Location: Palm Springs, California
Year: 2021
Photography: David Blank

About Studio

Todd Verwers Architects was founded in 2009 and provides architectural consulting services. The firm is based in California and provides architectural and interior design services to a diverse group of European and American clients. Services provided by TVA include Architecture, Interior design, Owner representation, Development feasibility studies, Construction Management, Energy analyses, and Subconsulting.

TVA is the successor firm to Petersen+Verwers Architecture in San Francisco, which was founded in 1996 by the husband and wife team of architect Todd Verwers and textile designer Mette Krebs Petersen. Under the direction of Todd Blake Verwers, the architectural and interior design work of this firm was widely published, and his designs for Elevation Salon + Café, Folsom Street Residential Laboratory, and the Petersen/Verwers Residence are particularly noteworthy. The firm also garnered several design awards, including an Honor Award from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

The initial intention of the design was to create an open space with a large glass wall facing a small patio, however this one-bedroom flat has been divided and altered dramatically. — The initial intention of the design was to create an open space with a large glass wall facing a small patio, however, this one-bedroom flat has been divided and altered dramatically.

The inside is seen as a straightforward, tranquil refuge or sanctuary from which to take in views of the mountains and palm trees.

Grey and white are combined in the interior design of the living area.

The home offers expansive views of the palm tree-covered mountains and surrounding landscape.

Near the kitchen is a table that seats four people and has an all-white design to go with the interior's overall color scheme. — Near the kitchen is a table that seats four people and has an all-white design to go with the interior’s overall color scheme.

The tiny kitchen is more functional and can accommodate contemporary appliances.

Because of the sunlight that enters via the glass walls, the bedroom is well-lit.

The walls of the bedroom are tiled and white, and there is a little lamp on either side of the bed that illuminates the space at night.

There are parts to the bathroom, and a lensed skylight that already existed has been converted into a lightwell.

This image displays the house's floorplan from a side view angle. — This image displays the house’s floorplan from a side view angle.

The Ocotillo Lodge in Palm Springs is an iconic example of midcentury desert architecture. A complex of predominantly one-story condominiums situated around a clubhouse and pool, the project was designed by architect William Krisel and opened originally as a hotel in 1957.

The small 520SF, one-bedroom unit had been partitioned and altered significantly, undermining the original intent of the design as an open space with an expansive glass wall toward a narrow patio, with panoramic views of surrounding mountains and palm tree crowns. I wished to restore this unit back to Krisel’s vision while adding a level of functionality, aesthetic refinement, and detail.

The interior is perceived as a simple, calming shelter or receptor, from which to enjoy views of the mountains and palms. The patio is essentially an extension of the interior space and serves as a flexible area for outdoor dining.

In addition to removing a partition between the sleeping and living areas to restore uninterrupted space and diagonal views through the glass wall across all structural bays, the small original kitchen was replaced and reconfigured to enhance efficiency and to allow for modern appliances.

Wood panels matching the kitchen cabinet doors were applied to the dining wall, to integrate this corner of the space, and to allow for aesthetic integration of an existing door to the bathroom. HVAC grilles were custom fabricated for integration into the panel module. The bathroom was also thoroughly renovated with new components, and an existing lensed skylight was opened up as a lightwell.