Mid-Century Modern Eichler Houses in the City of Orange

I just had an opportunity to participate in an Eichler House tour sponsored by the AIA-Orange County Chapter. This was a great chance to see an amazing assortment of Eichlers, meet the owners who care for them, and mingle with aficionados who made the pilgrimage to admire these mid-century modern houses made in the early 1960s. For those who might not know, the City of Orange has about 350 of the nearly 600 Eichlers that were built in Southern California, which makes Orange one special city! If you want some more specific information about Eichlers in Orange, please read my earlier blog. I also recommend this article by Elisabeth Deffner. Here are some of the highlights of my tour in the Fairhaven Tract:

Fashion Island's Towers Elevate Newport Beach's Skyline

Newport Beach's premier shopping center, Fashion Island, is surrounded by various office and medical towers. Steadily built since the late 1960's, these towers have established a recognizable skyline in Orange County's wealthiest city. At this point it seems these towers have reached a saturation point, but only time will tell. At 315 feet tall, the tower at 520 Newport Center is Orange County's tallest building. Although very small compared to national and international standards, it should be measured in context with the rest of Orange County which was developed as suburbia.

520 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach