A Scottsdale company that made its name building backyard tiny homes is about to break ground on something considerably bigger: a 4,600-square-foot spec home in Phoenix listed at $5.5 million. Minimal Living Concepts, which has built 140 tiny homes in Arizona since launching in January 2021, is set to start construction on the luxury property on September 21.
The company's move into the ultra-high end was reported by ABC15 Arizona, which detailed how Minimal Living Concepts, based in Scottsdale, is expanding beyond its original tiny-home business into the luxury market. Co-founder Zander Diamont told the outlet that he and business partner Jared Amzallag actually intended to work in the luxury single-family home space from the start, meaning the $5.5 million Phoenix project represents less of a pivot than a return to their original ambitions.
From Backyard Casitas to Million-Dollar Models
Diamont and Amzallag launched Minimal Living Concepts in Scottsdale in January 2021, capitalizing on a surge in demand for detached backyard offices and guest quarters, according to Modern Luxury. The company built its business model around turnkey, pre-designed accessory dwelling unit packages presented on its website.
That business only became possible at scale because of local and state policy shifts. Phoenix City Council approved an ordinance in September 2023 in a 7-1 vote, legalizing backyard casitas with full kitchens and baths on single-family residential lots, according to KJZZ.
Scaling Up to Full-Size Homes
Minimal Living Concepts first expanded beyond backyard casitas into full-size primary home construction in February 2025, launching three semi-custom models called M1, M2, and M3, according to Phoenix Agent Magazine. As part of that push, the company placed three custom spec homes under construction in Phoenix's upscale Arcadia neighborhood in early 2025, laying the groundwork for the much larger project now breaking ground.
The founders also launched a separate luxury design brand, Minima Homes, co-founded by Diamont and Amzallag. In July 2026, Minima Homes debuted its first showcase home, named Rosa Blanca, which featured custom textured masonry blocks imported from artisan partners in Mexico City, according to ICONIC LIFE. That project offered an early look at the architectural style the pair is now bringing to their $5.5 million Phoenix spec home.
A Founder's Path From Tiny Homes to Luxury Real Estate
The founders say luxury single-family construction was the goal all along, even as tiny homes became their proving ground first.
Betting on the Valley's Luxury Boom
The project enters Phoenix's high-end real estate market.
The Phoenix area has also seen attention to backyard housing, even as builders like Minimal Living Concepts move upmarket. In June 2025, neighboring Tempe launched an ADU design challenge supported by an AARP grant, as Hoodline previously reported on East Valley housing efforts.
