New Pacific Northwest MCMs

It appears that Bob Rummer, the now‐legendary Portland‐area mid‐century modern builder, has gotten a burst of creative energy as he closes in on his centenarian years.

Rummer, who recently turned 97, says the next chapter of his life will indeed include building more neighborhoods of Eichler‐like Rummer homes in the Pacific Northwest.

Time will tell how things will actually play out—but, for now, nothing has slowed the early buzz.

Rummer celebrated the road ahead—and his birthday too—in a big way at the '2024 Portland Modern Home Tour' on June 1, when VIP ticketholders joined him for a day of touring, munching of BBQ and birthday cake, and Q&A sessions at the home Rummer built for his family in 1966.

But wait, there's more. On that June day, Rummer also announced that Rummer Development, a recent evolution of the now‐defunct Rummer Homes, will soon be building a brand‐new future‐forward generation of mid‐century modern‐styled Rummer housing.

The ambitious plan, inspired by the approximately 750 Portland‐area residences Rummer built from the late 1950s through the mid-'70s, is to build the homes "in and beyond" the Pacific Northwest, according to Rummer Development. Rummer also indicated that he and business partner Terry Gilson were welcoming a new CEO, Aubrey McCormick, to the fledgling fold.

Describing an upbeat atmosphere with wall‐to‐wall people for the June 1 event, McCormick noted, "You've seen when presidents and people drive out of neighborhoods. Well, [on the day of the party] Bob got in the car, and we had music playing, and the streets were lined with people waving goodbye…Chad [Pierson], our builder, said, 'Bob, roll down the window!' Bob was on 'cloud 9.'"

Positioning herself as a residential design‐builder and sustainability expert, McCormick has handpicked a team to get the ambitious project off the ground.

"We're not doing custom [homes]," she says, "we're staying very true to Bob's legacy. The homes will be a revival of Bob's, keeping the main core of his original design."

Not only is Rummer onboard, "he's ecstatic," says McCormick. "He was at the party for a good six‐and‐a‐half hours, and brought our builder and started looking at floor plans for another half‐hour afterwards."

Remarking that, for the past decade, Rummer has been wanting to get into building once again, McCormick says that "the fact that we were able to make this happen is very meaningful, and very much what he [Rummer] wants to see in these floor plans. We take that with great honor."

Asked how she expects the new Rummers to roll out, McCormick explains that the plan is to build a variety of homes, starting with a spec home "that has all the bells and whistles from a sustainability perspective; then two others, ranging from 1,800 to 3,200 square feet."

Floor plans should be ready in the next few weeks, she says, with information on the actual developments expected to follow in one to two years.

Troy Kudlac of KUD Properties, who has been building new Eichler homes from original plans in the Palm Springs area since 2014, and most recently built two for clients in nearby Indian Wells, welcomed the news of a 'Rummer revival.'