George Gutenberg
The Guide: Palm Springs
May 1, 2007
Architects/Designers/Builders
Desert modernism flowered from the ’30s through the ’60s but
was largely overlooked in the ’70s and ’80s. Now it’s back. For the past decade
or more, people have been snapping up modern gems and restoring them to their
original glass-walled luster. Many of the contemporary houses populating country
clubs down valley continue modernism’s inside/outside sensibility. A number of
experimental architects, while paying heed to the masters, continue to push the
boundaries of desert design. "We certainly think the midcentury is an important
part of our history," says architect James Cioffi, "but it’s not the current
history, so we’re carrying that to the next level."
Top: A residence by architect Narendra Patel. Photograph by Arthur Coleman. Bottom: A James Cioffi
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Ana Escalante (Escalante Architects, 760.323.1925,
www.escalantearchitects.com). Escalante focuses on an ecology- and
technology-driven aesthetic that employs energy-saving glass and photovoltaic
panels, as well as sustainable materials such as steel ("because it’s
recyclable"), bamboo, wood scraps and terrazzo made with recycled glass. For the
Greenbaum house she designed in the gated hillside community of Mirada Estates,
Escalante returned the graded land back to its original condition.
Top: A hallway by Jeffrey Jurasky. Bottom: A bedroom by Jeffrey Jurasky. Photograph by Jeffrey Jurasky & Associates. (Click images to enlarge) ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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Jeffrey Jurasky (Jeffrey Jurasky & Associates, Inc., 760.325.1090, www.jjandadesign.com). "I’d like to think we don’t have a look,"
says Jurasky, whose interior design is informed by his architectural background.
He works all over the valley, but the majority of his design projects are for
homes between 7,000 and 14,000 square feet.
Narendra Patel (Patel Architecture, 760.776.5031,Rancho Mirage, www.patelarchitect.net). Some of Patel’s designs
utilize solar panels, energy-efficient glass and a light-weight concrete
block "made of recyclable materials" that doesn’t require drywall, plaster or
insulation. "You can have a super-luxury home that is ecologically friendly,"
says Patel, a former protégé of architect Donald Wexler. His projects include
the master-designed ALTA community in Palm Springs, and a 16,000-square-foot
residence in Bighorn.
Top: A Jeffrey Jurasky–designed residence at the Bighorn Golf
Club in Palm Desert. Photograph by Jeffrey Jurasky & Associates. Bottom: A home by Juan Carlos Ochoa. (Click images to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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Guy Dreier (Guy Dreier Designs, Palm Desert, 760.568.3670,
www.guydreierdesigns.com). Many of the contemporary residences Dreier designs
and builds are located in country clubs. "Everybody has different needs and
wants for a club," he says. "We direct clients to clubs based on their
lifestyle." Dreier oversees every detail, from the selection of the lot and
landscaping right down to the bed, coffee table and rugs.
Wallace Associates (Wallace Associates, Palm Springs, 760.416.9909, www.wallacedevelopment.com). This general contracting firm specializes in custom home construction as well as restorations and remodels of classic modern homes.
Phillip K. Smith III (The Art Office, Indio, 760.342.4111, www.theartoffice.com). "We’re an office that does a little bit of everything," says Smith, a designer who opened the Art Studio in 2000. Smith designs residential and commercial buildings, but has focused more on sculpture and furniture lately, using materials such as wood, steel, bronze and plastic.
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