The Cedar Street Residence in Tempe

By Maria and Matt Salenger of coLAB Studio.
Photos by Bill Timmerman. Interview by Alison King.

Matt: The Pods were sited to create an inner courtyard. If we had the third one completed, it would be more apparent. But we also wanted to create a series of secondary spaces around the perimeter of the yard for different types of gardens.

Maria: By lining the flanking sides of the lawn with the tall, linear structures, the resulting courtyard space between is much more comfortable and sheltered feeling than the original back yard.

Matt: I picked up these boulders in my truck and then had to find a way to get them out. The heaviest rock weighs 1300 pounds. I was by myself and managed to set my shoulders against the cab and push it out with my legs. How I managed to avoid a hernia, I'll never know. Once it was on the ground it took five of us to get it a couple of feet over to its resting position.

Maria: Sandblasting is great for old block houses. Once it's done, there's no maintenance required. We have yet to finish painting the wood trim.

Matt: For those that haven't experienced a sandblaster in action, its really REALLY loud. And messy. I bought our neighbors cookies and left an apology because the guys we hired showed up at 6am.

 

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