Join SAH/SCC for a talk with the renowned author Alan Hess on his new book, The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975 (Rizzoli, 2025).
Much more than a resort destination, Palm Springs has served as a laboratory of the Modern, where so much architectural innovation and design took form. From the steel-and-glass boxes of Richard Neutra, FAIA, to the earthy organic homes of John Lautner, FAIA, and everything in between, the solutions of architects and designers—including notably William F. Cody, FAIA, E. Stewart Williams, FAIA, and Albert Frey, FAIA—were diverse and are ever more relevant in the face of contemporary challenges.
These architects addressed questions that still hold urgency: How to design sustainably in harsh climates? How to use technology efficiently and creatively to meet those challenges? How to build affordable and high-quality mass-produced housing? How to reflect a region’s culture, economy, and distinctive atmosphere?
The book establishes the definitive record regarding the specific contributing factors in the development of the Palm Springs School and adds powerful new insights about desert architecture.
Hess is an American architect, author, lecturer, and advocate for 20th-Century architectural preservation. This is his 22nd book on the built environment.
