Eichler Homes: Design for Living

by Jerry Ditto, Lanning Stern, Sally B. Woodbridge (Introduction)

More than a modern-day success story, Joseph Eichler changed the face of American architecture by creating the ultimate, affordable family home. Now, nearly 50 years after the phenomenon of the Eichler home, once a quintessential symbol of the American Dream, this beautifully illustrated volume chronicles both the success and ultimate demise of a legendary company. With over 100 full-color photographs of the homes' various models, as well as an introduction by architectural expert Sally B. Woodbridge and an essay by Eichler's son Ned, Eichler Homes tells the poignant story of a unique post-war business, and of a singular vision and unforgettable legacy that continue to inspire architects and designers around the world.

Genres: Architecture, Design, Nonfiction

120 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, concise writeup on the legacy of Joseph Eichler and his homes that is otherwise hindered by the inclusion of many photos of garish renovations. I would have liked to see more photos of original interiors instead of updated ones.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely views of incredible vision. These were meant to be mass built homes for everyone... they sell for a million dollars today.

[Eldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

mcm porn.

[Hayward Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally I was expecting a coffee table book with lots of pictures. It turns out the text tells a personal story of Joseph Eichler, While personal, the story is surprisingly informative: about challenges faced by building the Eichlers, contemporary competitors at the time, the eventual fall of the Eichler comparny as a large tract building in the late 60's. It also answers a question that I never expect to be answered: why the atrium?

I took one star off because the illustrations are completely irrelevant to the text. They are distracting. I need to revisit them after focusing on the text.

[Afton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I use a 5 star, but this book is exactly what I was looking for when it came to remodeling our kitchen. I'd never heard of an "Eichler" before moving here, but in Sunnyvale where we now live, Eichlers are all over the place and were a mid-century phenomenon. Our house was built by a close peer of Eichler and before Eichler made it big so it has a lot of similar elements--good and bad.

We wanted to try to redo our kitchen to sort of match the original so this book gave some excellent ideas of how others have done it.

[anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the age of Ikea, it's interesting to see how Eichler pioneered the cocept of 'Design for everyone' . Even committed urbanists will appreciate their beauty. Sure, the underlying ideology (inward turning, insular) is appalling, one step removed from the next-generation's hippies moving to communes in the country, but there's loveliness and light there also.

[Tarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love post and beam modern architecture....though i have heard these homes were cheaply made ...I still love the layouts!

[Ellen Marchessault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I know what an Eichler home is (and have been in one!) I am fascinated with reading about the man and his legacy. This book provided a great introduction.