Scottsdale, Ariz.’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is the largest urban land preserve in the country at 30,500 acres. With close to 1 million visitors a year, its series of trailheads contribute to the protection and advocacy of the preserve, while ensuring there isn’t a detrimental impact on the sensitive desert ecosystem it creates. Situated on top of a plateau, the Fraesfield Trailhead offers some of the best and most accessible panoramic views of the preserve, as well as Tonto National Forest.
Custom-bent natural metal shapes creates trailhead with panoramic views
Photo: Matt Winquist
The gentle desert terrain was once home to a roaming cattle ranch homestead, and now the trailhead takes advantages of the views characterized by its bristly textures. To celebrate this, Mark Kranz, FAIA, vice president and design director at SmithGroup’s Phoenix office, says the natural metal skin was folded to respond outward to the density of the mountain ranges, which ultimately gave the façade the rough textural character of the surrounding desert.
Completed in May 2019, the 1,107-square-foot Fraesfield Trailhead is made up of two buildings, which become an object in the landscape that is articulated with materials and detailing consistent with achieving minimal intervention to the landscape.
Photo: Matt Winquist
“The primary structure provides restrooms along with expansive overhangs, allowing for the majority of activity, staging and programming to occur outdoors protected from the Arizona sun,” explains Kranz. “A cantilevered viewing platform frames panoramic views, while the trailhead structure integrates itself experientially into the panoramic viewshed. The structure is designed to visually connect users to the surrounding landscape, aligning views of the four peaks: Superstition Mountain, McDowell Mountain, Pinnacle Peak and Granite Mountain.”
The structure’s orientation and siting were tuned to frame the panoramic views, while creating the maximum amount of shade in the early- to late-morning time frame. “This window is the high peak for hikers and bikers, and because of this, the time of day for peak use was a major driver in how the project is sited,” says Kranz.
Topping the structure is a subtle butterfly roof that angles upward to views of the Superstition Mountains while guiding stormwater to a series of boulders that punctuate a natural arroyo. “The roof form elegantly balances the requirement for shade making, stormwater conveyance and choreographing the framing of panoramic views to the surrounding landscape,” Kranz adds.
Photo: Matt Winquist
The folded metal panel skin catches light and creates shade and shadow in the same way a saguaro cactus does. According to Kranz, “The naturally weathering panels create a rich variety of texture and hue that when painted with light are metaphorically reflective of the project’s natural desert context.”
An advantage of the natural finish of the metal is that no maintenance is required from the city to maintain its beauty, as it will age along with its surroundings. The Fraesfield Trailhead facilities are naturally ventilated with perforated metal used within the folded façade to keep critters out and airflow up. “The perforated skin also serves as a subtle lantern in the dusk hours of the trail closing to assist in safety stewarding hikers out of the preserve,” Kranz says.
The project features 2,723 square feet of custom metal forms designed by SmithGroup and fabricated by Cave’s Canopies & Steel Inc., Apache Junction, Ariz. The project features 16-gauge hot-rolled steel and 63% open perforated steel with 5/32-inch holes staggered at 3/16-inch on-center. The steel wall façade is comprised of five modular, custom-bent shapes, and has a rusted finish by natural weathering.
Photo: Matt Winquist
While SmithGroup may be known for being involved with much larger scale projects, Kranz says the firm saw such a high potential opportunity in terms of design caliber and sustainability that they wanted to be a part of it. “It also aligned precisely with our mission to contribute to the community in a meaningful way,” he adds.
The Fraesfield Trailhead has been recognized for a number of awards, including the 2019 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Arizona Honor Award for Distinguished Architecture, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Arizona 2019 Presidents Award and 2019 Award of Excellence, Planning and Analysis.
The 2020 Metal Architecture Design Award judges all noted the project was well done and well executed, making it the clear winner in the Natural Metals category. The weathered steel sets the project apart in its scale and setting, they said.