The Beck House near the Arizona Inn has been designated a historic landmark by the city of Tucson.

 Jude Ignacio and Garardine Vargas, Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation

A home built in 1960 near the Arizona Inn has been designated a historic landmark by the city.

The John Beck house, on Potter Place in the Catalina Vista neighborhood, was nominated by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation as “a rare residential expression of modern architecture.”

Designed by architect Beck, the house incorporated a cast exposed-aggregate concrete panel system, and each panel was fabricated on-site using river rock.

The primary living spaces surround a glass-walled atrium and courtyard.

“Through this designation, the mayor and council continue to underscore the importance of protecting historic resources in our community. The Historic Landmark designation protects the exterior character features of the house under local zoning law,” said Demion Clinco, CEO of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation. “Designation of properties like the John Beck House is only possible through the partnership of forward-thinking owners who understand the importance of protecting the architectural heritage of our community and region.”

Michael Fassett, the foundation’s board president, said the organization makes itself available to homeowners of historic architecture interested in protecting the facade.

The Beck House incorporated a cast exposed-aggregate concrete panel system, and each panel was fabricated on-site using river rock.

“We hope owners of other John Beck buildings will work to designate their properties,” he said.

John H. Beck was born in Boston in 1919. He studied architecture at Wentworth Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His first architectural project was a home for his family in Seattle built in 1953.

The Becks moved to Tucson in 1956, and in 1959 he designed the new Bill Breck Dodge building, at the southeast corner of Speedway and Bentley Avenue, using a hyperbolic paraboloid concrete structure — a doubly curved surface that resembles a saddle. It has since been demolished.

His other Tucson buildings include Randolph Park Communications Center (1960), Palms Mortuary and Chapel (1960), Beta Theta Pi Greek House (1960), Christopher City (1962), Park Student Union at the University of Arizona (1965), and Alvernon Village Shopping Center (1969). Beck died in 2006.

The Beck House near the Arizona Inn has been designated a historic landmark by the city of Tucson. The primary living spaces surround a glass-walled atrium and courtyard.

The John Beck house was first recognized for its design by the Southern Arizona Chapter, American Institute of Architects in 1968 with the inclusion of the house on its annual tour. It was included on the Modern Architecture Preservation Project’s Modern 50 list, designated by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2016 as Modern Classic, and has twice been featured on the Tucson Modernism Week Home Tour. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 1, 2021.

The city’s designation is a zoning overlay that places restrictions on the property that require approval from the mayor and council for demolition.

The Beck House was designated by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2016 as Modern Classic.

The John Beck house was first recognized for its design by the Southern Arizona Chapter, American Institute of Architects in 1968 with the inclusion of the house on its annual tour.

The John Beck house, on Potter Place in the Catalina Vista neighborhood, was nominated by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation as “a rare residential expression of modern architecture.”

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Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com