William Krisel, AIA
Research & Text: Todd Pitman, ASLA
William Krisel - Image Courtesy Palm Springs Modernism Committee
One of the truly intriguing facts of mid-century history in Borrego Springs is the incredible concentration of talented builders, designers and architects who coalesced in this very remote location over 50 years ago. Many cities of far greater size do not have half the inventory of mid-century architectural resources that can be found within Borrego Springs. It is therefore not entirely surprising that one of modernisms most prolific designers found his way to the Borrego Valley early in its development.
William Krisel AIA was born in 1924 in Shanghai. His parents at that time worked for the U.S. State Department. The family would remain in China until returning to the United States in 1937. Krisel attended Beverly Hills High School and prior to attending college enlisted in the service to serve in World War II as a Chinese interpreter. Following the war Krisel returned to California and received his degree in architecture from the University of Southern California. He became licensed to practice architecture in 1950 and was one of the first licensed landscape architects in California, receiving that license in 1954.
Where desert modernists such as Albert Frey, William Cody and others of this era are widely acclaimed for their dramatic custom homes, Krisel is the architect who brought modern to the masses. By the early 1970s Krisel and his partner Dan Palmer had designed over 30,000 residential units, 8 of those units found there way to the Borrego Valley.
Krisel’s creative use of various roof forms including his famous “butterfly” along with intelligent building siting allowed him to create tracts of homes where each unit looked unique despite an identical floor plan. His signature style was wildly popular in the desert communities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert where he created countless vacation homes for the nations growing middle class. These same homes have again gained immense popularity with the rediscovery of desert modernism.
Krisel Design Borrego Golf Estates - Brady Architectural Photography
Borrego Golf Club Estates
In 1959 La Jolla based developers Fred Corey Jr. and John Wilhelm recognized the potential to bring affordable desert modernism to San Diego County. Krisel had met Corey through his involvement with Irvin Kahn who had begun construction of several of Palmer and Krisel tracts in San Diego. Following a harrowing airplane flight with Wilhelm and Corey from San Diego to Borrego Springs Krisel was commissioned to build an initial tract of 12 homes in the Golf Course Annex subdivision located just south of the de Anza Golf Course.
The new Borrego Golf Club Estates would mirror exactly a development that had just begun construction in Palm Springs known as the Racquet Club Road Estates http://www.racquetclubestates.com/
In 1959 local designer and builder Hal Martinez was awarded the construction contract to build 6 homes within the new tract. The homes would be built on generous ½ acre lots and could be customized to include enhanced landscaping with in ground pool option that would add $995 to the $20,500 purchase price. The first lot to be built was on Lazy S and would feature Krisel’s A-1 design which included his now iconic “butterfly” roof form. Future Plans called for a similar development on the west side of Lazy S along with 6 more units within the Borrego Golf Club Estates only two of which were ultimately built.
Borrego Sun March, 1960, Front Page - Courtesy Borrego Sun & Copley Press
In 2007 one of the seven remaining Krisel designs was purchased and restored to its original 1959 design. The home has been published in the Borrego Sun as well as San Diego Home and Garden and Angeleno Magazines. One of two A-1 designs in the tract, it features the “butterfly” roof form and the classic Krisel shadow block masonry wall at its south elevation.
Krisel Design Borrego Golf Estates - Brady Architectural Photography
The new owners recognized that although the house had suffered due to deferred maintenance and some exterior modifications including the enclosure of the original carport the interior remained substantially intact. Following their purchase they embarked on an ambitious restoration effort which included the removal of the garage and restoration of the original carport design.
Krisel Design Borrego Golf Estates - Brady Architectural Photography
Later additions of a non historic deck off the master bedroom were removed and original tile in both bathrooms and kitchen were restored. Most all of the original appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms remained at the time of purchase and were retained as part of the restoration.
Krisel Design Borrego Golf Estates - Brady Architectural Photography
A new pool and desert appropriate landscape plantings were designed by the current owners and reflect features associated with other Palmer and Krisel designs of the period.
