February 2020

Eichler homes brought mid-century modern design to the masses through tract houses constructed in postwar residential subdivisions in California, north and south. The modest, affordable houses were known for flat or low sloping roofs, open plans, and for “bringing the outside in.” Eichler homes’ front-to-back planning featured small windows facing the street, and large windows facing the backyard that put the emphasis of the owners’ lived experience in an American-style interior courtyard, an amenity formerly reserved for the rich. Vertical wood paneling, gabled ceilings and floor-to-ceiling, glazed walls combined with…

Antoni Gaudi’s work escapes classification. Critics described his early work as “florid Victorianism” and his later work as “surrealistic hallucinations.” The focus of Gaudí’s work is movement; there is a constant flow through his designs, and nature informs many of his decorative motifs. Consequently, many of his iconic works featured curved interior and exterior elements. Gaudí was influenced by neo-gothic architecture and built upon this by designing structures with large curved windows and curved balconies. Some of his works, including the Casa Mila apartment building, use curved lines exclusively and…