The Hillside Villas at D.C. Ranch, in Scottsdale, Arizona, promote a more efficient and picturesque approach to single family development than is frequently practiced in many residential communities. The underlying design concept for the project is loosely modeled after the massing of Italian Hill Towns. Approximately 60 residences, divided among seven “pods” of 6 to 9 units each, will be developed in phases over the 61 acres of often steeply sloping desert hillside.

The homes are arranged along narrow, irregularly edged lanes that resemble open courts or plazas rather than traditional streets. Retaining walls connect the units and frame the open areas, emphasizing the impression of a unified “village.” The strategic massing of units leaves over 40% of the site in its natural state. Large swaths of Sonora Desert run between each phase further accentuating each cluster’s individuality.