THE
WESTLAKE BOOK
Click
here to buy the book
Little
Boxes: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suburb is the first
and only book to fully document the historic Westlake neighborhood. This
144-page color hardcover book includes:
• A profile of Henry Doelger– the developer of Westlake who
dropped out of school in eighth grade but went on to become America’s
largest homebuilder
• The work of Mario Ciampi, the world-renowned architect who national
acclaim for his space-age Westlake schools
• The meticulous planning process that made Westlake a complete
city within a city– one that offered all the modern suburban conveniences.
• The innovative mass production techniques that made it possible
to build a house for about $9,000 that was comfortable, stylish, and practically
indestructible
• How the architectural style of Westlake’s homes was applied
to larger buildings like restaurants, stores, and apartments, resulting
in a remarkably modern and consistent neighborhood aesthetic
• Westlake’s successes and failures in delivering the American
dream to San Francisco’s postwar population.
Little Boxes presents a wide range of new
and vintage material including:
• Insightful text based on a dozen new interviews with original
Westlake architects and others who shaped the neighborhood as it was being
built.
• Over 60 new full-page full-color photos of Westlake’s architecture
• Over 50 vintage photos of the neighborhood under construction
and during its early years
• Floor plans, maps, and original ads for Westlake’s homes
Little
Boxes has been featured in
The San Francisco Examiner, The San Mateo County Times, The Contra Costa
Times, The Pacifica Tribune, 7x7 Magazine, Readymade Magazine, CA Modern,
Atomic Ranch Magazine, Modernism Magazine, and San Francisco Magazine.
The
San Francisco Chronicle named Little Boxes one
of the best books of the 2006 holiday season. Graphic Design USA Magazine
honored the book in their 2007 annual design awards competition.
Little
Boxes is
a satisfying visual history of architecture, suburban development, and
the postwar period. It's also a great souvenir for past and present Westlake
residents.
