Just outside Pioneertown in the high desert north of Palm Springs, the tranquillity may be inspirational, but the elements can be harsh. Jim Austin, a musician and surf wear entrepreneur, wanted to build something that was part home, part rental and part performance venue. He also wanted modern architecture infused with the sense of escape that the desert represents. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
To build his Rimrock Ranch house, Austin turned to San Diego architect Lloyd Russell, whose design called for an industrial steel canopy that shielded the house from the brutal sun and helped the modern box meld into the Joshua tree-dotted landscape. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Completed in spring, the finished design melds urban style with the cowboy heritage of the high desert. Here, artwork and built-in bookshelves with the requisite boots define the vibe in one of the bedrooms. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Austin wanted a house that could be divided into two units, so one could be rented out. The architect’s 1,660-square-foot plan calls for two suites at opposite ends of a house, stair-stepped on a sloping lot, creating natural divisions between the spaces. A kitchen is between the two suites. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Austin and girlfriend Nikki Jagielo by a table with his paint-by-numbers collection. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Added touch: a working juke box with vinyl discs spinning out classic tunes. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Austin and Jagielo dance to a swing tune. The shade created by the canopy allows Austin to have vast expanses of glass without overheating the interior. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Austin’s cowboy tub and exposed copper pipes. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
The kitchen has a roll-up door that opens onto a deep concrete porch — the stage for bands that play at the ranch. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Austin’s collection of old keys hangs from a tree. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
The 6-foot gap between the house and the canopy allows breezes to pass through on hot days. When nightfall brings a massive drop in temperature, the canopy keeps warmth from escaping. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
A hammock swings beneath trees at Rimrock Ranch, which also includes Austin’s rental cabins and Airstream trailers. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
The exterior of Austin’s house is rusty corrugated metal siding, or RCM. The rustic reddish tones help the new structure blend with the old. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Music lovers gather for a concert at the house. The kitchen sits in the center of the home, its roll-up door open to the porch. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
Antje Kastner, left, of Chicago and Raina Brody of Venice hang out at the ranch. (Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times)
With the door to the kitchen aglow, Nancy and Jim Shaw dance to Solid Ray Woods Raw Soul Review at one of Austin’s recent parties. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Audiences can pull up chairs or unfold rugs on the desert floor out front, lie back and hear the set unfold. “It is why we all come here,” Austin says, “to play and write songs.” (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)