architect Richard Handlen had to consider that this home would function as the builderÆs model for several years after its completion.

ôWe really wanted to establish a level of quality here that would provide a standard for the rest of the homes in the development,ö he says. Eight other builders in addition to Stiteler are building in HoneyBee Ridge.

This homeÆs classic adobe-style design and flexible floor plan have contributed to its success as a sales model at the development where a new Street of Dreams record was setùall five models plus the sales center were sold before completion.

The home features a central-entry courtyard that provides access to both the main residence and to the guest quarters. Its main gallery functions as a buffer zone between the master suite and the living areas. When opened, a series of French doors along the gallery channel the view into the library, then out to the twinkling lights of Tucson off in the distance.

The kitchen, dining room and sala (Spanish for great room) are oriented toward the spectacular vista of the surrounding mountains and desert flora.

French doors in the master bedroom provide access to either a study or its own private courtyard. An octagon-shaped vestibule leads to the lavish bath/dressing area.

The design of the guest wing literally keeps its space separate from the main house. Each of the two guest suites features a walk-in closet and a full bath.

Locally referred to as the sala, the homeÆs great room features a 12-foot ceiling accented by exposed beams.

This home had hard costs of approximately $120 per square foot. Overall, home prices in HoneyBee Ridge range from $700,000 to $1.4 million.

Builder | Scott Stiteler, Stellar Homes, Tucson, Ariz.

Architect | Richard Handlen, EDI Architecture Inc., San Francisco, Calif.

Land Planner | William Walker, The WLB Group, Tucson, Ariz.

Also See:
Floorplan

Dual Identity

Courted by the Climate