Design Icons: Joseph Eichler
Midcentury modernism and indoor-outdoor living at an affordable price are hallmarks of the homes designed by this California legend
Joseph Eichler (1900–1974) made modernist architectural history as a real estate developer and builder with bold social and artistic ideals for America's postwar subdivisions. Though he never held a hammer, he achieved his unwavering goal to create stylish, functional and affordable housing that advocated social acceptance.
Inspired by the progressive architecture of the time, and especially the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Eichler hired several like-minded architects to assist with the designs that brought post-and-beam construction, floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors, radiant-heat floors, exposed ceiling beams and atriums to the otherwise conventional tract home.
Eichler homes were a radical departure from the typical postwar suburban ranch homes. Tract homes were not designed by architects at that time, and many parts of the homes were constructed offsite in an assembly line fashion to keep costs down.
Inspired by the progressive architecture of the time, and especially the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Eichler hired several like-minded architects to assist with the designs that brought post-and-beam construction, floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors, radiant-heat floors, exposed ceiling beams and atriums to the otherwise conventional tract home.
Eichler homes were a radical departure from the typical postwar suburban ranch homes. Tract homes were not designed by architects at that time, and many parts of the homes were constructed offsite in an assembly line fashion to keep costs down.
This Eichler in Palo Alto, California, displays the original floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors that expand the home into the garden. The large beams and tongue and groove boards of the ceiling leave some of the home's structural elements visible.
Joseph Eichler and his wife, Lillian, became devotees of modern living in 1942 while renting a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Hillsborough, California. Inspired, Eichler left his lifelong job in business at age 44 and invested a few thousand dollars into a venture that made prefabricated small, affordable and stylish houses.
About 11,000 Eichler homes were built in California, and a few in New York, between 1949 and 1974, with an average sale price of $12,000.
This restored Eichler near San Francisco is one of the few custom designs built by Eichler with architect A. Quincy Jones. Both men were featured in the 1950 issue of Architectural Forum, which awarded them with "Subdivision of the Year" (Eichler) and "Builder's House of the Year" (Jones). After its publication, Eichler contacted Jones, cementing a working relationship that lasted 24 years, until Eichler's death.
A prominent feature of many Eichler Homes is a spacious recessed entry under a gable roof. Flat roofs combined with steeply pitched gables with wide overhangs (eaves) were trademarks of Eichler-constructed homes at the time. An atrium in the entry expanded the illusion of square feet by including the outdoors.
A prominent feature of many Eichler Homes is a spacious recessed entry under a gable roof. Flat roofs combined with steeply pitched gables with wide overhangs (eaves) were trademarks of Eichler-constructed homes at the time. An atrium in the entry expanded the illusion of square feet by including the outdoors.
Eichler was intrigued by the concept of indoor-outdoor living. Common to many Eichlers, a triangular window is placed between these horizontal joists and the roof, increasing the grandness of the large window walls.
Interior atriums assisted in bringing the outdoors inside, a luxury for smaller homes. Vertical siding and tongue and groove cladding were used on walls, exteriors and ceilings of Eichlers. In fact, the most basic of construction materials were used to great effect in all of Eichler's designs.
See more of this restored Eichler
See more of this restored Eichler
The wing on the right of this Eichler was a recent addition. In true Eichler style, the wing keeps the view of the yard framed from the interior and has an open floor plan between the living room and the kitchen.
See more of this Eichler addition
See more of this Eichler addition
Large glass areas were used to line the indoor atriums, and translucent windows were used for privacy. This image was taken by photographer David Eichler, grandson of Joseph Eichler.
Eichler Homes attract a wide range of devotees, including architects, designers and enthusiasts of midcentury style and modern art. The owners of this Eichler have that same steadfast appreciation, evident in how lovingly they renovated their home with Eichler's brand of modernism in mind.
More: Tour an eclectic Eichler in Oakland
More: Tour an eclectic Eichler in Oakland