Yuma Casita

This traditional casita in Yuma, Arizona is nestled on a lot adjacent to a Spanish Hacienda style home that Hubbell & Hubbell had designed for the client’s daughter’s family in 2016. Our clients wanted to be close to family and utilize some of the same building materials as the original house. They envisioned a home with the connection to outdoor spaces and comfortable living spaces. The 1,940 square feet residence shares a three-acre site with another daughter’s home, so it is designed as an accessory dwelling unit. It includes a large indoor kitchen with beautiful Spanish tile work and an expansive outdoor kitchen, perfect for hosting large gatherings. Bordering an irrigational canal from the Colorado River, the pad had to be raised 3 feet above grade to prevent potential flooding – it was not something one would normally consider in the middle of a desert.

Passive cooling strategies were utilized to create an oasis during the hot Yuma summers. This includes large wrap-around covered patios, which protect the exterior walls from the direct sunlight, and a screened porch for the clients to enjoy the summer breeze at the end of a hot day. Some of the heavy timbers used were reclaimed from an old, abandoned railroad bridge.

This new casita has an old-world charm to it while integrating the latest green technologies and allows this multi-generational family to live close to one another. The design incorporates Perfect Block (ICCF), which are manufactured locally in Arizona. The blocks incorporate recycled post-consumer Styrofoam which is mixed with Portland cement to form large building blocks. They provide a 4-hour fire rating and high insulating qualities, which are perfect for regions of the west that often experience wildfires and severe heat. Yuma’s desert climate can rapidly change throughout the course of a day, so building with a material that keeps the heat at bay during the summer days but retains heat during the winter months is important to reduce utility costs and unnecessary energy use. Perfect Block is 700% stronger than wood framed construction and can withstand winds up to 250mph and is termite and insect resistant. It is also an extremely versatile product to use in unique designs.