Concrete walls that once enclosed horse stalls are now used as room dividers in this modern guest house by The Construction Zone, a design-build firm in Phoenix.

The Barn Guest House is located on a large property in Phoenix dotted with cacti, boulders and desert trees. The adaptive reuse project entailed transforming an existing concrete barn into a contemporary dwelling for guests.

Portions of the barn's exterior were stripped away and replaced with glass walls framed with black steel. The team also added a low, overhanging roof. The underside of the roof is sheathed in strips of honey-hued wood, lending a sense of warmth to the dwelling.

"A north-facing wall of custom steel and glass was added below a new horizontal roof plane clad in vertical grain Douglas fir," said The Construction Zone. "This simple move enclosed the old horse stalls and allows for the modern, open-plan, three-room suite."

A landscaped pathway leads from the property's main house to the rectangular guest dwelling. Encompassing 750 square feet (70 square metres), the guest house contains a kitchen, living area, and master suite, all of which are separated by concrete walls.

The interior features concrete flooring, contemporary decor and a grey colour scheme accented with pops of red and orange.

In every room, floor-to-ceiling glass offers sweeping views of the desert terrain. The rear of the dwelling opens onto a yard with a small patio, bocce ball court and jacuzzi.

Other houses in the Phoenix area include a home by The Ranch Mine that takes cues from mission-style architecture, and a dwelling by Wendell Burnette Architects that has rammed earth walls wrapped in a weathered steel shell.

Photography is by Bill Timmerman.