California Reformation
In California, Wright's Usonian design helped to shape the ranch house into its iconic form. Many architects and developers created ranch homes in the 1950s, but two were particularly influential.
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“Joseph Eichler founded Eichler Homes, Inc. in 1949 and pursued his vision of creating modern homes with architecturally distinct elements for the average family (and average income!). To help materialize his vision, Eichler enlisted the help of
distinguished architects and architectural firms . . . who would help design homes and neighborhoods which were reflective of the contemporary and progressive design found in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home where Joseph Eichler had once lived.”
(Renee Adelman, San Francisco Realtor) Eichler built more than 11,000 homes, and inspired many other architects.
distinguished architects and architectural firms . . . who would help design homes and neighborhoods which were reflective of the contemporary and progressive design found in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home where Joseph Eichler had once lived.”
(Renee Adelman, San Francisco Realtor) Eichler built more than 11,000 homes, and inspired many other architects.
Cliff May
In the 1940s, California architect Cliff May combined clean lines, an open concept floor plan, and walls of windows with historical hacienda designs to create his own form of ranch home. "Design historian Jody Greenwald credits Cliff May with transforming the modern American ranch house from a thick-walled, enclosed structure into an elegant, light-filled pavilion that flowed into a garden-cum-outdoor living room." (Gregory, p. 20.)
May, who "revered Wright" (Gregory, p. 20), helped to popularize the ranch home.
"By the end of [May's] career . . . Cliff May ranch houses could be found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, the Caribbean, Mexico, and even Australia, Ireland and Switzerland. Though Cliff was by no means the only designer of the suburban ranch houses, he was the most influential popularizer of the style, giving it an almost theatrical glamour that was hard to resist... The Cliff May ranch house became an export version of the California ideal". (Gregory, p. 20)
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