When you think of a real-estate development, your mind may immediately conjure an image of uninspired cookie-cutter houses arranged around a cul-de-sac. But Ascaya, a new luxury development outside Las Vegas, is breaking the mold by recruiting some of the world’s top architecture firms to design and build inspiration homes that will set the tone for the community. The developers engaged six firms, including Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Marmol Radziner, Lake | Flato Architects, SB Architects, Swaback Partners, and Hoogland Architecture. “We chose to engage multiple architects so we could demonstrate the unique style each firm brings to the community,” says Darin Marques, sales manager for Ascaya and vice president of operations for Shapiro & Sher Group/Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

Each firm was given the same design criteria that will be required for each home in the development. “The homes also had to fit on the home sites that were preselected,” says Marques. “Some were rather challenging and unique, but all allowed for flexibility and creativity in the designs. They also had to fit within a budget that is in line with the local market.”

Floor to ceiling windows frame the views in the sleek Meier home.

The firms put their own spin on the brief, responding to their individual sites and incorporating some of their design signatures. “Our design was influenced by the desert environment,” says Ron Radziner, design principal at Marmol Radziner. “We chose warm and rustic material and color palettes that connect the home to the land. The materials selected for the home—bronze anodized aluminum panels, vertical grain western red cedar, and local natural stone—wrap from interior to exterior.” SB Architects imagined a home that would allow future owners to welcome guests and still have their own sanctuary. “The design is heavily influenced by the notions of arrival, awe, and personal retreat,” says Matt Page, associate principal at SB Architects. “We focused on creating zones in the house that fully support the concepts of entertainment, family gathering, and personal retreat.”

The Marmol Radziner home opens onto the pool and plenty of spaces for outdoor living.

While all the homes in the community won’t be built by the firms, they will reflect the same style to create an architecturally unique yet cohesive neighborhood. “All of the homes at Ascaya will follow the Desert Contemporary style,” says Marques. “Ascaya has a very strict process for architecture, and each home goes through an architectural review process before it is approved and built.” So far, homes by SB Architects and Marmol Radziner have been completed, and more are currently under construction. Each inspiration home is up for grabs, and the SB Architects home is already on the market for $7.95 million.