Cottonwood . . . . Since moving to the Verde Valley a few short months ago, Raymond Cox, AIA, has immersed himself in the culture and beauty of Sedona. Cox, a recent transplant from Northern Virginia but originally hailing from Texas, brings a balance of southern charm and western wit to his 25 years in architectural design. After graduating with a Bachelors of Architecture from the
University of Texas in Austin, Cox’s career and training focused on custom residential design and remodeling. “During my tenure with some of the larger architectural firms in the country my specialty was commercial and office buildings, hotels, and corporate headquarters,” stated Cox.
The mission statement of Cox’s firm says a lot about his design philosophy:
Cox/Durango Architects provide forward thinking architectural services to clientele seeking to embrace the design and construction of human-beneficial, sustainable, and energy-efficient environments in which to live and work.
When it comes to
sustainable design and energy-efficiency, Cox is one architect who “walks the talk.” In addition to being a national member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), Cox is active in Sustainable Arizona and the Northern Arizona Solar Club. Through the International Institute of Bau-Biologie, Ray has studied in depth about designing for healthy environments – from air handling systems to non-toxic building materials, and materials that inhibit mold growth.
Currently, Cox is collaborating with his wife, interior designer Lita Loesch-Cox of Interior Focus, on the design of their own
rammed earth residential compound, which consists of a main house, design studio, guest casita, and greenhouse. The 5,000-square-foot complex, which is situated on over 2.5-acres just off of Dry Creek Road in West Sedona, is expected to break ground in early 2004. Active and passive solar technologies are also sustainable design features.
The structure itself is a combination of earth mixed with cement, which is then tamped into forms that result in walls up to two-feet-thick. Known as rammed-earth construction, this naturally-insulated structure provides a thermal mass in which the walls hold heat and stabilize the interior temperature. “In a typical design using rammed-earth construction for both interior and exterior walls, a home owner would benefit from tremendous energy savings with as little as two to three degrees of temperature fluctuation during a 24-hour cycle,” stated Cox. When the residential complex is completed, Cox hopes to showcase the project as environmentally-friendly construction as well as a beautiful compliment to its natural red rock surroundings.