architecture

Brochure for the Rancho San Miguel (Walnut Creek,CA) Eichler development c1950s

In honor of the upcoming Birth of Cool: Mid-Century Modern design in California exhibition, I thought it would be nice to post this Eichler brochure. I found the brochure several years ago at an estate sale in Lafayette, California. I love the photo. Most likely the photographer is Ernest (Ernie) Braun.

Illustration by Fred Mcnabb c1956

Well here it is, the “house of the future”. Mom’s making oven fresh algae, grand pa is chilling in the living room in his chocolate love suit and grand ma is cleaning up the kitchen in her finest elf garb. For the house of the future it looks a lot like the house of 1956. I realize not every house in 1956 had steel beams and case study furniture or a garbage disposal unit that spits out freshly pressed Victorian lacies. I guess I was expecting something a little more “futuristic”, like some sort of flying magical orb.

(great illustration via Plan59)

2275 Santa Rosa Ave in Altadena, California. Here lies the house of an exceptional designer but also a house of an exceptional design. This is the address of Case study House #20 as well as the residence of Saul Bass. This remarkable example of modern residential architecture was designed by Buff, Straub and Hensman in 1958 for John Entenza’s Arts & Architecture magazine.
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