The wide boulder massif below the granite peaks under high cloud

Box Canyon · Yucca, Arizona

Gallery

(001) The land

Photographed on the property in Box Canyon — the granite, the light, the hours the week is built around.

A woman in flowing white raising her arms beside the granite boulders of Box Canyon — Box Canyon

Aerial view of the Box Canyon ridgeline as the sun drops behind the range — The canyon from above, last light

The desert track running toward the mountains with the sun breaking over the ridge — The road out, and the only one

The wide boulder massif below the granite peaks under high cloud — Three hundred and twenty acres

A woman in white standing among the granite boulders beneath the jagged peak — Beneath the peak

A figure in white in the boulder field with the granite massif rising behind — The land does most of the work

A yucca in bloom against a clear desert sky — Yucca, in bloom

A Joshua tree silhouetted against a violet dusk sky — Dusk comes slowly here

The last band of orange light along the desert horizon after sunset — The hour before the stars

A woman carrying a woven basket of just-cut vegetables from the farm — Cut this morning

A woman in a long white dress standing among the granite boulders — The walk in

A figure in white below the jagged peak at the head of the canyon — Day seven

A man stepping between two granite boulders with the sun flaring behind — The scramble

A person climbing the shoulder of a granite boulder — Movement, the way the land asks for it

A couple standing together in front of the boulder field — Nobody is handed a lesser week

Hands lifting a tomato from a basket of just-picked vegetables and herbs — The morning’s picking

A hand reaching into a bowl of just-picked citrus — Citrus, picked by hand

A hand resting on an open botanical reference book under dappled shadow — The 1–4pm window is yours

A Joshua tree in bloom, close — Joshua tree in bloom

Looking straight down at clear shallow water over rippled sand, with bands of sunlight on the bottom and darker green deep water along the right side. — Shallow water, from above

A blurred figure in light clothing steps across the gap between two large rounded boulders, photographed against a bright sky with scattered clouds. — Between two boulders

Two hands hold a dark purple and yellow tomato above a cloth-lined basket filled with heirloom tomatoes, orange peppers, red radishes, broccolini and leafy herbs. — Tomatoes, radish, broccolini

A hand reaches into a wooden bowl of lemons, grapefruit and mandarins on a linen cloth, holding a halved pink grapefruit in sunlight. — Citrus, halved at the table

Thin branches of a desert shrub with small yellow-green leaves in the foreground, with a blurred pale sky and desert floor behind. — Scrub, at eye level

A rocky desert hill with scattered boulders and a band of exposed rock below the summit, seen across a foreground of junipers, Joshua trees and low desert scrub under a blue sky with large white clouds. — Joshua trees to the base of the hill

A cream-coloured flower cluster rising from the spiked green leaves of a Joshua tree, backlit against a blue sky with white clouds. — Joshua tree in bloom

Looking upward into the thick twisted trunk and spreading branches of an old juniper tree, with sky visible through the foliage. — Juniper, from underneath

A rocky desert ridge in silhouette at sunset, with saguaro cactus on the skyline and distant mountain ranges under a cloud-streaked orange sky. — The ridgeline at sundown

A black and white photograph of a man and a woman standing together in light linen clothing in a desert landscape of large boulders and low scrub. — Two, at the edge of the boulder field

Two pairs of hands reaching toward one another with fingers almost touching, photographed from below against a pale sky and lit from behind. — Two pairs of hands, backlit

A woman in cream clothing stands on a large granite boulder in a desert boulder field, with a rocky ridge and a yucca plant behind her. — Boulder field, late light

Linen, and the sun behind it

(002) The villas, as drawn

Architectural renders of the design that is permitted and stamped — the water court, the living room and the bedroom of every villa.

The villa water court render — plunge pool, hot tub and outdoor shower against the canyon wall — The water court — plunge pool, hot tub, cold plunge · villa render

The villa living room render, opening through full-height glazing to the private pool — Villa living, opening to the water court · villa render

The villa bedroom render — plaster walls, travertine and morning light — Villa bedroom · villa render

The shared pool court at dusk render, lanterns lit beneath the granite hills — The pool court at dusk · render

The walled villa approach render, planted with cactus and desert wildflowers — The walk to your villa · render

A woman in a long pale robe walks away down a shaded outdoor corridor between plaster and rammed earth walls, with desert hills visible at the far end. — The walk to dinner

