A readily available construction material—concrete block—is used for the primary structure; commercial builders were able to quickly and cheaply assemble the building. Interior materials are left largely unfinished. Kundig describes the concept as a Tootsie Roll Pop: hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Interior finishes include unfinished recycled fir floors, walls, and cabinets; plaster made from natural clays and pigments; and Carrara marble kitchen counters. Other materials used in the structure, including the concrete block, car decking (structural tongue-and-groove material), and plywood, require little or no maintenance and are capable of withstanding the extreme weather that characterize the desert’s four seasons.