Phoenix, Arizona
Eric Spry, Spry Architecture
Affordable Modern Desert Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona Designed by Spry Architecture | 1,800 SF Minimalist Ranch Home with Butterfly Roof and Energy-Conscious Detailing The Richard Home is a modern reinterpretation of the classic desert ranch house, designed by Eric Spry of Spry Architecture. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this 1,800-square-foot custom home embraces simplicity, cost efficiency, and site-appropriate materials — delivering a bold architectural statement within a compact, budget-conscious footprint. This home showcases how thoughtful modern design can elevate everyday materials, achieving both performance and beauty in the Sonoran Desert climate.
At its core, the Richard Home explores how modest materials — when used creatively — can result in striking architecture. The exterior is clad in corrugated metal, stucco, and glass, offering durability, low maintenance, and a rugged aesthetic that fits the desert terrain. A dramatic butterfly roof floats over the central great room, with exposed steel trusses and 1x2 light-gauge metal tubes extending beyond the walls. These cantilevered elements allow the corrugated metal roof to overhang, shielding windows and walls from the harsh Arizona sun while giving the home a unique architectural silhouette.
The Richard Home is proof that innovative architectural thinking doesn't require an extravagant budget. Through creative use of raw materials and climate-responsive detailing, Spry Architecture has delivered a contemporary desert residence that is both striking and practical — embodying honest modernism in one of Arizona’s most sun-drenched environments.
Wiggs Photo
Dan Reardon