Desert Modernism

Palm Springs, Calif., has what many consider the largest and finest concentration of mid-20th-century modern architecture in the United States, which is why it has become the de facto capital of the popular design movement. Specifically, the city is home to a form of mid-century modern architecture called Desert Modernism, also known as the Palm Springs School.

What defines Desert Modernism, you ask? Four main characteristics are the cantilever, clerestory windows, brise-soleil, and shadow block walls. All four protect the building’s inhabitants from the desert heat and sun.

The cantilever is the unsupported roof section that extends out beyond the building’s envelope. It shades windows from the desert’s hot summer sun