A single-storey sand-coloured building with three bays of floor-to-ceiling glass at dusk, with empty tables and chairs on the stone terrace and desert plants in front. — The clubhouse, before anyone comes down

An aerial view of a circular farm with wedge-shaped planted beds radiating from a centre point, surrounded by orchard rows, greenhouse tunnels and a fenced pasture, with large boulders in the foreground. — The farm from the ridge

A view through a plastered gateway covered in flowering vine, looking out over a planted farm with gravel paths, a round stone fountain, olive trees and greenhouse tunnels, with a rocky peak in the distance. — The farm, through the gate

A woman in cream clothing walks away along a stone path through desert scrub toward two low desert buildings, with a boulder covered mountain behind. — The path between the buildings

A stone path runs between desert plants and boulders toward a recessed doorway in a long stone wall, with a saguaro cactus at left and a pine branch overhead at right. — The walk in, past the saguaro

Four open timber cabanas with linen curtains and cushioned daybeds line one side of a pool terrace, with planters and a stone building at right and a cactus-covered hill behind. — Four cabanas, along the long edge

A long rectangular pool in a walled court at sunset, lined with lanterns, with curtained cabanas on one side, a rammed-earth pavilion at the far end and a rocky hillside under an orange sky behind. — Lanterns down both sides, after sundown

A stone entry pavilion with a tall rectangular opening stands between two shallow reflecting pools, with a lit stone wall and basin inside and olive trees and desert mountains behind it at sunset. — The doorway into the spa, lit from inside

A dark stone-walled passage lit along the floor leads through a glass door to a lit amber stone panel on a rammed earth wall beyond. — Onyx, lit from behind

A narrow interior corridor with pale stone walls, dark wooden doors on one side, slim vertical wall lights, a polished floor and a bronze-framed glass wall on the other side. — The corridor to the treatment rooms

Open dark wood doors look into a warmly lit treatment room with a dressed massage table, a stone vanity, a candle, and a backlit curtain behind. — Treatment room, doors open

A desert courtyard with two square sunken stone pools, an olive tree, lanterns on the paving, and a wooden pergola sheltering four cushioned daybeds along one wall. — Two basins, cut into the court

A low cream and stone villa at dusk with lit path lights along a stone walkway to its timber door, under a purple and orange sky with a rocky peak behind. — Path lights on, the peak going dark

A plaster-walled bedroom with a dark wood platform bed and pale linens, two matching beige armchairs and a black side table on a jute rug, a rammed earth wall at right holding a framed artwork and pottery, and an olive tree in a tall dark urn at left beside a sunlit corridor. — One bed, one corridor, afternoon

A plaster-walled dressing and washing area with open shelves, two pale robes on a rail, a folded stack of towels, a carved stone vanity with an oval mirror and brass sconce, and a recessed bed of river stones set into the floor. — Robes, one basin, a bed of stone

A plaster-walled living room with a cream sofa, two wooden armchairs, a jute rug and a lit fireplace, with a glass wall on the left looking out to a small pool in a walled courtyard. — The water court, one pane away

A plaster villa living room with a pale sectional sofa, two wooden armchairs, a low timber coffee table on a jute rug and a lit fireplace at right, with full-height sliding glass doors opening onto a walled courtyard pool and desert mountains beyond. — Sliders open onto the water court

A stone soaking tub sits at the end of a narrow outdoor bathing court with a brass shower on the left wall, towels hanging at right, trailing vines on the back wall and timber beams open to a pink evening sky. — Outdoor soaking tub, open to the sky

A walled courtyard at golden hour with a raised square stone hot tub spilling water into a lower rectangular plunge pool, an outdoor shower on a plaster column at left, a built-in sofa and fire table at right, and cacti and desert peaks beyond the wall. — The spill from hot tub to plunge

A small rammed earth pavilion at dusk with a lit recess inside holding a round stone basin, shallow reflecting pools set into the paving on either side, and olive trees along a low wall to the right under an orange sky. — Last light on the rammed earth

A low stone building at golden hour with tall wooden doors open onto a lit reception area with a stone desk, flanked by rose-covered walls and approached by a timber walkway, with a rocky outcrop behind. — Arrival, the doors stand open

A low symmetrical plaster building at dusk with a lit glass-walled entry revealing a stone reception desk inside, a timber boardwalk leading to the doors, agaves and boulders on either side, and rounded rock hills under an orange sky. — The way in, at dusk

A white stone building with an open wooden door at sunset, with a lit spout of water falling from the wall into a narrow channel beside the walkway. — Water off the wall, lit from below

A woman in a long white robe walks barefoot through the open wooden door of a white stone building at sunset. — Walking in, barefoot

An empty wood floored studio with rows of yoga mats and bolsters, tall windows looking onto a rocky desert, and a lit fireplace along the right wall. — Mats down before anyone arrives

(003) Not yet built

The villas and a handful of the days are still study images while the property is built. The shoot replaces them before the first cohort arrives.

