Antoine Predock's final residential project in Albuquerque desert

A San Francisco-based entrepreneur commissioned the late architect Antoine Predock to design a family retreat on a remote 40-acre parcel in the high desert near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Predock, who died in March 2024 at age 87, initially declined private residential work but was intrigued by the site's otherworldly terrain, featuring rolling badlands, Placer Mountain, and wild mustangs. The resulting single-story dwelling, completed in time for the client's 40th birthday, is organized around a concrete "spine" along a ridge, with five bedroom suites radiating outward. The central "amphitheatre"—a soaring living and dining space nicknamed the "dinodactyl" for its dinosaur-back-like form—maximizes the eastward "Big View" and serves as a social hub. The design responds to extreme climate conditions, including temperatures from below freezing to 37°C, 60mph winds, and intense sunlight. The roof is clad in steel shingles that will patinate over time. Interiors feature concrete floors dyed to match the bedrock, furnishings from Carl Hansen & Søn, B&B Italia, and BassamFellows, and an art collection including works by Judy Chicago, Constance DeJong, Anna Park, Fritz Scholder, and Rashid Johnson. Predock visited the completed house shortly before his death. The project was led by principals Veree Simons and Paul Fehlau of Antoine Predock Architect.