The founders of American studio Turkel Design have used prefabricated components to create a home for themselves in southern California that will also serve as a "lab" for testing ideas and materials.

The Axiom Desert House is located on a quiet site in Palm Springs and looks toward the San Jacinto mountains to the west. The low-lying dwelling recalls the mid-century modern architecture found throughout the storied desert city.
Designed to be "simple, elegant and replicable", the home serves as the private residence of Joel and Meelena Turkel, founders of Boston-based Turkel Design. Founded in 2008, the studio specialises in creating upscale homes using prefabricated elements.

The Turkels purchased the Palm Springs property several years ago and set out to create a new home for their family that capitalises on the region's sunny climate and allows for indoor-outdoor living. The residence is also intended to serve as a living lab that enables the Turkels to test out new materials and processes ? and "to turn the lens on themselves as both designers and clients".

To fabricate and outfit the home, the couple teamed up with two dozen companies from around North America and Europe, ranging from lighting and furniture suppliers to a living wall designer.
"This home has been designed to exist as a hybrid of learning, living and collaboration," the studio said.

L-shaped in plan, the 2,080-square-foot (193-square-metre) home is composed of...