Ramada House

About this property

The Ramada House is a 3,800 square-foot residence located in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson, Arizona. Designed by architect Judith Chafee in 1973, and completed in 1975, the house combines modernist-inspired design with traditional O'odham shade structures to create a unique living space that exemplifies the tenets of critical regionalism. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The Ramada House was designed by Judith Chafee, FAIA (1932-1998), an architect considered a master for her contributions to architecture nationally and internationally. The design of the house began in 1973 and construction was completed in 1975. The modernist-inspired floor plan of the Ramada House combines the formal grid of the ramada support posts with the more fluid white masonry walls of the house below it. The entrance is located on the middle level, as is the living room and small outdoor court. This courtyard space is not functional and allows more natural light to come into the living room and entrance hall. The living room is set at an angle and juts out of the house with a full-height bay window that lets the viewer step into the view. This is repeated in a bay window next to the main entrance, facing south. On the upper level is the master bedroom, including a dressing room and bath, and library, while the lower level contains the dining and family rooms, kitchen, and spare bedroom. The kitchen, family room, and living room have access to an exterior covered deck that leads to a swimming pool and a small garden. The second story consists of two bedrooms and a wooden roof deck constructed of 1"x 4" pinewood. The principal rooms of the house face north to capture the spectacular views of the foothills and mountains. The house is oriented east–west on three levels, following the slope of the site. The entrance is located on the middle level, along with the living room and a small outdoor courtyard. The upper level contains the master bedroom, dressing room, and library, while the lower level features the dining and family rooms, kitchen, and spare bedroom. The principal rooms of the house face north, offering stunning views of the surrounding foothills and mountains. The entire house is shaded by a massive ramada, constructed of 20 round vertical poles, horizontal beams, and a lattice of closely-spaced timbers. Positioned to filter the light falling on the southern entry facade, the ramada responds to seasonal changes in the position of the sun, providing protection from the high summer sun and welcoming in the rays of the low winter sun. The elevated shade structure also channels the natural foothills breeze between the ramada and the house, thus reducing the building's heat load.

Location

Categories

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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