Palm Springs, a virtual living museum of mid-century modern design, welcomed two new homes to their roster of architectural masterpieces during Modernism Week this year. As part of the Miele Chino Canyon Project, local contemporary architect Lance O’Donnell of o2 Architecture has created two iconic houses that fit the city’s high modernist aesthetic, but with a 21st-century twist.
One of the homes is a never-before-built plan from Arizona modernist architect Al Beadle. Throughout his career, Beadle was praised for translating the glass and steel lines of modernism and turning them into more relaxed forms that complemented the rocky desert environment. His work was prominently featured throughout the southwest until now, with his first project realized in Palm Springs.
Rendering for Beadle House Courtesy of o2 Architecture
Mike Yakovich of local design-build firm Better Built was the brain behind bringing Beadle’s work to the famous modernist community. “When I first saw the rendering of this house, I knew it was meant for Palm Springs,” he said. “Then, when we found the plans for it and heard the backstory, it was like finding a Spanish Armada at the bottom of the ocean full of gold. This is the project of a lifetime.”
Yakovich and O’Donnell ensured Beadle’s house was built in its purest and most elegant form, straight from the meticulous drawings of the late architect. Having worked on previous remodels, restorations and alterations of other famous modernists works in the area, O’Donnell saw the project as fitting for their portfolio.
The newly completed Beadle House byDavid Blank Photo
“I respected and deeply appreciated Beadle’s work, as I have for all the Palm Springs Modernists that have paved the way for others like myself to carry forward,” O’Donnell said. “Our firm’s skills and experience aligned with Beadle’s vision and overall detailing.”
O’Donnell worked closely with Arizona State University’s Beadle Archives and one of the late architect’s associates, Ned Sawyer, to complete the house, which was originally designed for Paradise Valley, Arizona, in the 1970s. The Beadle House, so aptly named, is now a permanent fixture in Palm Springs situated within the Desert Palisades development at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains.
Touring Beadle House
The two-story structure features a minimized footprint to preserve the site’s natural hillside setting and an expansive second floor that cantilevers 14 feet out in each direction. The structure appears to defy gravity as it hovers above the landscape. During Modernism Week, the interior will feature 20th-century furnishing from the personal collection of gallerist Peter Blake.
Just steps away from the Beadle House is O’Donnell’s other creation for the Miele Chino Canyon Project: o2 House. The 3,664-square-foot, rectangular residence combines mid-century modernism and contemporary architecture with a focus on the most up-to-date sustainable design practices.
O2 House byDavid Blank Photo
The resource-efficient split-level home provides natural ventilation for inhabitants and wind protection and utilizes a solar energy system. It houses three bedrooms on the upper level and a casita, media room and garage tucked into the topography on the lower level.
O2 House byDavid Blank Photo
For Modernism Week, blue-chip artwork will be featured from contemporary artists such as John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jenny Holzer.
With the addition of the o2 House and the Beadle House, the Palm Springs hillside highlights the history and future of modern architecture as it coexists in the 21st century.
Tours of both homes are available during Modernism Week every half hour until Sunday, Feb. 26, starting at 9:30 a.m. Buy tickets here.
