THE EICHLER EFFECT
TRACING THE CALIFORNIA ROOTS OF MODERN CONTEMPORARY STYLE.
new materials and construction methods marked the postwar era of the mid-20th century. An exploding population and prosperity led to a building boom, mostly in single-family houses built in the burgeoning suburbs.
No other builder/developer of the time was as prolific as California’s Joseph Eichler. His modernist houses, stunning in appearance and efficiency, bear little relation to the postwar ranches and Capes thrown up nationwide. Eichler’s success came from his ability to combine progressive community planning, consistent architecture, and innovation to offer exceptional houses at a reasonable cost.
Eichler was a businessman and realestate developer, not an architect. Yet it was he who insisted that the houses be modern, even if acceptance was slow in coming. He believed in the innovative architecture and the lifestyle it promised. His California Modern is a residential, outdoors-oriented adaptation of what had been largely an institutional and commercial style. The family-oriented houses had flat or low-slung gabled roofs, few windows on the street side, and open plans.
Eichler started out in 1947 with prefabricated houses sold to owners who would build on their own lots. Unsatisfied with that approach, Eichler bought 45 acres to
develop in a consistent manner. At first he used a draftsman to design the houses, but soon hired the modern architects Robert Anshen and William Stephen Allen, and was on his way.
From 1950 until 1967, Eichler worked with celebrated modernist architects including Claude Oakland, A. Quincy Jones, and Frederick Emmons. Always, the designs were modern. Eichler was quoted as saying: “Many builders say ‘give the people what they want,’ but how can people ‘want’ innovations they have never seen or heard of?” Eichlers were among the first development houses with large glass sliders, built-in appliances, metal cabinets, and radiant heat in the floor.
Overextended on far-reaching projects including low- and high-rise urban housing and co-op communities, Eichler Homes filed for bankruptcy in 1967. Joe Eichler continued to work on innovative housing until his death in 1974. what has made Eichlers worthy of cult status? It’s not only the rekindled interest in Mid-century Modern design. Beyond the low-slung geometry and glass walls, Joseph Eichler had offered innovation, variety, high-quality construction, and livable communities.
New for the times were such Eichler trademarks as exposed post-and-beam construction, board ceilings open to the roofline, and slab floors with integral radiant heat. Eichler introduced a master bath in 1953, which soon became a standard feature for three-bedroom homes. Later models have an atrium at the entry. In the mid-1960s, the large, glazed center gable became an Eichler signature.
The houses make best use of small lots, concentrating outdoor space in the rear, contiguous with open living space. Bedrooms are in front; high clerestory windows keep them private, as do the flanking carport or garage and walls.
Although they went up quickly to meet demand, Eichlers were designed with rare attention to detail. With open plans, paneled walls, and exposed beams, costly wood trim and plastering were unnecessary. The inherent design of the houses made them affordable, even fitted out with expanses of glass and redwood. Nor were these cookie-cutter homes. Designs evolved, floor plans changed, carports and garages were added, atriums, patios, and terraces introduced. Then there was the commitment to creating diverse, middle- and mixedincome neighborhoods. Coveted California Eichlers go for big bucks now, but the streets of Eichler neighborhoods remain appealing. Varying site layouts, fa•ades, and rooflines keep the tracts interesting.
joe eichler was asked what label he gave his homes: contemporary, modern? “I call them Eichler homes,” he answered. “There’s nothing else like them.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Other architects were working in a similar vocabulary; in fact, the modernist architects who designed for Eichler Homes pursued other commissions, using the same principles if not signature elements. Besides, postwar houses were designed to be replicated. Architects even published articles for homebuilders to encourage adoption of modern ideas. There’s a name for the non-Eichlers: they’re called Likelers. It’s not necessarily a pejorative term. Most are decent builders’ versions of Contemporary designs, including those of Eichler Homes. Others are architect-designed.
Residents regularly report that their Eichler homes “live bigger than they are,” despite a relatively modest square footage. An underappreciated trait, modesty all but defines these homes.