Work

Modern, rust-colored building with large windows situated in a desert landscape with cacti and other arid plants. People are seen walking and biking outside the building. Clear blue sky overhead.

Pima Dynamite Trailhead

A Trailhead Structure Guided by Nature

Poised on the boundary between the city and the desert, the Pima Dynamite Trailhead in Scottsdale, AZ, is a gateway between two worlds. The beginning of the trail is marked by an angular building clad in a steel skin that rises out of the desert wilderness. Along with accommodating restrooms and amenities, the center’s slatted overhangs frame a number of outdoor “rooms” that are oriented to maximize the outlook and provide respite for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. Preserving the ecology of the Sonoran Desert was a guiding force on the project. To that end, construction was focused on land that had already been developed while the building’s low, undulating form was sensitively positioned to harmonize with the site’s natural drainage flow.

A desert landscape with sparse vegetation, power lines, and a large transmission tower. The background features distant mountain ranges under a clear sky.
A modern building with a rust-colored exterior stands in a desert landscape with cacti and sparse vegetation under a clear sky.
Site plan showing trailheads, parking, buildings, and pathways. Maps illustrating site improvements, power line corridors, previously disturbed areas, washes, and topography and landscape are included.
Three people walk towards a modern building surrounded by cacti and desert vegetation, under a clear sky.
Three men sit on a concrete platform with a brown dog, under a modern metal canopy, with desert plants and cacti in the background.
Modern building with rust-colored metal siding and desert landscaping, featuring various plants and shrubs against a clear blue sky.
Tall cacti stand in front of a tilted, rusty structure with a slatted design, against a clear blue sky backdrop.
A modern restroom with a wooden ceiling, skylight, and tall windows. It features a long countertop with sinks and mirrors on the left and metal stalls on the right.
A person wearing a helmet is riding a bicycle on a dirt path in a desert landscape with modern buildings and various desert plants in the background.
A modern, angular building with rust-colored walls and large windows, surrounded by desert plants and cacti, under a twilight sky.

Project Information

Location

Scottsdale, Arizona

Collaborators

Floor Associates, Landscape Architect

Awards and Recognition

National AIA, AIA Small Project Award

AIA Arizona, Honor Award

Architizer A+Awards, Jury Winner for Public Parks & Green Spaces

Arizona Forward, Crescordia Award

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