The July 2026 issue of Palm Springs Life includes a beautiful feature on brise-soleil, the architectural tradition of using screens, walls, and patterned structures to filter sunlight, create privacy, and bring texture to buildings.
The article, Splintering the Sun, tells the story in words and photographs, with a focus on how breeze blocks continue to shape the look and feel of desert architecture. We are honored that several Tesselle breeze block installations are included in the feature.
The story begins with an artistic image of Tesselle’s Town Square, Rotary, and Shamrock Breeze Blocks, showing how pattern, shadow, and geometry can transform a simple wall into an architectural focal point.
From there, the article visits Keith Ruoff’s Palm Springs home, designed by William Krisel. The home features a wall built with Exclamation Breeze Blocks by the artist Shag, painted in a bold chartreuse. The result feels playful, graphic, and perfectly at home in Palm Springs.
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Next is Soleil House, where Trina Turk’s Sun Breeze Blocks create a striking connection between architecture, fashion, and desert light. The pattern feels both modern and timeless, especially in the sharp sun and clear skies of the Coachella Valley.
The feature then travels to Palm Desert, where the entry to the Mojave Resort includes a Globe Breeze Block wall. Used in a hospitality setting, the blocks bring a sense of arrival, rhythm, and filtered light to the property.
In Rancho Mirage, the new Cotino Storyliving by Disney is surrounded by an installation of Tesselle’s Traverse Breeze Blocks. The repeating pattern adds privacy and visual interest while allowing the wall to remain open, breathable, and connected to its surroundings.
The final stop is Porta Via, the iconic restaurant on El Paseo, where multiple walls are built with Tesselle’s Rotary Breeze Blocks. The installation adds texture and pattern to the dining experience, creating a setting that feels polished, relaxed, and unmistakably desert modern.
We are grateful to Leilani Marie La Bong for the thoughtful research and writing, and to Fredrik Broden for the beautiful imagery.
Breeze blocks have long been part of desert architecture because they do so many things at once. They filter sunlight. They support airflow. They create privacy without closing off a space. They cast shadows that change throughout the day. And they bring pattern, scale, and personality to walls, gardens, entries, restaurants, resorts, and homes.
From midcentury houses to new hospitality projects, breeze blocks continue to offer a practical and beautiful way to design for sun, shade, and outdoor living.
Explore 100+ in-stock breeze blocks here.