Meet Kevin and Joan Callahan
Kevin and Joan Callahan’s home is nestled neatly into a cul-de-sac in the Town and Country Scottsdale neighborhood. It’s one of the 62 original Ralph Haver designed homes in the area built in 1958.
The Callahan’s home is a classic that captures the minimalism of the era that focused on “functionality.”
Most Haver Homes in Southern Scottsdale were originally built to be about 1,200 to 1,600 square feet. Before Kevin and Joan moved into their home, it was owned by a French architect who tastefully expanded the floor plan. Because it sits on about one-third of an acre, the Callahans were also able to increase the home’s footprint.
“Before we did anything to the house,” Kevin explained, “We asked ourselves: What Would Ralph Haver Do Today?” Kevin is an acoustic architect who creates buildings to accommodate large audiences and Joan has a strong sense of aesthetics — so the integrity of the Haver design remains intact for what is now the Callahan’s 2,300-square-foot home.
Kevin and Joan moved from the gated community of Ventana Foothills in North Scottsdale to Town and Country Scottsdale in 2013 because, as Joan recalled, “We wanted more of a feeling of ‘neighborhood.’ Every Thursday we have a neighborhood Happy Hour,” she added. “There’s always something going on around here.”
The Callahans couldn’t be happier with their decision to relocate to Southern Scottsdale and their choice of neighborhoods. “Initially, Joan liked the house more than I did when we saw it on MLS. But when we saw it in person, I was sold,” Kevin said.
As a practicing architect specializing in designing public spaces with quality acoustics, terms like “historical adaptability” flow from Kevin with ease. His appreciation of Ralph Haver’s vision is only matched by his enthusiasm for the environment that he and Joan have created for themselves.
Like so many owners of mid-century homes, Kevin and Joan have extended what was originally a relatively small front room by today’s standards into their dining and kitchen areas, so there’s a flow to their floor plan. The home has three bedrooms, and the master bedroom is surprisingly large for a Haver House. They also have an original one-car carport, standard with most Havers, and a hidden one-car garage adjacent to the carport that blends in discretely. For his architectural work, Kevin has added a spacious studio with a butterfly roof. The studio also has a set of large windows that provide a view through their large backyard of Camelback Mountain.
Kevin and Joan Callahan are the proud owners of a one-of-a-kind painstakingly remodeled Haver Home. Now Kevin and Joan don’t just live in a “neighborhood” — they live in the Town and Country Scottsdale neighborhood, one of Southern Scottsdale’s finest.
In 2005 Town and Country Scottsdale was designated as a historic neighborhood by the City of Scottsdale and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.