California Preservation Foundation Online presentation a hit!
Over 300 attendees watch Alan Hess and Christine Madrid French discuss "The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975"
On August 12, 2025, over 300 online viewers attended the California Preservation Foundation for Preservation in Print, a free lunchtime series for anyone interested in historic preservation, architecture, planning, history, and related fields. Each one-hour session features a conversation with the author or a key contributor of a recent preservation-related title. There’s no need to read the book in advance—whether you’ve read every page, browsed the photos, or are simply curious, you’re invited to join. The program includes a brief presentation by the guest speaker, followed by a Q&A with questions from CPF’s Education Committee lead and audience members.
About the Book: The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975
Palm Springs has long been a hub of modern architectural experimentation, where bold design meets desert practicality. This book is the first to fully explore the wide range of forms that legacy has taken—from houses and hotels to banks, gas stations, restaurants, airports, and spas—highlighting work by architects like Richard Neutra, John Lautner, William F. Cody, and Albert Frey. In response to harsh climates and a unique cultural setting, these designers developed innovative, place-based solutions that remain strikingly relevant today. With rich archival and contemporary photography, The Palm Springs School offers a compelling look at the region’s lasting influence on sustainable, modern design.
About the Speakers:
Alan Hess—Architect and historian Alan Hess is the architecture critic for the San Jose Mercury News and the author of nineteen books on mid-20th-century Modern architecture and urbanism. He serves on the California State Historical Resources Commission and the boards of Preserve Orange County and Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Christine French—Christine is a historian, author, and leader in the fields of historic preservation and American architecture. She currently serves as Executive Director of Napa County Landmarks, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and enhancing Napa County’s unique architectural and cultural identity.
THE PALM SPRINGS SCHOOL, Desert Modernism: 1934–1975
IMPORTANT NEW BOOK BY ALAN HESS
This highly anticipated and important book on Palm Springs architecture, published by the well-known top-tier publisher Rizzoli, has been a hit since it was released in February 2025.
The book release coincided with the symposium, presented in honor of the Palm Springs School of Desert Modernism by the Palm Springs Art Museum in partnership with Palm Springs Architectural Alliance. The book and symposium have firmly established the Palm Springs School as a unique and special movement among other significant architectural movements like the Prairie School and Sarasota School.
We must thank Janice Lyle, Sidney Williams, Alan Hess and our fundraisers, Kim and Joe Zakowski, and all of our Task Force members, for the hard work it took to get this published. Experts Frank Lopez, Melissa and Jim Riche, Bob Berg and Steven Biller have helped us obtain photo use agreements, write accurate captions, and edit the final essays and manuscript.
"...an immersive and detailed deep dive into the Californian modernist architecture genre and the International Style's distinct expression within the arid landscapes of the West Coast.
...Take a plunge into the rich and layered built environment of Palm Springs; and its lasting and far-reaching influence, which spans far beyond the Californian city's relatively boutique size."
Wallpaper, Ellie Stathaki
UPDATES ON AN IMPORTANT PROJECT IN PALM SPRINGS
The College of the Desert
One of the main reasons we created PSAA was to facilitate a partnership between the College of the Desert and Cal Poly Pomona to create a Bachelors of Architecture degree program on the new Palm Springs C.O.D campus.
We continue to work with COD leadership to get the 5-year degree in architecture in place. COD and Cal Poly are still in talks to draft an MOU (Memo of Understanding) toward establishing the master’s in architecture program at the new Palm Springs campus. This project has been delayed many times, and with a constantly evolving cast of bureaucrats, but we continue to be optimistic and excited about the new campus in Palm Springs. After almost 20 years of delays, the campus groundbreaking happened on November 14, 2024.
Remember, this degree will be the first advanced degree offered at COD and will offer a chance for current COD students and Cal Poly Pomona students to achieve this advanced degree in the middle of the midcentury capital of the world.
UPDATES ON A CITY GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE
Design Guidelines for Palm Springs
The goal of this project is to participate with the City of Palm Springs to encourage innovation, sustainability and architectural design excellence for new commercial construction to honor the international reputation of our Palm Springs architectural legacy.
The City of Palm Springs recently hired a new city planner, Christopher Hadwin. PSAA task force members Dick, Sidney and Debra met with him and are enthusiastic about his background and interest in Palm Springs, and our architectural legacy.
The guidelines, which fall under zoning law, will be tackled as soon as the General Plan is finalized. This is but one more step in our quest to get the Design Guidelines Task Force on the agenda for the council.
We have recently met with the consultants hired by the city to oversee the design guidelines. We are concerned that while they are experienced, they do not seem to have any understanding of the architectural significance of Palm Springs. We are remaining involved and will have more news to share soon.