Design Icon – Project

Fred Corbus was a well-traveled young man with a career in management and economics when he decided he wanted a glass box in a desert mountain environment. His methodical search of North Scottsdale led him to land near Pinnacle Peak with massive boulders and dramatic elevations. Corbus purchased the remote five-acre parcel in 1965. In 1971, he interviewed architect Al Beadle about a home design. Beadle realized Corbus had no money, no timeline, a challenging site and he wanted to build it himself. Beadle passed but referred Corbus to his associate, architect Ned Sawyer, another young aspiring professional. Sawyer understood the International Style of architecture and had experience with Beadle creating modernism in the desert. Sawyer’s commitment to creating spaces and homes for clients, not for himself, laid the foundation for the 53-year design project—still ongoing today—of the Corbus House that defines iconic desert modernism.