High Desert Retreat Monograph - Discussion and Book Signing

The High Desert Retreat monograph is a meditation on the creative process that brought the titular residence to fruition. The house, located in California's Coachella Valley, has been celebrated for how the architecture responds to the desert terrain.
Architect Joshua Aidlin, FAIA, and photographer Adam Rouse will discuss the evolution of the project, the practice of site listening, and new directions in desert modernism with writer and curator Zahid Sardar.

L-R: Zahid Sardar, Joshua Aidlin, FAIA, Adam Rouse

Zahid Sardar

Writer, Editor, Curator

Zahid Sardar is a San Francisco-based design editor, writer, and curator specializing in architecture, interiors, and design. An author of many design books, he has also curated design exhibitions and for 22 years he served as architecture and design editor for San Francisco Chronicle. His work appears in national and international publications including the New York Times and Dwell magazine. He has taught design history at the California College of the Arts and his books include “San Francisco Modern”, “West Coast Modern” and “In & Out of Paris: Gardens of Secret Delights.” He will soon launch a bold new design publication: SHLTR™.

Joshua Aidlin, FAIA

Founding Partner, Aidlin Darling Design

Joshua Aidlin, FAIA, leads a multidisciplinary studio—producing architecture, interiors, furniture, and sculptures—with a conviction that art and design are integral to vibrant public life. Joshua advances an architecture demonstrating environmental, cultural, psychological, and multisensorial sensitivity. A tireless public advocate for design, Joshua has served on the board of the SFMOMA Architecture & Design Forum; the AIASF Public Policy and Advocacy Committee; and the Fundraising Committee for Youth Art Exchange.Founded in 1997, his eponymic studio Aidlin Darling Design has garnered over 300 awards, including the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for the firm's complete body of work, for design excellence, innovation, and the enhancement of quality of life.

Adam Rouse

Adam Rouse Photography

Adam Rouse is an architecture and design photographer based in California. His work has been described as emotive and sensorial, capturing the intended mood of the architecture and design subjects. Adam’s photography has appeared in The New York Times, Artravel Magazine, Wallpaper*, Dwell, Architectural Record, Interior Design Magazine, and Residential Design. Through the eyes of a trained architect, Adam’s work explores the structure, light, and formal qualities of each space he documents. In an era in which architectural representation is rapidly shifting, Adam brings a unique perspective and way of knowing his photographic subjects.

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