Hugh Kaptur (1931 – ) – Kaptur studied architectural engineering at Lawrence Institute of Technology in Detroit, Michigan. Alexander developments in Palm Springs include Twin Palms, Vista Las Palmas, Racquet Club Road Estates, Desert Lanai, and Sunmore Estates among others. They also partnered with architects Charles Dubois and Donald Wexler. Their homes are known as the “Alexanders” though the architecture of most of the developments are credited to William Krisel and Dan Palmer. The prolific developers helped make second home ownership in Palm Springs affordable to the growing middle class. They specialized in affordable tract residential developments in Southern California in the post World War II period. George and Robert Alexander (developer) – The Alexander Construction Company was founded by George Alexander and his father George. He relocated to Palm Springs to find more work and is credited as one of the pioneers of “Desert Modernism.” In 1935, Clark met Albert Frey and collaborated on many projects including the Palm Springs City Hall, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library, Palm Springs Woman’s Club, and St Paul’s in the Desert church. John Porter Clark (1905 – 1991) – Clark studied architecture at Cornell and apprenticed with Garrett Van Pelt in Pasadena. The Raymond Loewy Residence, and the Palm Springs City Hall.

Buildings of note include Frey House I and II, and the Tramway Gas Station (now the Palm Springs Visitor Center). In California, he worked with architect John Porter Clark. A small commission for an office and apartment for Kocher’s brother, Dr. Lawrence Kocher in New York City or some years, the managing editor of Architectural Record magazine. He then worked with New York architect A. Theresa’s Catholic Church, and the L’Horizon Hotel.Īlbert Frey (1903 – 1998) – Frey established a style of modernist architecture in Palm Springs that became knows as “Desert Modernism.” He worked in Paris for Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (commonly known as Le Corbusier) before moving to the U.S.

Among Cody’s celebrated designs are the Abernathy House, Palm Springs Public Library at Sunrise Park, St. He designed the Del Marcos Hotel the following year and went on to work on several clubhouses and Country Club developments throughout the Coachella Valley. William Cody (1916 – 1978) – Cody studied architecture at the University of Southern California before moving to Palm Springs in 1946. Some of his notable Palm Springs designs include the Palm Springs Art Museum, Coachella Savings and Loan (now Chase Bank), Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan (now the Art Museum’s architecture and design center), Palm Springs Aerial Tramway station and Frank Sinatra residence. Stewart Williams (1909 – 2005) – Williams studied at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. As a personal friend of Bob Alexander, he is credited as the architect of record for many Alexander Construction Company developments.Į. It is estimated 30,000 residences in Southern California that can be attributed to Krisel. William “Bill” Krisel (1924 – 2017) – Krisel studied architecture at the University of Southern California and also became a licensed landscape architect. Other notable designs include the Dinah Shore Residence, the main terminal building at the Palm Springs International Airport and Royal Hawaiian Estates Condominiums. Together they designed many school buildings and the Steel Development Homes for Alexander Construction Company. Wexler partnered with Richard Harrison for a time. These homes are in a gated Southridge community, and are not accessible by the public, although the Hope residence can be seen upon the side of the mountain from East Palm Canyon Drive.ĭonald Wexler (1926 – 2015) – Donald Wexler worked for Richard Neutra for a while in LA, then relocated to Palm Springs where he was employed by William Cody. His distinctive application of the principals of organic architecture culminated in the Palm Springs homes for Arthur Elrod and Bob Hope. John Lautner (1911 – 1994) – After training under Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West, Lautner moved to LA and focused on residential architecture. Neutra designed homes in Palm Springs, including the Miller Residence (1937) and his masterpiece: The Kaufmann Residence (1946). in 1923 where he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright before branching out on his own. Richard Neutra (1892 – 1970) – Austrian born, raised and trained, Neutra immigrated to the U.S. Notable Architects from the Mid-Twentieth Century Who Practiced in Palm Springs

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