Finding an affordable, well-kept mid-century modern Alexander home in Palm Springs can be tough. Some have been rehabbed beyond repair. And those that have been expertly revamped might cost $1.8 million, as one Alexander recently sold for in Las Palmas.

"Many who have bought them wanted to rehab them and over the years have destroyed the integrity," said Bill Krisel, an original architect for Alexander Co.

But now Krisel is bringing back his original Alexander designs, as was reported on www.thedesertsun.com Friday morning. Krisel, along with Maxx Livingstone Modern Homes of Canada, announced Friday a joint venture to build copycats of Krisel's popular mid-century modern homes. The homes would be built on an individual basis, perhaps about 10 to start out with, said Maxx Livingstone President Michael Friedman.

The first design is a copy of a home designed by Krisel using his "butterfly" roof. The roof, which is sloped, allows high ceilings and more window space.

"I love my work and I am very pleased there's a demand for this today," said Krisel, 80. Krisel was one of two architects brought to the desert by the Alexanders, a father-son developer team. Krisel, along with Dan Palmer, designed the first extensive tract division in Palm Springs around 1956. The floor plans were usually identical, but the individual roof lines provided variety.

"By no means was Bill the only architect here," said Anthony Merchell, owner of the Beat Hotel in Desert Hot Springs and an architecture historian. "But none of them had the opportunity to create whole neighborhoods." The straight lines and open floor plans caused a rush to purchase. Everyone from Dean Martin to Elvis Presley gobbled them up. They were different, said Krisel, and that's what people from Los Angeles and snowbirds wanted as a second home.

"They wanted to live differently than they do at home," Krisel said. "That's why they got convertibles here and leisure clothes. And the homes allowed them to see everything, the mountains, the sky."

Back then, an Alexander home in the Racquet Club Estates cost $19,000 and a higher-end Alexander in Las Palmas was about $39,000, Krisel said. Today, it's rare to find an Alexander for under $600,000. More likely, a refurbished Alexander will run about $850,000 to $1 million and several are available for vacation rentals only.

The new Krisel homes, designed through a licensing agreement with Maxx Livingstone, will run in the high $600,000s, said Friedman, though they could be less depending on the amenities and location.

Mark Bellinger, executive director of the Palm Springs Tourism Bureau, said his agency receives numerous inquiries about modernism and architecture, which is one of the top three or four attractions in the city.

And Nickie McLaughlin, vice president of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, said the new Krisel homes could be really attractive, especially since they will be built on custom lots. Many new housing developments in the city are based on the mid-century modern Alexander design, but are clustered in appearance, she said. Merchell said a lot of imitation of Krisel's work has occurred over the years, some done well, some not so well.

But only Krisel's work is authentic, he said.

"It's just nice to know people still want my homes," Krisel said.