One of the challenges of desert architecture is to design and build a home that complements the rugged landscape, becoming a part of the colors and lines that hold such appeal for lovers of this unusual environment.

Frank Lloyd Wright, arguably America’s greatest architect, purchased 600 acres at the foot of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. He chose the site after consulting on the design of the nearby Biltmore Hotel in 1927. Wright wrote: “It is a grand garden the like of which in sheer beauty of space and pattern does not exist, I think, in the world”. The architect spent his winters here from 1937 until his death in 1959.

The winter camp, constructed in 1937 and 1938, consisted of stone walls, redwood beams and canvas roofs. All the materials were chosen to seamlessly flow the lines of the small community into its natural surroundings. In fact, the canvas panels on the roof were inspired by the ridges of the saguaro, which contract and expand to capture water from the desert. Much of the canvas has been replaced today with a more durable plastic.

Taliesin West was built as an educational center and laboratory, so in addition to the living quarters and Wright’s private office, there are small apartments surrounding the Apprentice Court, a drafting studio, music pavilion, two theatres and an area called the Sun Trap—sleeping spaces that encircle a fireplace and outdoor patio.

This has been an active architectural community for over seventy years, and it remains so today. The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture is headquartered here, and students live and work on the grounds and in the kitchen just as they did in Wright’s day. In addition to the main buildings which were designed by Wright and his apprentices, students have designed and built their own personal structures which are scattered over the grounds.

Fortunately, Taliesin West has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark and visitors have the opportunity to experience this living laboratory for themselves. Five different guided tours are offered, although not all are available year-round. Several include tea or refreshments in the imaginative Dining Room, and visitors can sit in Wright-designed furniture in the famous “Garden Room” which is where the architect entertained many of the famous guests (such as Georgia O’Keeffe) who visited Taliesin.

The most popular tour is ninety-minutes long, but tour lengths vary from one to three hours. Combination rates are available, so if you have time take the guided desert walk along with one of the tours of the interior.