In an ongoing effort to protect important historic resources the Foundation is working with property owners to designate significant properties and protect City of Tucson Historic Landmarks. In 2020 the Foundation began preparation of the Kirby Lockard House City Landmark nomination.

The Kirby Lockard House is located in Tucson’s Richland Heights Subdivision (platted 1926) and was designed and built in 1968 by noted architect and University of Arizona professor Kirby Lockard as his own home. The property is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Lockard House is a rare residential expression of the subset of Modern Architecture known as Brutalism or Heroic Architecture and Lockard’s design for his home incorporated ideas introduced by architect Louis Kahn (1901-1974).  Kahn pioneered the concept of “servant and served” which distinguished between spaces in which habitation would be brief or impossible and those in which we live and where functions were primarily for people and not systems: the Servant spaces: corridors, stairwells, storage, bathrooms, ducts and courtyards and the Served spaces: living spaces, living room bedrooms and kitchen. This concept of architectural hierarchy and organization was used by Lockard in the house differentiating between living and sleeping rooms and circulation and utility. The volumes and forms are distinguished by the size and natural concrete color of the masonry.  

Lockard, derived from Kahn, an emphasis on physical materiality.  Lockard’s utilization of gray cast concrete blocks constructed with deep raked mortar gives the building a feeling horizontal layers. It is in this adoration of the aesthetics of the construction palate that manifest the connection with Kahn. 

The architecturally significant property has been featured as part of Tucson Modernism Week and was designated a Modern Architectural Classic by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2017.

The Kirby Lockard House is eligible as a city of Tucson Historic Landmark. 1. Kirby Lockard House is from a significant period in Tucson’s history: Post-World War II Development (1945-1975) and is a distinct architectural style that is at least 50 years old.  2. Kirby Lockard House is an outstanding example of Modern design and is associated with significant historic events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history in particular: Community Development in Tucson 1945 – 1975  3. The Kirby Lockard House exemplifies the architectural period in which it was built and has distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style: Modern; Kirby Lockard, Architect.  4. The Kirby Lockard House contributes historic, cultural, and social importance relating to the heritage of the Tucson community; and 5. The Kirby Lockard House relates positively to buildings in its immediate vicinity in terms of scale, size, massing, etc., such that its removal would be an irreparable loss to the setting and a diminishment to the architectural heritage of Tucson.   

THIS IS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE & NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB RESIDENT

If you have a significant historic building and want to discuss protective designation – contact the Foundation at info@presevetucson.org