Bill Krisel was contacted as part of the restoration effort and graciously provided consultation on color and some of the history of the Borrego Development that he designed nearly 50 years ago. The home received a People in Preservation Award from Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) in 2008. Upon completion of the restoration Krisel emailed the current owners:
Front L-R Seated: Carmen Paul, Judith Pauli Standing L-R: Todd Pitman, Andrew Hinkley - SOHO People in Preservation Award Winners
“CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARD FROM SOHO AND THANK YOU FOR RETURNING ONE OF MY MANY "CHILDREN" BACK TO NORMALCY. THE PLACE LOOKS GREAT.”
Borrego Springs Park
In the late 1950s Krisel began work on a large tract community just east of the University of California at San Diego. At that time it was envisioned that the community would provide convenient home sites for faculty and staff for the new University. The real estate developer Irving Kahn had met Krisel while working on Los Angeles area projects and had invited the young architect down to San Diego to create a design forward community that offered the utmost in modern convenience. It was at this time that Kahn became the principle stockholder in the Borrego Springs Park Corporation.
Borrego Sun April, 1962 Front Page - Courtesy Borrego Sun & Copley Press
Borrego Sun July, 1962, Front Page - Courtesy Borrego Sun & Copley Press
The Borrego Springs Park Corporation purchased the Ensign Ranch for a reported $1,420,000. The initial land use plan for the development outlined a 18 hole golf course that would be sited adjacent to a 200 unit residential complex that would include community pools, tennis courts and clubhouse. Krisel had gained significant experience in similar developments in both Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Palm Desert and was the natural selection to design the new Borrego development.
Borrego Springs Park Model - Courtesy Borrego Sun & Copley Press
Borrego Springs Park - Building Y - Palmer & Krisel A.I.A. - Courtesy Bill Krisel
Completed in September of 1962 Krisel’s conceptual design for the initial 200 units called for a dramatic circular modern design. The main vehicular circulation would loop around the site; carports would line the exterior of the development separating the vehicular and pedestrian environments. Manicured lawns and meandering paths would be provided at the interior of the site linking the individual units to the community oriented center. The individual units would be of steel post and beam construction and would have small courtyards providing a link to the landscape beyond and visual spaciousness to the interior.
Borrego Springs Park - Building X - Palmer & Krisel A.I.A. - Courtesy Bill Krisel
For unknown reasons Krisel’s design for the Borrego Springs Park was never built. However, according to Krisel rumors persisted that although his plans were never completed the project was eventually built using the concepts that he had provided but without the necessary oversight to ensure that they were properly executed. In 1964 the Club Circle development began construction and in Borrego Sun articles the design was attributed to the partnership of Henry Hester and Robert Jones (see Henry Hester). Although the development as built does not show the refinement envisioned in Krisel’s original concepts, it certainly bears a remarkable resemblance to his original site designs. After all, how likely is it that 2 different designers would envision a “circle” in the middle of the Anza Borrego desert individually and on their own? Yet another Borrego mystery.
Borrego Springs Park - SandPiper Apartments - Palmer & Krisel A.I.A. - Courtesy Bill Krisel
BILL LAWRENCE NOTES:
Following 2008, Todd Pitman was able to meet with Bill Krisel and obtained on loan from Bill his original plans for Borrego Springs Park. Todd and I scanned the plans with Mr. Krisel’s permission and in reviewing the plans and based upon recent a recent real estate transaction where I represented the seller of a Club Circle East unit, I have a theory on what may have happened. The theory is based upon more than one story that takes place in Borrego Springs development, where an original design is presented and instead of moving forward another architect modifies or adapts the plans, largely based upon cost savings, and a new product is produced. This happened with de Anza Country Club. So the theory is this: William Krisel and the firm of Palmer and Krisel produced plans for Borrego Springs Park. The decision was made to go with modular housing, and “somehow” the plans, which had been paid for, made their way from the developer to Rohr’s Modular home division. Were they followed exactly? No. But modified, they could be the basis for what we know as Club Circle today. Was the modification made by Hester & Jones? Possibly, but we don’t have those facts either. At least not yet.