The Turkels 2,080-square-foot Axiom Desert House seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living—a signature component of the Palm Springs and Southern California residential lifestyle. Their home also incorporates innovative and energy-efficient products and systems. They constructed the super-insulated house using durable engineered wood. They covered the roof with a reflective polycarbonate surface, Meelena explains, then an air gap, then a photovoltaic system that brings the home’s energy use to net-zero.

“As a result, the great room has a well-insulated roof, with a shading structure that powers the entire home,” Meelena says. “When we have 110-degree days, the temperature inside the house still hovers around 82 degrees.” Double-pane windows, roof overhangs that shade the interior from the hot desert sun, and ceiling fans also add to interior comfort. “We can keep our doors and windows open more often than most people in Palm Springs.”

Because Palm Springs has year-round sun, the Turkels needed deep overhangs. To fit the home’s modernist aesthetic, they also had to engineer thin, elegant roof planes that would resist wind loads. Solar modeling, done during the initial design phase, ensured eave overhangs were correctly shaped and sized. “We never get any direct sunlight on any of the windows,” Meelena says. “That’s particularly important in the desert.”

Nor does the home require much artificial lighting. “Our windows are strategically placed so we don’t have any glare, but enjoy nice even light.” The couple also conducted an exterior siding and cladding visualization study using 3D modeling. They selected stucco, concrete block, and thermally modified wood for the exterior—choices suitable for the Palm Springs climate. 

Inside, the Turkels divided the home into live/play, work, and sleep zones. The home includes three modest bedrooms (the girls’ bedrooms are multi-functional, with beds that fold away to increase the play area), three bathrooms, an office, a guest room that doubles as a den, and a great room that opens to the outdoor pool and shaded courtyard. 

A “living platform,” or large indoor/outdoor window seat, open the great room to the private courtyard via Marvin lift-and-slide doors that disappear into wall pockets. Adjacent to the dining room and kitchen is a green living wall by Suite Plants. 

Still, she adds, “With the Axiom Desert House, we’re trying new things. We’ve also taken a position on how we feel homes should be designed. People tend to want to go big. I feel strongly that that’s not necessary. There are the operating and energy costs of heating, cooling, and servicing a larger home. Homeowners also need to consider the embodied energy that comes with a larger home in terms of construction and finish materials.”

“Building this home for our family is one thing; an opportunity to teach our girls how to live with fewer but higher-quality things in a well-thought-out and well-organized home,” she continues. “At the same time, Axiom Desert House is a way of showing other people how to live with less and live more sustainably.” And without sacrificing the modern aesthetic and indoor-outdoor lifestyle for which Palm Springs is so famously beloved.