Alexander
Homes - Merchant builders George and son Bob Alexander
were two of many housing developers working in the Los Angeles area
in the boom years after World War II. Bob was eager to establish
himself with his own ideas and projects in the early 1950's; when
he met architect William Krisel and the two began to discuss how
to build Modern housing tracts at a time when ranch and colonial
were still the favored style. Influenced by Cal Straub, a teacher
at the School of Architecture at USC Krisel and partner Dan Palmer
designed houses that used post and beam construction methods, with
butterfly roofs, natural stone walls, pattern concrete block, clerestory
windows, carports these designs showed that Modern design
could be a successful commodity in the housing market. The Alexanders
moved from West Los Angeles to Palm Springs in 1957 and by the mid
sixties had built over 2,000 homes in the area. Originally the base
price of a 1,225 square foot Alexander home with three bedrooms,
two bathrooms and a pool was $19,500. Today, fifty years after their
birth, the Great Alexanders are being born anew - restored, retrofitted
and readapted for the 21st century year round living. |