'''The Blackwell House''' was a 1,800 square-foot (1,570 square-foot plan) residence located in the [[Tucson Mountains]] west of the [[City of Tucson]], Arizona. Designed by master architect [[Judith Chafee]], [[FAIA]] in 1978 the house pioneered [[passive solar building design]]
including heating and cooling concepts, natural materials that would require at leastminimal maintenance, and a minimized negative impact on the ecosystem surrounding it. Designed for Jerry Blackwell, an openly [[LGBTQ]] [[Old Tucson Studios]] film executive, the house was immediately recognized as a masterwork. The siting, architectural composition and arrangement of living spaces exemplified the tenets of [[critical regionalism]]. The property was purchased in 1987 by [[Pima County]] in a plan to expand [[Tucson Mountains | Tucson Mountain Park]]. After a decade of county neglect, public controversy and efforts to save the house it was demolished by [[Pima County]] in 1998. The demolition is considered one of the county's most significant preservation mistakes and diminished the culture heritage of [[Southern Arizona]] and American [[modern architecture]].
