Opportunity brought many people to Arizona as this desert land was colonized by peoples from Spain, Mexico and then eastern North America. They came for mining, ranching and agricultural enterprise and what they brought with each of them were methodologies to build their shelter.
Today we are fortunate to have a history and be able to witness the different ways people before us built their homes. We have such an advantage to learn from and maybe even work with "masters" who have become specialized in Desert Architecture.
An early contemporary who favored the desert environment for living and created living structures was Frank Lloyd Wright. I have been a member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for a few years and have the goal of someday visiting all of the restored homes that are open to the public. So far, I have visited and love his monumental work at Taliesin West in Scottsdale. The integration of indoor and outdoor space creates an "environmental experience" of living within the desert in Arizona. Vernon Swaback is interviewed for a show on Arizona PBS and gives a short but insightful look at the making of Wright's Taliesin West.
You can take a tour literally by clicking on this link to Great Buildings.com and get a preview of this wonderful campus of structures. It is a nice site but seems only to have very well know structures and architects represented, so you won't find Will Bruder or Rick Joy.