Two people hiking a desert wash at sunrise — 6:30am, every day — study imagery

A woman practicing yoga on a granite ledge at dawn — 8am — breath, yoga, stretching — study imagery

A person writing in a journal on a desert boulder — 6am, before anything else — study imagery

A man swimming in a natural desert swimming hole — The swimming hole — study imagery

An outdoor massage under a linen canopy — The treatment travels to you — study imagery

A woman shaping clay at a pottery wheel under a shade structure among the boulders — The pottery wheels, out among the boulders — study imagery

Guests making their own pizzas at an outdoor wood-fired oven at golden hour — The farm oven, and your own hands — study imagery

Guests picking citrus and cutting greens in the farm garden at golden hour — The orchard and the beds, at picking hour — study imagery

Two guests riding horses side by side through the desert at golden hour — Side by side, at a walk — study imagery

Two kayakers on the Colorado River between steep canyon walls north of Lake Havasu — The Colorado, walled in stone — study imagery

Hot air balloons drifting over Lake Havasu at sunrise with desert flora in the foreground — Balloon season over the lake — study imagery

A clay massif on the desert trail among granite boulders, one guest at the edge and another rinsing under a shower fixed to a tree — The mud station, on the activity trail — study imagery

Two players on a desert pickleball court ringed by granite boulders, seen from behind the baseline in late afternoon — Racquet sport — among the strongest longevity signals of any sport studied — study imagery

Two people in conversation on a stone bench — The standing pair — study imagery

A person walking with headphones on a desert trail — 4pm — the player and the trail — study imagery

A guest reading in the shade of a mesquite tree, boulders and saguaro behind — Mesquite shade, and nowhere to be — study imagery

A guest at a telescope on the boulders, the Milky Way overhead — After 8:30pm, under a Bortle 2 sky — study imagery

Oversized outdoor chimes and a stone marimba set among granite boulders — Instruments left out on the land — study imagery

Hands working soil in a raised garden bed — Therapeutic gardening — study imagery

Two people play a paddle sport on an outdoor court surrounded by desert boulders and shrubs, with a rocky peak in the background. — The court, before the heat — study imagery

Seven people seated on mats across curved wooden decks in the desert, with a rocky mountain ridge and a rising sun behind them and brush in the foreground. — First light on the ridge — study imagery

A gravel path with stone steps between raised stone beds of pepper plants and flowers, with a metal bucket and a woven basket of freshly picked vegetables set on the wall and three people working further back. — Picked, and left on the wall — study imagery

A terraced kitchen garden with dry-stone raised beds full of chard, aubergines, peppers, sunflowers and marigolds, with three people in straw hats tending the plants and a rocky peak behind. — Beds terraced into the slope — study imagery

A speckled ceramic plate holding a folded omelette with dark greens, cubes of roasted orange vegetable and a cherry tomato salsa, with a mug of frothy green drink, a bowl of salt and chilli flakes, yellow wildflowers and a linen napkin on a pale stone surface. — Breakfast, plated outside — study imagery

A ceramic bowl of green smoothie topped with sliced magenta prickly pear, blackberries, granola, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and melon slices, beside a small bowl of honey with a dipper, a mug of matcha, a bowl of pumpkin seeds and cactus paddles on a pale stone surface. — Prickly pear, honey, and a green bowl — study imagery

A thick stone table supported by weathered wood posts, holding a closed leather journal tied with a strap, on a rocky slope overlooking a desert valley with mountains and a setting sun. — Left on the table — study imagery

Eight people seen from behind stand in a row with their arms around each other, facing a rocky desert peak at sunset. — The cohort, last light — study imagery

A man and a woman sit side by side in a natural rock pool with their backs to the camera, looking toward a rocky desert peak at sunset. — The rock pool, at sundown — study imagery

A person holds a wooden tray with two glasses of lemonade, rolled white towels, dried lavender and a Santerra card, in front of a sand-coloured entry wall with desert mountains behind. — Arrival, lemon and lavender — study imagery