In Palm Springs, circa 1957, Elvis Presley used to sit in the living room of his Alexander home in Las Palmas -- a warm breeze blowing in through open windows; the sound of voices and laughter drifting out over the valley sand.
Like Presley, Hollywood celebrities were drawn to the posh yet simple designs of the Alexander -- high vaulted ceilings, slanted folded plate roofs and straight lines. The homes created a comfortable and airy atmosphere that became as much a part of the persona of Palm Springs as the stars who bought them. Originally designed by the father-son team of George and Robert Alexander, the Alexander classic home is making a comeback.
Contempo Homes will break ground this week on six new Alexander-style homes in the Royal Desert Palms Courts neighborhood. They will break ground on a new 39-home Alexander Vista Estates in December, and an 82-home Alexander Village subdivision in January 2005.
"The Alexander was so well designed it has had longevity -- the classic is a classic," said William Kopelk, president of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, which is helping bring back the Alexander. Kopelk and the foundation hosted an event in 2001 celebrating the history of the home and the role it helped play in shaping the city’s style. "Since then, the rise of mid-century modern interests in lifestyle and building architecture have really taken off," said Kopelk, who also works as a landscape and interior designer. "More than 80 percent of my clients own an Alexander."
Between 1955 and 1965, Alexander homes went for $20,000 to $50,000, and were bought up by everyone from Presley to Dean Martin and Debbie Reynolds. The Alexanders built more than 2,000 homes in 20 different communities in Palm Springs. They might have built more, but George and Robert Alexander were killed in a plane crash near Indio in 1965. Since then, the popularity of the Alexander never waned, though most of those who own them have had them renovated or modernized.
Edward Torres, chief executive officer of Contempo Homes, didn’t even know he owned an Alexander until he purchased a second one and began researching architectural plans during the renovation. "There had only been 5 or 6 of that particular roof line, so the more and more research we did, Ed started getting excited because we were looking at a niche market," said Wesley Cole, public relations director for Contempo Homes and the person responsible for researching the history of the Alexander. Cole found a number of home owners who had kept the original plans for the home. Contempo Homes used them to create six new modern Alexander styles.
The largest concentration of Alexanders will be built in the 11.5-acre Alexander Vista Estates and the 21-acre Alexander Village, which sit adjacent to each other just west of Gene Autry Trail at Via Escuela. The homes, which will range in space from 1,800 to 2,000 square feet and cost about $600,000, will have much the same look as the original, but larger. Cole said the original Alexanders were built as more seasonal homes, with smaller kitchens, bedrooms and living spaces. Now, more year-round residents are moving in.
"I think we’re building Alexander homes as if the Alexanders were building them today," Cole said, which also means more energy-efficient designs. Contempo Homes is becoming a "green builder," installing insulated SIPS panels -- which cut down on the need for larger air or heating units -- solar panels, on-demand water heaters and energy-efficient desertscapes. Cole said overall energy savings for the Alexander homeowner could range from $1,200 to $12,000 annually.
Jacques Caussin owns an Alexander original built in 1957 with a "butterfly" roof style, located in Twin Palms Estates. He said he likes the simple look of the home both inside and out. Being more of a purist like I am, I’m at an extreme advantage of that my home is as close to the original," Caussin said. "Take a vintage Julius Schulman picture of people sitting outside by a pool in the desert and that’s what you have with the Alexander."
Contempo Homes’ original plan was to build 25 rental homes and 200 rental condos at the Alexander Village; however, Cole said the company held a number of neighborhood meetings and residents objected to "rental" properties at the site. Alexander Village instead will feature 82 one-story homes, but with first-time buyer and some lease options available.
Cole said Alexander Village also is being designed after a national community model which interconnects neighborhoods with bike, jogging and hiking trails, a dog park, and a small retail building with services geared toward local residents. The space will likely have a coffee shop, dry cleaners and a hair salon.
Still, Kopalk believes the architectural style will be the main selling point for the Alexander classic home. "They’re like a piece of clothing -- simple clean lines. It displays a certain timeliness. You feel comfortable, no matter when you visit," Kopalk said.
Sheila Cobrin, whose parents, the Zimberoffs, bought an Alexander in Vista Las Palmas in 1959, is so excited about the new Alexanders that she has asked to work for the company in an administrative position. Cobrin still owns the home.
"It’s a great house. It was ‘the’ house. To own an Alexander when they were built was really a big thing. Our neighbors two doors down were Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse, and around the corner were Dean Martin and Jeanne, his wife," Cobrin said. "Every time you turned around, somebody else in the entertainment business was buying one." People have knocked on Cobrin’s door and asked to buy her Alexander home. Cobrin, who has updated her home but not moved any walls, says, "No, thank you."
