Palmer and Krisel in San Diego
The has been much attention paid lately to the Alexander Homes in Palm Springs. Like Eichler, Alexander found success in marketing modern architect-designed homes to the masses.
Dan Palmer and Bill Krisel also did a lot of work in San Diego, mostly for a developer named Leonard Drogin. I live in a Drogin/P&K home in the College area.
Years of construction range from late 50's through early 60's. Tracts are located throughout San Diego: La Jolla (La Jolla Scenic Drive area), Del Cerro (Airoso Ave.), College (Baja Drive, Chaparral Ct.), Point Loma (Kemper St., Larga Cir.), University City (Streseman and Soderblom), and Clairemont (Chasewood and Marlesta). Many of these are exclusively P&K tracts; others are mixed in with more traditional models. Most are Drogi-developed.
So where the the Wm. Kesling designed homes in La Jolla. The don't seem to be on Kesling St. or Kesling Ct.-those are just 'cracker boxes' that give 'modern' a bad name.
I think there are very similar or same homes to the tract near the college, might even be the same developer/builder who built them in Pomona off of Grove Av. E. of Garey. I think they might have been called 'Futurama'
(shades of the TV show) and boasted that they had built in color TV.
This is my first post.
I live in Pacifica, a large Drogin development of Eichler-style homes on the south slope of Mt Soledad, on the other side from La Jolla. Many homes have spectacular views south over Mission Bay to the San Diego skyline, Pt Loma, and down to Mexico, as well as west over the ocean and the Coronado Islands. Where else do you find neighborhoods of modern homes opening onto such space and light as they do here?
Even the 40-acre retirement community in the middle of the mountain and the Navy housing at the foot are in classic modern style, making this a very broad, if not entirely successful modern community.
There are a few, well, very few, neighbors who "get it." The Drogin homes here, and in other areas of San Diego, are as Eichler as they can be. Many of the homes are being done over, and rarely with respect to the Modernist style. As some homes fall into disprepair and others are MacMansioned, it would be great if there was some recognition of the project.
If anybody knows the architect(s) and the links to Eichler, I'd love to hear about them. I'd be glad to post pix of the homes if anybody's interested. There are more, and often larger and more de luxe, Drogins around UC San Diego and San Diego State. I believe the original developer's son is still in the area.
Pacifica is also a Palmer & Krisel tract. I do not believe that they had any relation to Eichler. As VinJeff indicated they built several outstanding modern communities throughout San Diego. If you wanted to find out more about the architects there are some great Alexander Homes sites that have poped up on the web and have quite a bit of info. on the firm of Palmer & Krisel. I believe Bill Krisel still lives in the San Diego area. I am happy to know that some of the folks living in Pacifica have an apreciation for its wonderful design.
Thanks, sdmod & vinjeff.
How about the designers of Burgener's Clairemont homes? Got any ideas who they were? The few I've seen have the familiar slab-on-grade, shallow-pitched T&G roof, two-bath, floor-to-ceiling glazing features in Modernist merchant housing, but done back in 1953. The homes are modest but durable, and fulfill much of the modernist manifesto promise. My wife had one that was a wonderful home in a very lively neighborhood.
(In contrast, the recent and otherwise complete AIA guide to San Diego architecture by Dirk Sutro doesn't seem to recognize "housing" as architecture. No mention of Modern merchant housing. What a shame. Stand-out structures by star architects put ego before community. Community is an essential built-in of Eichler/Drogin/Alexander homes. It's ironic that these developers, from the business no progressive loves, deliver on the democratic ideals of Modernism while most architects must cut a Faustian deal with their clients.)
Down here by SDSU, we're in the same situation... a few owners know what they've got, and are restoring/preserving their homes. One of our goals is to keep the Philistines at bay, so they don't move in and turn them into faux Spanish (like the AQ Jones in Loma Portal... but that's a different story.)
The word hasn't got out among those looking for a vintage modern home that here in San Diego you can pick one up for under $400,000... there are two homes in original condition for sale (or coming on the market) in my tract. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll post the realtor's numbers.
Not sure about the Clairemont/Burgener houses you cite... I know that Bill Krisel was involved in designing many homes in Clairemont, but I'm not sure exactly where they all are.
As an aside, Krisel lives part of each year in the Coronado Towers complex, which he also designed
New! Here's a link to a gallery featuring P+K San Diego homes:
http://www.lottaliving.com/gallery/album06
the Lotta Livin' site also hosts a great deal of content from modern lovers around the country. Check it out!
