Oh So Unoriginal: Integrity Losses

Neighbor's original carport.  Photographer unknown.

Key to submitting a property for the National Register of Historic Places is the building's integrity. As stated by the National Park Service, "the National Register traditionally recognizes a property's integrity through seven aspects or qualities: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association." Of the approximately 35 Gavello built homes, only this one posted to the right retains its original two-car carport. Given the low-slung roofline, a carport appeared to be the most logical decision...along with its affordability. Garages, additional living spaces, and modified carports have all replaced this original design throughout the tract.

There are several features here that should be noted: to the left of the carport is the home's laundry/pantry/hobby room; a feature favored in many Eichler floor plans by Anshen + Allen Architects, Claude Oakland, and others. Within the carport's right bay is a small storage room, accessed by an interior side facing door. The laundry room's elongated ventilation door (more on those later), grooved redwood siding, and the redwood post and beam construction appear to be original.

Rob & Tom's modified carport.  Photographer unknown.

Unfortunately for us, we are inheriting this cockeyed garage remodel. Built to accommodate the roofline, the left door is so small that few cars can fit, and there is no room to install a garage opener. When the door is open, I can easily hit my head on the door. The placement of the storage area at the head of the bay also limits the length of car that can fit. Hopefully, my little compact will be snug, and I will be capable of driving through this needle eye to park.

The larger door barely allows for Rob's Jeep. Lucky for him, he's inheriting what's likely to be one of the oldest garage door openers in the neighborhood. Anyone nearby will hear when Rob's coming or going.

The siding of course does not match the existing grooved redwood siding, but the original carport configuration is intact. Do we return it to carport status for integrity purposes? Or do we remodel this end of the house to accommodate modern lifestyle needs? It will be some time before we have an answer, but please feel free comment.

The House that Rob & Tom Bought

Patio of living/dining room. Photos by Rob Huebschmann, unless otherwise stated.

Today, I will visit the house for the first time since obtaining the keys.  We already have contractors working on site (more on that later), so it will indeed be interesting to see what I find.  In the meantime, here's what we know about the house.  Set within a small development of only 35 like homes, the designs were created by the well-known Anshen + Allen Architects.  More about Robert (or Bob) Anshen can be found at Eichler Networks.  Built circa 1954, the homes mimic similar aesthetics and configurations found in the architects' more familiar designs for Joseph Eichler. Typically, both Eichlers and our home emphasize an indoor/outdoor relationship, post and beam construction, small bedrooms, larger social spaces, low slung roofs, simple materials, and passive solar designs.  Yet these homes are much more modest than some of the sprawling courtyard homes Eichler built.  There are no atriums or dramatic panes of glass, and most are well under 2000 square feet.

Again, this is not an Eichler.  Some might consider them "likelers," and I happily agree.  Credit should be given where credit's due.  Other developers hired Anshen + Allen Architects for their work, too.  In this case, we are fortunate to find our home's developer, Elmer Gavello, on YouTube meeting with residents of another tract of the same models built in nearby Sunnyvale, California (see update below).  The interview confirms some of the quirkiness of the home...including being fully built out of redwood.

This blog will investigate further its unusual character at a time when modern homes were trendy but still rare.  As homeowners, we're looking for that delicate balance between modern comforts and historic preservation of a unique place.  We look to viewers for comments and suggestions, and we hope this process will be of interest to others interested in exploring the preservation of Mid-Century Modern designs.  Are we in pursuit of the National Register of Historic Places?  We'll see.

Update:  As we have been meeting neighbors, several have mentioned that the developer was a firm named Pere & Mont.  I have not been able to confirm this as of yet, so more later...