Wright’s design for the Norman Lykes House seems to materialize from the side of its mountainside site.
Photographer: Andrew Pielage
What Frank Lloyd Wright Learned From the Desert
With Taliesin West and other building designs in central Arizona, the architect adopted survival strategies from desert life long before sustainability was a trend.
The summer of 2024 marked a climate milestone for central Arizona: Daily highs in Phoenix reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 113 consecutive days, shattering records for triple-digit temperatures. Even though the year is young, Arizona has already beat another heat record in 2025: On March 25, afternoon temperatures in Phoenix hit 99 degrees, an astonishing springtime scorcher.
As the fifth-largest city in the US, with the fastest-growing population as recently as 2020, Phoenix and its infamous sprawl practically erupts with greenhouse gases. Climatologists are raising concerns about the livability of Phoenix, particularly its extreme heat and fire risk, which threaten up to $1.23 trillion worth of homes, with many properties facing both climate hazards.