Portrait by Laura Moss Architect Clint Miller specializes in homes that reflect traditional Southwest elements. In addition, he likes to provide clients with personalized touches, including detailed sketches of their homes, complete with furniture.

Clint Miller designs authentic homes that truly celebrate the Southwest aesthetic

Sometimes life has a way of coming full circle. Architect Clint Miller, AIA, has had such an experience.

In 1986, while working for a commercial interior architectural firm and designing homes for friends, he saw a photograph in Phoenix Home & Garden of an adobe residence designed by Phoenix Home & Garden Master of the Southwest Bill Tull. This article exposed Miller to the possibilities of sustainable residential design and changed the course of his career. Twenty-four years and more than 50 homes later, Miller is being recognized as a Phoenix Home & Garden Master of the Southwest.

While the architect specializes in exposed-adobe design—it accounts for more than half of his portfolio—his homes encompass a range of styles, including Spanish Colonial, Lodge and Contemporary, and they can be found throughout the Southwest. Miller explains that although the locale may change, his design principles remain the same: Homes are a “subtle union” between the site, elevation and architecture. “I want to create a subtle piece of art without clobbering you and saying, ‘Look at me.’”

The owner of the Scottsdale exposed-adobe seen on many of these pages says Miller’s reverence for understated, authentic design is one of the things she loves most about her home. “The integrity of Clint’s design is spectacular,” she comments. “It’s beautiful, sophisticated desert living.”

Photos by Michael Woodall The backyard of this Scottsdale exposed-adobe dwelling features a pool with a travertine border. Clint Miller incorporated a popout window at the end of the dining room to overlook the pool. A thin band of flagstone slightly protrudes from the window’s upper frame. Because the home is located in a neighborhood with mature vegetation, Miller used plants commonly found in the area. The chimney cap, which features an arched cutout, adds a vertical element to the roofline.

Robert Jones of Santa Fe had Miller create an exposed-adobe home in Carefree and a sustainable residence in Santa Fe. He calls Miller a “keen student of design” who studies and respects Southwest architecture and its building materials. “He understands scale really well, and that’s a powerful sense when it comes to designing livable homes.”

Miller is known for his regionally relevant houses but says he never thought he would end up designing adobe residences when he studied them as a student at Arizona State University (ASU). The California native moved to Arizona during high school, attended ASU and received a bachelor of science degree in design with a focus in interior architecture. He soon began a successful career as a commercial interior architect, and by 1993 was co-owner of a commercial interior design firm.

Inspired by the Tull residence in Phoenix Home & Garden, Miller designed his own home—which also was his first adobe—in the mid-’90s, and in 1997 launched his residential architecture career full-time.

Dale Gardon, AIA, of Dale Gardon Design in Scottsdale, recalls a project he and Miller worked on to define the residential design guidelines for The Parks at Silverleaf. “Clint Miller is one of the few architects who I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with in terms of understanding and defining regionally appropriate architectural styles,” he states. “Clint is a master at recognizing the restraint it takes in designing the essence of a style,” adds Gardon. “He thinks ahead about the simplicity in form that can create a powerful design.” 

Over the years, Miller has designed several homes that have been recognized by The American Institute of Architects. He also enjoys sailing and plein-air painting, but admits that designing homes that reflect a Southwest sensibility will always be his primary passion. “I am grateful to be doing what I do, and it’s an honor to be working alongside the architects in this state,” he reflects, adding with a laugh, “So, I’ll probably be drawing homes until I’m in a nursing home.”

The front entry is flanked by an assortment of cacti and succulents, creating a vertical presence. The architect explains that he considers the lot, nearby views and how the residence will look from the street when determining a design. He believes that the first impressions of a home should “never reveal the whole hand of the house.”

A garden area situated off a master bath was planted with desert vegetation.

The living room of this Scottsdale home illustrates many of the qualities for which the Master of the Southwest is known, including elements that commonly are considered decorative—such as columns, beams and archways—yet function as structural components. He also enjoys using materials native to the region. Here, walls are adobe; the fireplace mantel is cantera. Furnishings are a mix of antiques and new pieces.

Small arched windows are another signature of Miller’s work.

Wood beams of stained Douglas fir are structural in the Scottsdale home’s dining room. A large window with a cushioned seat was situated to frame a view of the pool. The iron chandelier is in keeping with the home’s rustic ambience.

The presence of natural light is an important element in Clint Miller’s homes. The kitchen of this Scottsdale residence receives sunlight from a copper-lined skylight over the island and sink. The square column is cantera.