Ray had never been commissioned to design a Ranch House; a style which usually has negative connotations. Upon purchasing a ranch property on the hot east side of Ashland, he decided that the style was an exact fit for the climatic conditions of the site, as well as family requirements for a home without stairs or elevation changes. Deriving initial inspiration from the architecture of Lake.Flato in West Texas, simple but refined volumes with no ornamentation were used but defined by differentiating bold colors of 3" thick stucco plaster. The Zincalume roof keeps the attic 70 degrees cooler than standard asphalt shingles and the passive solar design of the southern facade maintains a cool interior in the summer heat, yet allows for abundant winter sun.