Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream

By Marty Arbunich and Paul Adamson

Atriums, household conveniences, and sleek styling made Eichler Homes a standard-bearer for bringing the modern home design to middle-class America.

Joseph Eichler was a pioneering developer who defied conventional wisdom by hiring progressive architects to design Modernist homes for the growing middle class of the 1950s. He was known for his innovations, including "built-ins" for streamlined kitchen work, for introducing a multipurpose room adjacent to the kitchen, and for the classic atrium that melded the indoors with the outdoors. For nearly twenty years, Eichler Homes built thousands of dwellings in California, acquiring national and international acclaim. Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream examines Eichler's legacy as seen in his original homes and in the revival of the Modernist movement, which continues to grow today. The homes that Eichler built were modern in concept and expression, and yet comfortable for living. Eichler's work left a legacy of design integrity and set standards for housing developers that remain unparalleled in the history of American building. This book captures and illustrates that legacy with impressive detail, engaging history, firsthand recollections about Eichler and his vision, and 250 photographs of Eichler homes in their prime.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586851845
• ISBN13: 9781586851842
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 4.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 10.9" x 12.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up

Customer Reviews

Beautiful book

This is a beautiful book with loads of photos. A must for any Eichler owner or fan.

Detail Rich

This book is filled with detailed descriptions of many aspects of Joseph Eichler and Eicher Homes. A marvelous array of photographs complement the engaging text.

The Book on Eichler

Whether you have an interest in mid-century modern design, Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian architecture or just Eichler...this book is a terrifc buy. While content rich it is still visually appealing and can easily function as a "coffee table" book. This book also serves as a terrific "idea guide" for those in search of small spacce solutions and/or modern landscaping layouts that bring the "outdoors in."

Eichler, I grew up near them.

My word! I remember touring Eichler homes in Orange California with my parents. The homes, to me, were spectacular. My parents thought they seemed cheap. They were from the midwest and were used to brick homes built for powerful winters. We moved into another home several blocks from the Eichler Subdivision. I walked past the homes on they way to elementary school and just admired them so much. I guess I will never know what it is like to live in one, but I do know what it was like to tour an Eichler as a model home. What a memory! These are very special homes. Scott K Dolik

A Wonderful Book!

As a Eichler home owner I couldn't wait for this book to arrive and thankfully it was a joy to read and pour over all the original photos in the book. I always knew I owned a special home and now I own a wonderful book that validates that too. Even if you are not a Eichler homeowner, but rather just a fan of mid-century homes this is also a must have for your library as it goes into more then just Joe Eichler and his homes. Enjoy the read!