William Krisel

William Krisel (November 14, 1924 – June 5, 2017) was an American architect best known for his pioneering designs of mid-century residential and commercial architecture. Most of his designs are for affordable homes, especially tract housing, with a modern aesthetic.

Early life and education

Krisel was born in 1924 in Shanghai, China. He moved with his American parents to Beverly Hills, California, in 1937. His father worked as a distributor for United Artists in and brought the family back to the United States after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War He returned to China during WWII, acting as an interpreter.

He attended the University of Southern California and graduated in 1949.

Career

With Dan Palmer, Krisel formed Palmer & Krisel architects. Krisel designed more than 30,000 homes throughout Southern California; the total number of houses and condominiums designed by the firm probably exceeds 40,000. He frequently collaborated with the Alexander Construction Company. By the late 1950s, he and Palmer were working with seven out of the 10 largest homebuilders in America. In addition to Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and Indian Wells, California large tracts of homes designed by the firm were built in Las Vegas, Florida, and Arizona. Beginning in 1956 with their first Palm Springs tract, Twin Palms, Krisel, the firm's lead designer for desert houses, used variation of orientation and roofline, integration of indoor and outdoor living, and careful use of standardized elements to make modernist design affordable. The houses facilitated indoor-outdoor living in the desert with sheltered patios and pools and in some cases breezeways; clerestory windows improved air circulation while bringing light into the house. The interior designs included flexible room dividers to adapt the floorplan to the owners' preferences. thumb

Krisel was a member of American Institute of Architects.

Works Krisel's works include

1950, Adolphe Stelzer House, Brentwood, California (demolished) 1951, Florence Hawkins Residence, Los Angeles, California 1951, Gina Janns House, Los Angeles, California 1953, Tampa Homes (Housing Tract) Reseda, California 1953, Parkwood Covina (Housing Tract) West Covina, California 1954, Garden Grove North (Housing Tract) Garden Grove, California 1955, Garden Grove East (Housing Tract) Garden Grove, California 1955, Krisel House, Brentwood, California (demolished) 1955, Corbin Palms (Housing Tract) San Fernando Valley, California 1956–1958, Twin Palms Estates (Housing Tract) Palm Springs, California 1957, Sundberg Residence, Van Nuys, California 1957, Ocotillo Lodge Hotel, Palm Springs, California 1957–1958, Ramon Rise Estates (Housing Tract) Palm Springs, California 1958, Tamarisk Ranchos, (Condominiums) Rancho Mirage, California 1958–1962, Racquet Club Estates, Palm Springs, California 1958–1965, Sandpiper Condominiums, Palm Desert, California 1958, Coffee Dan's Coffee Shop, Los Angeles, California 1959, College Glen Estates (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1959, Raffee's Carpets, San Diego, California 1959, Lionel Krisel House, Los Angeles, California 1959, Borrego Gold Club Estates (Housing Tract) Borrego Springs, California 1959, La Jolla Scenic Heights (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1959, Proposed Development, Yuma, Arizona (unbuilt) 1959, Housing Tract, Phoenix, Arizona (unbuilt) 1959–1960, Flair Homes (Housing Tract) Tucson, Arizona 1960, Alexander House (The House of Tomorrow), Palm Springs, California 1960–1964, Paradise Palms (Housing Tract) Las Vegas, Nevada 1960, 135 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, California 1960, Loma Lodge, San Diego, California 1960, Loma Starr Building, San Diego, California (now Peninsula Center) 1960, Poway Plaza Shopping Center, Poway, San Diego, California 1960, Security First National Bank, Poway, San Diego, California 1960, PM Electronics, Poway, San Diego, California (unbuilt) 1960, University City (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1960–1962, Viewpoint North (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1960–1962, Viewpoint South (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1961, Airport Reproduction Services, Midway District, San Diego, California 1961, Beth Israel School of Religion, San Diego, California 1961, Raffee's Carpets – Point Loma, San Diego, California 1961, Brandon Plaza Apartments, West Hollywood, California 1961, Crestmont Hills (Housing Tract) El Paso, Texas 1961–1966, Canyon View Estates (Housing Tract) Palm Springs, California 1962, Bankers Hill Apartments, San Diego, California 1962, Chamber Building, San Diego, California 1962, Private Residence, Marion Estates, Phoenix, Arizona 1962, Circle Motel, Mission Valley, San Diego, California 1962 Point Loma Estates (Housing Tract) San Diego, California 1962 Park Lido (Town Home Complex) Newport Beach, California 1963, Kemp House, Palm Desert, California 1963, 9255 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California 1963–1964, Point Loma Towers Apartments, San Diego, California 1964, Point Loma Shopping Center, San Diego, California 1964, Black Mountain Estates, Henderson, Nevada 1964, Native Oasis Villas at Indian Wells Country Club, California 1964, West Loma Office Building, San Diego, California 1967, Shorepoint Apartments, San Diego, California 1968, Grundt-Tipper House, Palm Springs, California 1968, Canyon Lake Development, Riverside County, California 1968–1970, Kings Point Development, Palm Springs, California 1969–1979, Coronado Shores Condominiums, Coronado, California 1970, Marina Tower Apartments, Vallejo, California 1970, Harbour Lights Apartments, Huntington Beach, California 1972, Del Prado Condominiums, San Diego, California 1973, Ocean Towers, Santa Monica, California 1976, Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan Building, Glendale, California (now US Bank) 1981, Boca Monica Condos, Santa Monica, California 1981, 1033 Ocean Ave Condos, Santa Monica, California Circa 1981, Park Plaza Condos, Santa Monica, California 2006, Butterfly Homes, Palm Springs, California

Death and archives Krisel died June 5, 2017, at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 92.

The Getty Research Institute houses the William Krisel papers, 1935–2014.