El Rancho Vista Estates is a cherished part of the historic mid century modern story, and holds a special place in the rich architectural history of Palm Springs. Designed by the renowned architectural team of Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison with developer Roy Fey, our neighborhood was built in three phases, Phase 1 & 2 between 1960-62, and Phase 3 onwards in the late 1970s, with architectural guidance for this phase completed by Joe Koch.
Originally fashioned as a stylish weekend retreat, ERVE was the city’s first planned residential subdivision designed by this visionary duo, whose modernist designs helped shape the broader mid century modern architectural movement.
As times changed and our city modernized, El Rancho Vista Estates has become a vision for full time desert living. With our clean lines and timeless designs helping shape the world renowned aesthetic of Palm Springs as we know it today. You can read more about our design legacy, our build story and the neighborhood preservation ethos our neighbors are dedicated to below.
Neighborhood
History
Original Neighborhood Advertising Material
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Original Floor Plans From Our 1960's Development Advertising
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Original Floor Plans From Our 1960's Development Advertising
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Original Promotional Material From Our 1960's Development Advertising
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Original From Our 1960's Development Advertising
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Original Floor Plans From Our 1960's Development Advertising
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Original Floor Plans From Our 1960's Development Advertising
A Vision For Modern Living
The first phase of approximately 70 homes in the neighborhood was developed by Roy Fey with architectural guidance by powerhouse design duo, Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison at the helm. Fey’s son Robert additionally contributed to ERVE’s early development.
Together, they sought to create a community of modern homes that combined striking architecture with the easy desert lifestyle. The goal was ambitious: bring contemporary design, once the domain of custom homes and high end clients, into an accessible, family-oriented subdivision. Fey later partnered with Joe Koch for architectural guidance on an additional 39 homes; however the majority of the second and the third phase were not designed by Wexler and Harrison.
At the time of its construction, El Rancho Vista Estates was the first Wexler/Harrison subdivision in Palm Springs to be marketed not just as vacation homes, but as residences for year round living.
Advertisements from the early 1960s highlighted the neighborhood’s modern conveniences and stylish design, appealing to both young families and retirees looking for something fresh in the desert.
Wexler and Harrison designed three distinct floor plans for Phase 1 & 2 of El Rancho Vista Estates – the Bermuda, the Capri, and the Casablanca.
Each featured clean lines, post-and-beam construction, dramatic rooflines, and generous walls of glass that blurred the line between indoors and outdoors. Hallmarks of their work, such as clerestory windows, open floor plans, and integrated carports, gave the homes a sense of lightness and modernity.
El Rancho Vista Estates offered 10,000 sq ft lots and an optimized home orientation; for example, some houses sitting perpendicular to the street. Roy Fey stressed “The Importance of Orientation” in the original marketing material, noting that his firm carefully studied the orientation of the homes on each lot, arranging bedrooms and leisure spaces in a way that was optimized to utilize sun and shade in all seasons. Widely spaced lot positioning preserved privacy and scale for residents, maximizing San Jacinto Mountain views and a cohesive neighborhood identity.
While other neighborhoods in Palm Springs feature homes by Wexler and Harrison, El Rancho Vista Estates is unique as the first and only subdivision of single family homes located in the same neighborhood that they designed together in its entirety.
Architecture And Design
Today, El Rancho Vista Estates is recognized as a defining example of Palm Springs Modernism.
Its architecture continues to attract admirers from around the world, from design scholars to visitors attending the annual Modernism Week event programs, as well as being identified in the citywide survey inventory refresh as a Class 3 site in 2023 due to it’s significant contribution to Palm Springs renowned architectural story and potential to pursue historic site designation to be classified as a Class 2 Historic Neighborhood.
ERVE’s residents have committed to maintaining much of the integrity of the original designs, while celebrating the timeless vision that Wexler, Harrison, and Fey set in motion more than sixty years ago.
ERVE is more than just a neighborhood. It’s a living piece of architectural history; a reminder of the optimism of the early 1960s, and a cornerstone of Palm Springs’ modernist legacy to be enjoyed for generations to come.
