Modernism in the American Desert · Eddie Jones · Phoenix

Event Details

Part of the Modernism in the American Desert symposium, this talk explores how architects and designers shaped a distinctive vision of modern life in the arid landscapes of the American West. Through climate, light, and material, the desert became both inspiration and laboratory for innovation—revealing how modernism took root and flourished across the region.

Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones, FAIA, is the founding principal of Jones Studio, a Phoenix-based practice dedicated to architecture, interior design, public art, and planning. He established the firm in 1979, growing it from a single-room office into one of the Southwest’s most respected design studios, with more than 220 design awards to its name. Jones Studio’s work is defined by its deep connection to climate, craft, and community, embracing the desert through orientation, light, and landscape integration. The firm’s diverse portfolio includes the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility, Arizona State University’s Beus Center for Law & Society, and the Mariposa Land Port of Entry. Through his leadership, Jones continues to advance a distinctly regional modernism that treats the desert not as a backdrop, but as an active collaborator in design.