Portrait by Christiaan Blok

Functional Floor Plans and an
Extraordinary Sense of Scale are Keys to
the Winning Architecture of Mike Higgins

If he had achieved his boyhood dream, Mike Higgins would be a major league baseball player, winning games and acclaim. Instead, this husband and father of two is a highly successful Phoenix architect, designing innovative homes and garnering praise from clients and professionals alike.

“He is a real master at creating a family home,” says interior designer Barb Foley. “His floor plans are people-oriented, meant for how you use a house.” In addition, she says, “Mike is known for his fine sense of scale. A lot of architects make a beautiful home, but they’re big and cavernous—more like a cathedral than a home, and not comfortable for people. His houses are still grand, but their volumes feel good when you use the rooms.”

Photography by Michael Woodall Steppingstones lead to the courtyard of the Getz home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Newly built, the Spanish Colonial residence was designed by architect Mike Higgins to look as if it “evolved” over time. In addition, because the front courtyard is recessed, it affords privacy from the street, he says. “The humble arched Dutch door here provides an intimate statement at the front entry.” Shutters, awnings, wrought iron and a perforated exterior wall are the “jewelry” of the home.

Homeowners Julie and Wayne Anderson, whose residence was recently completed, appreciate the extra touches Higgins added to their original “wish list,” such as “cupolas for natural lighting, a fireplace in the main entry, wide hallways and beautiful beamed ceiling treatments.”

Along with creature comforts and fine details, homes must be as individual as their owners, Higgins states. “As architects, we need to understand how families function, and every family is different.” That means asking clients lots of questions. “Everybody’s ideas are important, even the kids’ ideas,” he says.

His own family life has trained him to consider clients’ practical needs. He and his graphic artist/designer wife, Tina, and their two children live in a 1964 Arcadia neighborhood Ranch-style house that they bought in the mid-1990s. They have renovated it many times to suit their own requirements. “It had been added on to awkwardly, so we keep upgrading it,” explains the architect with a smile.