Rooted in the Desert,
Refined by Craft
For over a decade, Sotol Architecture has shaped the built environment of Arizona's high desert — creating spaces that honor the land they inhabit and the people who call them home.
A Practice Born
from the Land
Marcus Reyes was born and raised in Arizona, where the desert was never backdrop — it was teacher. After studying architecture at Arizona State University and earning his Master's at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, he spent nearly a decade at high-end firms in Santa Fe and Scottsdale, refining his craft on residential and hospitality projects across the Southwest.
In 2016, he returned to Sedona to found Sotol Architecture — named for the desert plant whose deep roots and elegant form embody the firm's design philosophy. What began as a one-person studio has grown into a team of eight architects, designers, and collaborators united by a single conviction: architecture should emerge from the land, not be imposed upon it.
Today, Sotol's portfolio spans custom residences, boutique hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects throughout Arizona's red rock country and beyond. Every project begins the same way — with a walk across the site, a conversation about light, and the patience to let the design reveal itself.
Marcus Reyes, AIA — Founding Principal
“The desert teaches you restraint. It teaches you that less, done precisely, is always enough.”
— Marcus Reyes, AIAThree Principles
Place
Every project begins with the land. Before a single line is drawn, we study the contours, the drainage patterns, the way light falls across the site at every hour. Architecture that belongs to its place doesn't compete with the landscape — it completes it. From red rock mesas to ponderosa ridgelines, the site always speaks first.
Light
In the desert, light is not merely illumination — it is the primary material. We design with clerestory windows, deep overhangs, and precisely angled apertures that choreograph the movement of sunlight through interior spaces. A room should change character from morning to evening, season to season.
Material
We believe in honest, enduring materials — rammed earth, Cor-Ten steel, native stone, reclaimed timber. Materials that age with grace, that take on the patina of weather and time. Every surface in a Sotol project is chosen not for trend, but for truth: how it feels underfoot, how it catches the light, how it will look in fifty years.
The People Behind the Work
Marcus Reyes, AIA
Founding PrincipalArizona native. Harvard GSD. Over 15 years shaping desert architecture across the Southwest. Believes every building should feel as inevitable as the land it sits on.
Elena Vasquez
Design DirectorTrained in Mexico City and Los Angeles, Elena brings a refined eye for spatial composition and material juxtaposition. She leads the firm's design language across all project types.
James Whitehorse
Project ArchitectA structural thinker with deep knowledge of sustainable building systems. James translates bold design concepts into buildable, code-compliant realities without compromising vision.
Sofia Chen
Interior Design LeadSofia curates material palettes and furnishing programs that extend the architectural narrative inward. Her interiors feel collected, not decorated — rooted in craft and place.
Awards &
Honors
AIA Arizona Honor Award
2024Residential Design Magazine Award
2023LEED Platinum Certification
Desert Bloom RetreatDwell Magazine Featured Studio
2022Awards & Honors
AIA Arizona Residential Design Award
LEED Platinum Certification
Sedona Preservation Foundation Heritage Award
AIA Arizona Sustainability Excellence
Western Mountain Region Design Honor
Ready to Build Your Vision?
Every project starts with a conversation about place, program, and possibility. Schedule a consultation to explore how we can bring your vision to life in the desert landscape.
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