Ralph E. Parachek • 1967 First Edition. Author: Ralph E. Parachek, AIA. A scarce and fascinating survey of construction in the Sonoran Desert, written by prominent Phoenix architect Ralph Parachek. This book beautifully traces the lineage of desert building from the "Native Sons" (indigenous structures) and the Spanish Mission era ("Los Padres") through to the mid-century modern "Contemporaries.".