Desert Shelters at Taliesin West

I was fortunate enough to visit a number of the desert shelters built by Frank Lloyd Wright’s apprentices at Taleisin West on the late afternoon/early evening of Friday, February 6, 2026 as part of my photograpy workshop with Andrew Pielage.  There are over 50 of these structures remaining at Taliesin West and, while I saw and photographed quite a few, time did not permit me to visit them all.  I wish I could tell you the names of the apprentices that built each structure but I was unable to find this information on the internet.  Below you will find two galleries, one gallery contains photos taken with my Samsung S22 Cell phone while the other gallery contains photos take with my Nikon D500.  I hope you enjoy them!

The Photos in This Gallery Were Taken With My Samsung S22…

The Photos in This Gallery Were Taken With My Nikon D500…

• Hanging Tent (2001): Designed by Fatima Elmalimpinar and Fabian Mantel, this structure is suspended above the desert floor.
• Lotus (1963): A notable shelter designed by apprentice Kamal Amin.
• Brittlebush: Features rammed earth walls, a taut fabric roof, and a fireplace.
• Cube: A, designed by Michael Johnson, sometimes situated near the triangular tent.
• Minero: Inspired by old Arizona mining carts.
• Red Roof (1970): Designed by Fredrick Bingham.
• Strawbale (2004): Designed by Michael Heublein, noted for its insulation.
• Skybox: Renovated by Chelsea Clark in 2012.
• Atalaya: Known for its Japanese-inspired design. 
• The Hanging Tent

  : A steel cantilevered structure designed by Fatma Elmalimpinar that suspends a traditional shepherd’s tent eight feet off the ground.

• Fred’s

  : Named after Fred Prozzillo, a former student and director of preservation, this shelter has been continuously renovated and upgraded over decades.

• Ironwood

  : Designed by Chad Cornette in 2000, this shelter is unique for being built directly above a desert wash, spanning the ravine twice.

• The Loft

  : A modern structure featuring perforated aluminum panels that create ever-changing patterns of light and shadow, functioning like an abstract sundial.

• Ava

  : A wooden shelter built at one of the highest elevations on the property, designed with glass blocks that act as “cracks” to let in light.

• The Cube

  : An iconic minimalist shelter designed by Michael Johnson, which is part of a “legacy triptych” of structures in the desert.

• Michael Sutton’s Shelter

  : An iconic early structure from the late 1950s that has undergone significant transformations by subsequent students.

• John Lautner’s Lean-to

  : Built in 1938, this was the very first student-designed shelter on the grounds.