A Luminous Claude Oakland Eichler In Concord, $1.375M

by Philip Ferrato

Joseph Eichler—the Bay Area poultry-and-egg merchant who saw an opportunity to build Modernist homes for returning GI’s after WWII after living in a rented Frank Lloyd Wright home—would go on to become one of California’s most influential and prolific developers. His firm built over 11,000 homes throughout the Bay Area and L.A., bringing a Modernist ethos to a burgeoning middle class in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, his homes are valued for their timeless Post+Beam aesthetic—open floor plans, atriums and expanses of glass bringing the outdoors in, all defining aspects of what we think of as California Modern—and his collaboration with architects in the Bay Area like Anshen + Allen and Claude Oakland.

Photo Credit: Marcus Hänschen Photography

In the past two decades, real estate marketing has further recognized the enhanced value of architectural pedigree, enabling Eichler’s brand to grow. And so, the script gets flipped, and now we’re looking at a Claude Oakland design for Joseph Eichler. Oakland had previously worked for Anshen + Allen, rationalizing construction details for Eichler projects, before going out on his own with encouragement from the developer, and would go on to a significant practice in San Francisco after Eichler’s business failure and demise in the 1970s.

This beautiful Oakland design has had only two owners—the original owner lived here for 56 years, maintaining the original features, and the current owner has scrupulously restored the original aspects of the home. It’s not a time capsule, it’s a remarkable reincarnation of a 1960s design, and the perfect setting for a collection of contemporaneous design.

Like most of Oakland’s designs for Eichler, the street front is private and austere, with entry though an atrium opening to what might be considered the original “great room”. The kitchen is original with upgraded appliances; the pool is new.

Visit the listing for additional images, details, and a virtual tour. Unsurprisingly, the home went ‘pending’ after about two weeks on the market—an outstanding opportunity to acquire a superbly restored moment in Post War American architecture, represented by Eichler expert Dara Buzzard at Dudum Real Estate Group.