The Periphery House / Locus Studio

Architects: Locus Studio
Area: 2120 ft²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Anson Fogel
Manufacturers: Lutron, Western Window Systems, Kolher, Sugantsune, Waveform Lighting, Zehnder
Lead Architects: Anson Fogel
Structural Engineering: MJ Structural Engineers
Contractors: Locus Studio
Permit Drawings: Ryan McMullen
Drawings: Cirque Studio
Framing: Cohabit Building Collective
Concrete: Cohabit Building Collective
City: Boulder
Country: United States

The Periphery house, designed by Locus Studio in Utah’s high desert, redefines how architecture interacts with its environment. Built near the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the project uses engineering and material restraint to emphasize atmosphere, climate response, and site preservation. Elevated at 6,300 feet, it integrates concrete, steel, and oak to establish a direct dialogue with the landscape. Developed over four years through a self-performed construction process, the house uses passive systems and axial views to frame the changing desert, making it both shelter and environmental interface.

The Periphery is a two-bedroom residence positioned in Utah’s remote high desert, adjacent to the 1.8-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Located at an elevation of 6,300 feet, the home sits above slickrock and wetland terrain shaped by elemental forces over time. The design acts both as shelter and as a spatial mechanism, intended to frame light, silence, and the nuanced rhythms of the desert.

The house was designed and built across four years by Locus Studio, a small craft-based design/build practice directed by Anson Fogel. The project investigates the boundary between enclosure and exposure. Intentionally sited among pinyon and juniper, the structure lightly touches the land, reducing ecological disturbance while anchoring itself into the geological context. A cantilevered concrete deck and the use of steel, oak, and glass attempt to blur the spatial separation between inside and outside.

Fogel’s background in engineering, lighting design, and cinematography influenced the house’s dual focus on technical performance and atmospheric experience. The Periphery was realized through a fully integrated design-build method, with a small team of experienced collaborators working continuously from concept through construction.

Engineering strategies were applied to serve experiential rather than purely functional goals. A 75-foot-long thermal mass wall moderates daily temperature changes. Passive climate responses support year-round comfort, while discreet, high-performance mechanical systems maintain indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Glass openings and operable panels contribute to the building’s direct response to the desert’s shifting conditions. The plan is organized through axial alignments and framed views, contrasting the vastness of the surrounding landscape.

Material selection was modest but executed with precision. Oak, steel, and concrete were used as the primary palette, left untreated to remain expressive. Interiors feature full-height flush oak doors and cabinetry, frameless clerestory glazing, and built-in furnishings that lend spatial rigor. The steam room, clad in African mahogany, introduces a warm, enclosed contrast within the otherwise open plan. The compact footprint is calibrated to minimize land disturbance and includes exterior elements such as a courtyard with a wood-fired hot tub, a naturally fed swimming pond, and a steel-framed workshop integrated into the terrain.

Construction was self-performed by Locus Studio and a core group of skilled collaborators. This approach allowed for detailed control throughout the process, from structure and detailing to millwork and finish work. The Periphery exemplifies the studio’s practice, which centers on a measured engagement with site, climate, and human experience. As the architects describe, the home is “a small but potent example of how architecture can serve as both sanctuary and lens — framing the monumental, ephemeral beauty of the American West.”