White Gates by Al Beadle | 1958
South slope of Camelback Mountain
Vintage photo by Rod Moyer in 1959 for The Arizona Republic. Reprinted with kind permission of Arizona State University's Beadle Collection,
Design and the Arts Library Archives and Special Collections
A Compromise on Camelback
Read the full press release here, with five persepctives on the plan.
Members of the historic preservation community and PHX City Council District 6 struck a compromise with Yasser Elshair, owner of 4918 E White Gates Drive LLC, in November 2024. A demolition permit filed in March after the surprise sale of Al Beadle’s White Gates residence in January sparked outcry nationwide. The permit was voluntarily withdrawn to enable discussions about the home’s best use.
A recent building condition assessment by Motley Design Group rated property features on Condition + Integrity:
- Foundation, Grading, Drainage, Roof, Exterior Ceilings, Lateral Systems: Good + Good
- Vertical Load: Good + Fair
- Floor: Fair + Good
- Exterior Skin, Doors, Windows, Stairs: Fair + Fair
- Electrical Systems: Good + Poor
- Roof Drainage, Insulation, Interior Walls, Interior Doors, Flooring: Poor + Poor
According to the assessment, relocation of the structure on the same lot would be significantly easier than relocating it off-site, which requires sawing into 3 pieces and maneuvering down a steep slope and narrow desert streets.
Bob Graham, author of the report, observes, “…the simplicity and economy inherent to the house design are precisely the qualities that make it so difficult to move... There is a significant potential to preserve the essential remaining elements of the building that define its architectural character by adding to it.”
Modern Phoenix believes that White Gates could qualify for preservation under National Regsiter of Historic Places Criteria B and C. Four other Beadle properties have been deemed historic in the last decade: The Boardwalk, Executive Towers, Roman Roads, and another of his personal residences.
Elshair believes the property does not meet the historic eligibility and integrity standards; the freestanding garage and interior were demolished by a previous owner. Historic integrity typically applies only to the exterior and setting of a building. Initiating historic designation status without the owner's consent could delay development by placing a temporary 1 to 3 year hold on the property.
Elshair and Modern Phoenix do agree that if demolition is imminently inevitable, key elements of the existing architecture should be preserved for future use or incorporation at an offsite location. The brise-soleil panels are site-specific and echo the elliptical erosion patterns, called tafoni, in the red rocks of Camelback Mountain.
A newly proposed salvage plan was filed with a new demolition permit on Nov 22, ensuring that the brise-soleil screens and the steel patio awnings could be conserved for future use while the rest of the home is demolished. Elshair has agreed to finance their removal and a financial contribution of $50,000 earmarked for future public use of the materials. Additionally, in an unusual move, the new permit will prevent demolition for 320 days while a home for the salvage is determined.
Modern Phoenix had higher hopes for White Gates to be preserved in place, and we consistently pressed for this outcome on behalf of our community. We also believe that a complete relocation of the shell of the home and reassembly elsewhere is not the wisest use of limited resources. A significant aspect of the screen wall’s appeal comes from its relationship to Camelback Mountain. Once removed from the mountain, the home’s historic and artistic integrity will be irreparably damaged.
Al Beadle was a practical man as well as an artist. He was known to concede when his buildings had outlived their useful lifespan, but would likely be pleased to see the most artistic aspects of White Gates continue to inspire and educate about his legacy. We look forward to constructive dialog with the HP Commission and surrounding community on December 16th.
What's Next?
- Read the full press release here, with five persepctives on the plan.
- The public may weigh in on White Gates at the Dec 16 Phoenix Historic Preservation Hearing by contacting the HP Office at historic@phoenix.gov.
- A link to register to speak at the Dec 16 meeting will be posted here when the enrollment form goes live.
- If you live in City Council District 6 (Arcadia/Camelback/Biltmore/Upper Central) you may voice your opinion directly to your City Councilman Kevin Robinson at council.district.6@phoenix.gov
- Sign the letter to reform preservation policy in Arizona.
