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When you define the architectural design of 1950's and 1960's
Borrego Springs, it is the work of architect Richard (Dick)
Zerbe that is prominent both in style and number. The architect
and builder, created a San Diego mid-century modern design
that takes into account the unique nature of the desert. He
has helped transform Borrego Springs into a modern oasis.
Dick Zerbe was born in 1913, raised in Pittsburgh and while
growing up was fascinated with planes.
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Following high school, he studied aeronautical engineering
at Carnegie Institute of Technology. At the age of 20 Dick
and his brother hitchhiked to California - his brother heading
to UCLA to study journalism, and Dick to San Diego where
he went to work at Consolidated-Vultee, the forerunner to
Convair. Following World War II, Zerbe became disenchanted
with aeronautical engineering, feeling that the aircraft
industry was a becoming a weapon of war. 1
With his first
wife, he purchased 40 acres of land in Del Mar Heights and
a couple of horses opening the "Cocktail Springs Dude
Ranch". During this time his first marriage ended in
divorce with his former wife keeping the Del Mar property.
Dick and the horses settled in Julian. A friend in Julian
was working in Borrego and suggested a job with George "Bud"
Kuhrts at the Desert Lodge (later La Casa del Zorro). In
addition to odd jobs around the Lodge, he built stables
and became the "wrangler" and horse handler for
guests. Dick would take the children of guests on long rides
into the desert while the parents would pursue more adult
activities at the bar. 2
It was also at the Desert Lodge that
he would build a relationship that would last the rest of
his life - that of his second wife, Betty.
The relationship with Kuhrtz would be critical for Zerbe's
career and success. After moving to Julian, Zerbe started
his own design firm and construction company to build many
of the designs he created. While not formally schooled in
architecture, he studied and passed the exams for his state
architectural license and was a member of the American Institute
of Architects. During the 1950's and 1960's he was one of
a handful of architects and builders practicing in the far
eastern county, specializing in Borrego and Julian.3
The Borrego Sun in December of 1951 announced:
"New Architect - Mr. Dick Zerbe of Julian will be in
Borrego each Friday of the week, offering potential builders
a convenient architectural and designing service.
Mr. Zerbe comes with a background of fifteen years' experience
in San Diego County and has specialized for many years in
full desert design. His main office and studio is in Julian.
He designed the Forman residence on the Grimm Ranch, he
is also designer of the proposed American Legion Hall in
Borrego Springs, and of Ray Johnson's "Corazon de Borrego"
Resort, construction of which is planned at a future date.
Mr. Zerbe is working now on the proposed expansion of Tub
Canyon Guest Ranch." 4
Dick Zerbe designed nearly 50 homes and apartments in the
Borrego Valley in addition to a substantial number of commercial
projects. Some of his home designs are simple vacation cottages;
others are large with expansive floor plans depending on the
needs of the client. The majority of his designs are wood
frame; however there are examples of construction with slump
block. His designs are in line with other mid-century modern
architects of the period, embracing clean lines and expansive
use of glass. Some of Zerbe's designs also draw on his aeronautical
background; The Fairway Cottages at De Anza Country Club (1957-59)
is an example, with its tapered "ribbing" that echoes
the design of early airplane winds. His designs are particularly
well suited for the desert - blurring the boundaries between
indoors and out, capturing expansive vistas, while taking
into account the extreme nature of the desert climate (both
hot and cold).
DeAnza Country Club
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De Anza Country Club and the Fairway Cottages was a seminal
project for Richard Zerbe and the entire Borrego Valley.
As noted by Phil Brigandi in Borrego Beginnings,
"One look at Palm Springs, even in the 1940's, showed
the developers of Borrego Springs that desert resorts were
expected to have a golf course". 5
The Desert Club (with its "dry" course) predated
de Anza having been built A.A. Burnand in 1949. While it
served as a social center for the community, it did not
fully develop. It was in 1953 that the Borrego Valley Golf
Improvement Association was formed with major investors
including A.A. Burnand, and Robert DiGiorgio and George
Kuhrts. In 1955, construction began on the first nine holes
at de Anza of the Lawrence Hughes designed course. Newspaper
accounts of the period discuss that Kuhrts had originally
hired Palm Springs Architect William Cody to produce the
Master Plan, Clubhouse and Cottage project designs. 6
Course designer Lawrence Hughes and William Cody had previously
worked on the highly successful Thunderbird and El Dorado
Country Club projects in Pam Springs. 7
Shortly after those articles appeared in the Borrego
Sun, Cody's name disappears and is replaced by Richard
Zerbe as designer of the Clubhouse and Cottages. In an interview
with Beverly Kuhrts, the widow of George Kuhrts, she was
asked about the change. While she does not have a clear
idea on why Cody left the de Anza project, she believed
that cost may have been a factor (that Zerbe was less expensive
than Cody). 8
The Cottages were originally designed as rental
units managed by the club, to allow prospective buyers to
"stay and play" before purchasing one of the 300+
golf course lots in the subdivision.
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The cottages feature terrazzo floors, shower stalls, and counters
in the bathrooms; terrazzo flooring in the kitchen and a terrazzo
fireplace outer hearth. Each unit has two bedrooms and baths,
and the "master" bedroom can be closed off from
the main living area. The requirements to be able to handle
multiple sets of prospective buyers led to a design that has
3 sets of doors, 1 leading into the hallway by the guest bedroom
- a separate door for master bedroom and a third leading directly
from the courtyard patio into the kitchen. This third door
was designed to be especially useful for kitchen access to
the barbeques in the circular "pit" to handle an
electric grill. The majority of these pits today have been
changed to planters.
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A 4th sliding glass door provides easy access to the patio
from the living room and cross ventilation. Each unit is in
"L" shape, situated on the lot to take advantage
of either golf course or mountain views. Each unit has a fireplace
(winter nights can be cold and for ambience) and featured
all electric appliances and Youngstown kitchen cabinets. The
Cottages were designed in 3 sets of four, each 4 units sharing
a common area pool which layout and landscape was also Zerbe's
design and remains one of the most valued amenities by Fairway
Cottage owners today.
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