These 4 Eichler homes have never been open for formal tours. Until now.
More than 50 years after they were designed, Joseph Eichler’s simple post-and-beam tract homes — long celebrated by fans of modern architecture — remain remarkably contemporary.
Although the progressive builder’s tracts in Orange County and Northern California have been open for formal tours, his final tract in Thousand Oaks has not. On May 13, the Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter changes that by hosting a self-driving tour of four Eichler homes in Ventura County.
Built between 1964 and 1966, the 100 or so homes were conceptualized by Eichler to include many signature style elements, and then designed by architects A. Quincy Jones and Claude Oakland. The homes were then built by Eichler. The homes feature classic Midcentury Modern details such as airy atriums, open floor plans, floor to ceiling glass, radiant heating and mahogany panels.
Almost all the homes in the tract have been preserved or restored to reflect their original design aesthetic.
The tour is preceded by a talk by Paul Adamson, the author of “Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream” at 1 p.m.
What: Eichler Home Tour
When: Lecture begins at 1 p.m. May 13. The home tours run from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
Where: Grant R. Brimhall Library, 1401 East Janss Road, Thousand Oaks
Tickets: $25 for members. $30 for non-members in advance, or $40 day of tour
Info: (800) 972-4722; www.sahscc.org
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