A Look Back at the Making of Casa Blanca Phase Two

Here are are a few initial conceptual renderings from Casa Blanca phase two, which was in development back in the early 1980s. The project was led by the legendary architect George Christensen. Working under him at the time was a young draftsman named Marc Candelaria — now a highly regarded Phoenix based architect in his own right.


In 1983, Marc took on the role of project manager for phases two and three of Casa Blanca. Nearly a decade later, in 1992, after earning his architect’s license and founding Candelaria Design Associates, he returned to Casa Blanca to lead the major renovation and expansion of the iconic Christensen Onion Dome Residence — thoughtfully modernizing the space while preserving its historic charm.


It’s always fun to see these original sketches paired with current photos of the residences today — proof of how vision becomes reality. *Special thanks to Gina W. for sharing several images from David Lennard’s collection.

From top left clockwise: An original rendering of a Phase 2 Unit B by Marc Candelaria, A current photograph of a Unit B in Casa Blanca Phase 2, Early conceptual sketches of the smaller Casita homes in Casa Blanca.