The Sonoran desert is a special place. It's full of plants that seem to have evolved at the bottom of the sea, yet thrive in this arid landscape. These ecological wonders of our home inspire and inform our work—from biomimicry to building science, we look to nature for inspiration.
We believe in carefully selecting materials that work in harmony with nature while creating healthy spaces to enjoy life. As much as we strive for harmony we must acknowledge our local nature is downright gnarly. For instance, we often see 30° to 40°F changes within 24 hours. You might start a bike ride at 8am in 70°F and return at noon feeling like a dehydrated noodle in 105°F heat.
The desert is also a place of myths. While these myths add to its magic, they sometimes manifest as cranky old contractors smoking cigarettes through truck windows while insisting “there ain’t no mold issues here”.
Contrary to local myths about our "dry" climate, the Sonoran desert has surprisingly high moisture content. At 110°F and 15% relative humidity, Phoenix air contains more water (9 g/m³) than a rainy Seattle day at 42°F and 100% humidity (7 g/m³). This occurs because hot air holds significantly more water vapor than cold air, keeping water molecules moving too quickly to condense into liquid form.
And yes, this is the only desert with two rainy seasons—that's important too!
Despite our unique environment, we're connected to global challenges. Our material selections must minimize upfront carbon impact and support social justice. We reject products whose lifecycles involve war for oil or big chemical plants that pollute communities.
With these principles in mind, we were honored to join the DBG team in creating something extraordinary during the DBG expansion. We helped design an Exhibit Gallery that exemplifies best practices in both high-performance and natural materials. Our 5 Factors of Good Building tool guided product specifications, making decisions clear and efficient. Together, we created a building that meets Passive House and Living Building Health & Materials standards—not as official goals, but as natural outcomes of using truly good materials.
As an example of our work, instead of fiberglass and foam we chose woodfiber and sheep wool insulation. This seemingly subtle shift from "bad" to "good" insulation made an enormous difference across all 5 Factors. The methods we use for airtightness and waterproofing are equally important, particularly for health. Many conventional products contain harmful forever chemicals (PFAS), so we exclusively use Declare Label (Red List Free) products for air and water control.
If you’re ready to elevate your next project please contact us and we’ll be happy to share our nerdy stoke with you!