MARX ROAD (TAMARISK HOUSE)

Designed by architect Steven Harris as his personal residence in Rancho Mirage, this modern desert home dissolves boundaries through expansive glass walls, precise detailing, and a seamless connection to the landscape—beautifully realized with Awake window and door systems.

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Details

Location:

Rancho Mirage, CA

Partners:

Steven Harris Architects | Architecture
Lucien Rees Roberts (RRP) | Interior & Landscape Design

Products:

Window Wall
Operable Windows
Multi-Slide Doors
Hinged Doors

Project Highlights:

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls, concealed tracks and thresholds, and expansive openings designed to dissolve the boundary between indoors and out.

Overview

Dreamed up as both a personal sanctuary and a rigorously disciplined architectural exercise, the Marx Road Residence reflects a lifetime of design conviction brought home. Designed by Steven Harris for himself, the residence is guided by a set of non-negotiables—principles that prioritize procession, proportion, and daily lived experience over spectacle.

Set within the desert landscape of Rancho Mirage, the home unfolds gracefully. From the first glimpse across the surrounding greenery to the gradual reveal of interior volumes, the architecture resists abrupt transitions. Instead, it choreographs movement through space with restraint and intention, allowing light, air, and landscape to do the work.

 

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Architecture That Disappears

At Marx Road, glass is not a feature; it’s a framework.

Expansive glazing allows the home to sit lightly within its surroundings, dissolving the distinction between interior rooms and the landscaped grounds beyond. Awake systems were specified to minimize visual interruption, allowing structure, mullions, and hardware to recede from view.

  • Large-format glass panels frame views of the garden and distant mountains
  • Concealed tracks and refined sightlines preserve architectural clarity
  • Openings invite daily interaction with light, air, and landscape

Rather than competing with the architecture, the glazing amplifies it, reinforcing the home’s emphasis on proportion, restraint, and connection.

A Choreographed Approach

One of Harris’ core non-negotiables was the experience of arrival. At Marx Road, entry is a sequence, rather than a singular moment.

The approach is gradual, guiding visitors through a series of calibrated reveals before reaching the main living spaces. Glass plays a critical role in this procession, offering glimpses outward while maintaining a sense of intimacy and enclosure. As one moves through the home, views expand, contract, and reframe, creating a rhythm that is both psychological and spatial.

Living With the Landscape

The relationship between house and site is seamless. Landscaped berms and exterior gathering areas extend the home’s footprint into the garden, creating the feeling of a pavilion set within a park rather than a house placed on a golf course.

Awake glazing systems support this fluidity, enabling rooms to open effortlessly to the outdoors while maintaining comfort, performance, and ease of use. The result is a residence that invites nature in—not occasionally, but as part of everyday life.

Feeling inspired?

We’d love to hear from you! Our team is dedicated to executing your vision.

You can get in touch with us via this contact form.

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