The winter issue of Atomic Ranch arrived just in time for our holiday flight down to LA. Much to our surprise there was a feature about an Eichler house in Thousand Oaks- my hometown. I knew LA had pockets of these “California Modern” mid-centuries, but little did I know they were right in my backyard this whole time.
Joseph Eichler (1900–1974) was one of the only post-war developers to build modern homes aimed at the masses. Between 1949 and 1974, he partnered with some of the most progressive architects (including Anshen + Allen, A. Quincy Jones, Claude Oakland and Raphael Soriano) to build more than 11,000 modernist homes. Key Eichler characteristics include open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling glass which help blur the line between indoor and outdoor living. The resurgence of mid-century architecture and the Eichler cult following has pushed average prices into the 800s. They frequently appear in advertising and film.
We quickly pieced together the location and headed down for our architecture fieldtrip. Most of the homes are in great shape. You can certainly tell which owners know they have an Eichler on their hands. Here are some of our favorites and the full gallery. Supposedly there are about 100 of these homes in the Thousand Oaks area. I hope to find the rest on our next visit.
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