- Read article in the Phoenix Business Journal.
- Read article on THX News (with helpful timeline/chart at the bottom)
- Read our recent posts and videos on Instagram if you need more context.
- Share this information with your social circles.
- If you live in the immediate area, reach out to the neighbors bordering the property who will be most affected by demolition. Attend the meeting or write together; your voice matters.
THANK YOU!
White Gates remains one of Phoenix's most beguiling and enigmatic modern architectural icons. The floating rectangle was featured by Living for Young Homemakers as A House that Calls Its Family To Order. 
Built shortly after Beadle and his family settled in Phoenix, and his first attempt at something ultra-modern, the home was a showcase for modern efficiency and contrasted sharply with the rugged red rocks on the slope of Camelback. 
The home was one of six that Beadle would develop in the Red Rocks area, but now only one of three in that neighborhood that remain intact. The Beadle Archive estimates there to be about 80 single-family residences of his in existence.
Brise-soleil fever caught on early in Phoenix, years before Edward Durell Stone's Embassy in New Delhi popularized the look internationally. Mass-manufactured block by the local company Superlite was just entering the mainstream, and Beadle's massive panels are a refreshing departure from the company's stock breezeblock shapes.
According to vintage photography, this ellipsoid screen pattern was prototyped on just two Beadle homes. It is a treatment that we have yet to see used elsewhere outside this slope of the mountain. The second home it was used on is the nearby Mendelsohn Residence, now believed to be demolished or modified beyond recognition.
The Uhlmann house, shown in the distance next door and built two years later, would use manufactured block for a similar yet less time-intensive look.
White Gates holds the distinction of being the only home in two decades of the Modern Phoenix Home Tour to be featured four times. This is quite an accomplishment considering that the tour changes geographic location every year! It remains a fan favorite despite its current condition. Architecture students and tourists from around the world come to see it in its gorgeous desert setting.
In 2002 disappointed new owner Don Dillon had to bail on plans to remodel the home, and it was sold. A new owner, Lynda Maze, took it on. In 2007 the home was on the brink of extinction; there were architect's plans for a new build, and some neighbors wanted the eyesore torn down — yet its fragility is part of why so many in this city love this building so.
One of our community members and the founder of the Beadle Archive, Shawn Augustinak, reached out to Lynda Maze and averted its conversion to a mansion. The home was gutted and stabilized. The owners were in good communication with Modern Phoenix, and fell in love with the Beadle Box. The property was featured in several other Modern Phoenix Home Tours over the years, including a Beadle Boxes tour for the Docomomo National Symposium on Modenrism and Climate.In 2024 the property changed hands again, this time Yasser Elshair of 4918 E White Gates LLC, who promptly filed a permit for demolition in March. This caused outrage among the larger community and surrounding neighbors, and resulted in the withdrawal of the demolition permit and months-long negotation on a compromise for the structure.
Stay in touch with the issues through Modern Phoenix's Instagram with breaking news and videos as the home is up for public discussion again on December 16.
But back to that gorgeous screen wall...
In 2016 Ned Sawyer, an employee of Beadle's, revealed the mystery of the screen wall, which won a masonry award for design. The secret is it's not masonry at all. The form is made of horizontal parallel 2X4s, with a circle of metal flashing squashed in-between each course to create the ellipses. The entire framework was then filled and plastered to its smooth white finish. 
White Gates is one of two homes these foothills that used this plaster screen technique, and the only one that still remains standing.
The ovoid shapes in the screen clearly echo the ellipses of erosion, called tafoni, found on the south face to Camelback mountain beyond. It's stunning setting and notable construction have earned it a place of esteem in Phaidon's Atlas of Mid-century Modern Houses. White Gates is probably Beadle's most instagrammed architecture of all time.Photos ©2014 - 2024 Modern Phoenix LLC, Joshua Friedman