The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art held a competition to make a typical suburban Arizona strip mall into a more vibrant, flexible and accessible destination. Our solution activated an unused service road to knit together the retail enclave with its adjacent residential community.
A new roof announces the transitional space. Its low, sloping roof planes, molded into a series of large-scale corrugations, double as elevated promenades that enhance circulation and pedestrian access. Spontaneous, direct movement is further encouraged with sensory-rich areas for sitting and walking and lanes for cycling. Natural daylighting, a passive solar orientation and a heat-reflective roof decrease the stores’ energy consumption and anticipate a more sustainable community.