Two University of Arizona librarians commissioned the Ball-Paylore House, designed by architect Arthur T. Brown, FAIA, and completed in 1952. This small 1,203-square-foot, site-specific house was commissioned by two young University of Arizona librarians, Phyllis Ball and Patricia Paylore, and built by Robert Thomas. Conceived to meet their needs, to create a refuge in the desert, and to bolster indoor-outdoor livability, it has become an icon of desert modernism and an example of post‑WWII American architecture in Tucson.
When it was built the house was published locally and nationally, and today it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, in the Arizona Register of Historic Places, and designated a City of Tucson Historic Landmark. The property is owned by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation and is available for tours and overnight stays. From the street it is understated and plain, but the geometry opens up as you enter the front door.
The front façade concentrates on privacy and minimal ornamentation, characterized by an angular open carport, mortar-washed brick, and windows set high between the beams at the ceiling, a strong juxtaposition to the interior. Notice the angular open carport, the mortar-washed brick, and the windows set high between the ceiling beams.