Drewett Works project The Crusader was featured in the 2021 Modern Luxury Scottsdale special Interiors edition. We’d like to extend our gratitude to Modern Luxury for not only featuring this project but also for placing it front and center on your cover! And many thanks to writer Laura Eckstein Jones, who did a superb job capturing the essence of this award-winning residence, and to photographer Jeff Zaruba for his outstanding ability to bring architecture to life.

Soaring Vision

Inspired by his father’s love of flying, C.P. Drewett of Drewett Works takes The Crusader, a from-the-ground-up home at the Estancia Club, to mesmerizing new heights.

Written by Laura Eckstein Jones

Photography by Jeff Zaruba

When working in creative fields like architecture and interior design, receiving awards from peers in the industry is always wonderful validation that you’re doing something right. With that in mind, The Crusader—a stunning new build by Drewett Works that’s received numerous accolades—is a winner. But making a parent proud trumps receiving even the shiniest of trophies.

“This house is a tribute to my dad,” says C.P. Drewett, president and founding architect of Drewett Works, of the home, whose design is based on aviation. “My dad, who was terminally ill when this project came to me, was a Marine Corps aviator and flew jets. All the planes on aircraft fold their wings and have these really cool [folds]. I really played off of that with the architecture. What was going on in my life is really where this thing began.”

Using aviation and the client’s request for something “grabbing and defying,” Drewett and his team got to work creating the four-bedroom, 4 ½-bathroom home. Because the corner lot site is adjacent to a golf course, privacy was of utmost concern. That’s where the home’s dramatic angles came into play. “The direct angles were crafted to really harness views, but also protect from onlookers,” says Drewett. And while the metal roof has a sharp, almost intimidating presence from the outside, the home’s interior—and the roof’s underside—has the opposite effect. “I really like the duality of the wings having two surfaces,” he says. “One protects you from the desert environment and the underside sort of warms it up and gives you a sense of place and a sense of home.”

Organic materials, such as limestone tile flooring, natural stone and Macassar ebony wood, and a color palette that complements the views help connect the home to its location while creating warmth, while the large windows and glass doors seamlessly connect indoors and outdoors.

Although Drewett’s father, Pat, passed away before the home was complete, he was able to see the renderings. “He couldn’t talk but he gave me some good thumbs-up,” he shares. “Not everyone gets to pay this type of tribute to their dad. I feel really fortunate.”

 

Awards + Publications