Kohler Associates Architects

My wife and I live in the focal point of the Fairmeadow neighborhood; Carlson Circle. There are twenty Eichler homes on our circle. 229 Eichlers in the Fairmeadow neighborhood overall. Our neighbor of 10 years has been planning a complete tear down for the past two years. The neighbor claims they requested Kohler Associates to come up with a design that would ‘fit’ the neighborhood. What was that design? A McMansion that has absolutely no connection with the design ethos of our neighborhood what so ever. The front of the house alone has 9 (!) columns. Stucco finish with a concrete tiled roof. A front door that is not set back from the front of the home. All design elements so far from the other 19 Eichler homes on the Circle it’s simply unbelievable.
Roger Kohler is the chairman of the Palo Alto Historic Resources Board. To quote a key objective from their web-​site, each member has «demonstrated interest in and knowledge of history, architecture or historic preservation». Mr. Kohler, have you ever taken the time to study the incredible impact of Joseph Eichler and his embrace for Mid-​Century Modernism? Based on the plans by Kohler Associates just submitted for 3733 Carlson Circle, the obvious answer is an astounding ‘no’. This particular design goes so far outside the range of Palo Alto Single-​Family Individual Review Guidelines that it is astonishing. So, we have a neighbor who has spent 10s of thousands of dollars on a plan that is creating a tsunami of negative reaction. It didn’t have to be this way. Architects should be held accountable for not considering the character and harmonious design on a planned community dating back 60+ years.