Crowley (HARDCOVER)  | Released: 30 Jun 2009

The sheer vulnerability of the flat hilltop site of the Crowley residence in Marfa, Texas, inspired architect Carlos Jimenez to design a one-story structure with a focus on boundaries and limits. Completed in 2004, the house integrates interior and exterior spaces with an elongated layout that defines two distinct courtyards, creating a simultaneously intimate and expansive space. Built primarily of concrete, stucco, galvanized steel and Ipe wood, the house is a shaded sanctuary offering breathtaking views of rolling grass dunes, chiseled mountain ranges and the Chihuahuan desert while withstanding Marfa's intense weather conditions. Constant variations in light, provided in abundance by the Southwest Texas sun, enrich the interior life of the Crowley home throughout the day while native vegetation around the house provides shade and camouflage for the exterior.