Career
A hallmark of Gonzales designs was a total lack of right angles within his projects. His widespread use of wide angles allowed open space within his architectural designs. He also actively incorporated Southernwestern and Arizonan-based cultural elements within his buildings, such as westward facing hogan entrances or patterns based on traditional Navajo rugs. His blending of brad angles and cultural elements produced a distinctive Southwestern style of architecture, which has been widely imitated throughout the region.
Gonzales' first commission as an architect was to design the library in Nogales, Arizona. The project earned him an award from the American Institute of Architects.
Gonzales' career was at its zenith during the 1960s and 1970s, when he was hired and commissioned to design many of Scottsdale's municipal buildings, which are still in use today. He designed the city of Scottsdale's main library, city hall, and the art complex, which is located across from the Civic Center Plaza. His design for Scottsdale City Hall included a feature called a kiva, which was highly unusual at the time, for public meetings rather than a traditional meeting space. The kiva, which is a Hopi term for an "open pit gathering space," was designed by Gonzales to have no walls or doors to separate it from the city hall's offices. Most of the Gonzales-designed public buildings were opened in 1968.
Gonzales also designed hundreds of single family homes, multifamily residences and public buildings across Arizona. His home on Palo Christi in Paradise Valley was featured in the February 10, 1967 issue of Life Magazine. Other projects included the hospital in Chinle.
Additionally, Gonzales designed numerous buildings throughout the world. One of his most prominent buildings outside of the United States was a $1.5 billion dollar residence, which he designed for the Saudi Royal Family. The residence was constructed by Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi businessman and builder who was the father of Osama bin Laden.
Gonzales and his wife, Diane, built their home in Nogales using recycled materials. He focused largely on the new homes in the hills around Nogales during his later career.
Read more about this topic: Bennie Gonzales
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