The Colony, Palm Springs

Best in American Living Award Winning Development

“The Colony” is a neighborhood of 19 single-family homes located in the heart of Palm Springs. The past 10 years have been a time of revitalization for the City, and the pressures of development have inevitably led to questions about how best to preserve its mid-century modernist tradition while extending design ideas to include the reality of a growing number of permanent residents. “The Colony” responds to these specific forces, as well as the extreme desert environment, to create the Best in American Living.

“The Colony” takes its place among a rich architectural landscape of desert modern design. On the site of the historic Biltmore Hotel, these homes are part of an ongoing tradition of modern design in the City of Palm Springs; and, like the Kaufman house, the Wexler homes and others, strive to embody the essence of desert living and a certain minimalist ideal.

Dwelling in the desert has always sought to merge indoor and outdoor living. The ever-present sun and rugged terrain of Palm Springs has given distinctive form to this desire to connect outside and inside. Using a “zero lot-line” strategy, each home is sited to one side of the lot, creatively maximizing the usable outdoor space of each parcel. Inside the house, circulation is maintained strictly along the “lot-line” wall of the home, allowing visual as well as sound privacy between homes to be preserved. Also, all livable spaces, including bedrooms, are free to be directly linked to the outdoor courtyard by large expanses of sliding glass, shaded beneath deep, low overhangs. Careful planning capitalizes on views to the San Jacinto Mountains from the dwellings—either from specifically located windows, or from the pool in each private courtyard highlighting this specific way of life, as well as the beauty of the California desert.

Read more about The Best In American Living Award at the Professional Builder Website