STRATA: a desert dwelling (Hardcover with Slipcase)

The building of STRATA outside of Phoenix, Arizona, was an act of audacity, perseverance, and grit, as is any undertaking in the deserts of the American Southwest.The three responsible entities—Drewett Works Architecture, Desert Star Construction, and David Michael Miller, Ltd. Interiors, drew on the long, great tradition of 20th-century modernism in Arizona, whose very name means “dry” (Arrida Zona) in Spanish. Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra are just two modern masters who have attempted to tame the Arizona desert, make it habitable, and add to its natural beauty.

STRATA celebrates modernist design in multiple ways. Its vast use of glass blurs the inside with the outside. Its deep overhanging eaves intersecting with each other at various angles recalls the best work of Wright. Its expansive glass calls to mind Neutra’s work and his insistence on architectural transparency. The house’s imaginative interiors bespeak comfort and solace needed for days spent in the unforgiving Arizona sun. Its construction required extensive work on the site before the first slab was poured, a testament to the talent of the construction team. Whenever and wherever possible, native stone and wood were used to give the house a sense of authenticity. The sliding glass doors located at multiple points allow the owners to have delightful dinner parties just as the sun is setting and the dry air is cooling – neither indoors nor outdoors, but a vivid combination of the two.

This book is about the process of building STRATA and also puts the house in historical perspective with an essay, “Building in the Sonoran Desert,” by James Moore McCown, a prominent architectural journalist based in Boston. This work is careful to chronicle the work of all three collaborators – without one of them, the results would not have been possible. The Architect. The Interior Designer. The Builder. All get their due in STRATA, a celebration of audacity and the beauty of the American Southwest.

James Moore McCown is a Boston-based architectural journalist who writes for numerous design publications including Metropolis, Architect’s Newspaper and AD PRO Architectural Digest. He has collaborated with Oscar Riera Ojeda on several books including the Architecture in Detail series which comprised four volumes: Elements, Materials, Colors and Spaces. McCown studied journalism at Loyola Univer-sity New Orleans and holds an ALM (Master’s Degree) in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University, where his thesis on modern Brazilian architecture received an Honorable Mention, Dean’s Award, Best ALM Thesis (2007). He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB
DREWETT WORKS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING ARCHITECT Driven by a passion for design, mathematics, and physics, architect C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB, has established himself as one of the most sought-after professionals in his field. Pushing the edge of everything he does, he is known for his innovative, compelling work and modernist style. In 2001, C.P. launched his award-winning architectural firm, Drewett Works, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has amassed a vast portfolio that focuses on the upper end of residential, commercial, and masterplan projects. C.P.’s deep respect for regional architectural traditions and his reputation for creating artful, timeless, and innovative designs have earned him respect among his peers and discerning clientele.

Oscar Riera Ojeda is an editor and designer based in the US, China, and Argentina. Born in 1966, in Buenos Aires, he moved to the United States in 1990. Since then, he has published over three hundred books, assembling a remarkable body of work notable for its thoroughness of content, timeless character, and sophisticated and innovative craftsmanship. • Oscar Riera Ojeda’s books have been published by many prestigious publishing houses across the world, including Birkhäuser, Byggförlaget, The Monacelli Press, Gustavo Gili, Thames & Hudson, Rizzoli, Damiani, Page One, ORO editions, Whitney Library of Design, and Taschen. • Oscar Riera Ojeda is also the creator of numerous architectural book series, including Ten Houses, Contemporary World Architects, The New American House and The New American Apartment, Architecture in Detail, and Single Building. • His work has received many international awards, in-depth reviews, and citations. He is a regular contributor and consultant for several publications in the field. • In 2001 Oscar Riera Ojeda founded ORO Editions, a company at which he was responsible for the completion of nearly one hundred titles. In 2008 he established his current publishing venture, Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers, a firm with fifteen employees and locations across three continents.Werner Segarra of Puerto Rican and German descent, completed his formal studies in photography at the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 1995. During his youth, he lived throughout Europe and Saudi Arabia, an experience that provided him with a multicultural sensibility that can be appreciated in his work.The photographer moved back to Puerto Rico, where he started working as a full-time commercial photographer and rediscovered his roots. Segarra currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and has a successful career with an extensive roster of high-profile clients. He also has a second home in the remote town of Huasabas, Mexico, a location that provided him with the inspiration for his Art Photographyexhibition “Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo.” His keen eye for detail and composition, his mastery of light and technique, and his superb taste and respect for cultural idiosyncrasies have helped him develop a unique visual vocabulary. His latest work, “Mi Herencia” (Puerto Rico), celebrates the richness of the island’s coffeeindustry tradition, family values, mourning, and religion.