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Fairpark Addition

Fairpark Addition Eichlers (Sunnyvale, CA)

An Eichler home in Sunnyvale’s Fairpark Addition, showcasing the classic mid-century modern style.

Overview and Location

Fairpark Addition is a small Eichler housing tract in Sunnyvale, California, and it represents one of the last Eichler developments built in the city. Located along East Homestead Road at Lorne Way, this enclave lies on the eastern side of Sunnyvale’s cluster of Eichler neighborhoods boyengarealestateteam.com (approximately 3 miles east of the Rancho Sans Souci Eichler tract). Joseph Eichler’s company constructed over 1,000 modernist homes across 16 Sunnyvale neighborhoods from the early 1950s to early 1970s boyengarealestateteam.com. By the late 1960s, the builder was winding down operations, and Fairpark Addition became Eichler’s “swan song” in Sunnyvale – the final tract of Eichler homes built in the city boyengarealestateteam.com. Development was completed in the early 1970s (circa 1971–1973), with the tract consisting of roughly twenty single-family houses situated along Homestead Rd and Lorne Way. This neighborhood today stands as a living museum of mid-century modern California design, embodying the tail end of Eichler’s suburban vision in Sunnyvale boyengarealestateteam.com.

Development History

Fairpark Addition was built around 1973 and reflects a slight shift in Eichler’s approach during changing economic times. The 19–20 homes in this tract were somewhat more modestly sized than earlier Eichlers, signaling a return to affordability boyengarealestateteam.com. Most houses are single-story 3- to 4-bedroom designs (typically 4 bedrooms and 2 baths) in the ~1,550 to 2,000 square foot range boyengarealestateteam.com. Despite their smaller size compared to some earlier models, these late Eichlers retained all the hallmark features that had defined Eichler homes for two decades boyengarealestateteam.com. Fairpark Addition was essentially the last Eichler project in Sunnyvale, marking the close of an era – Joseph Eichler’s development of this tract in 1973 effectively “closed a chapter” in Sunnyvale’s growth of mid-century modern neighborhoods boyengarealestateteam.com. The architects involved in designing Sunnyvale’s Eichlers by this time included Claude Oakland (Eichler’s principal architect) and the firm Jones & Emmons, who had introduced dramatic peaked rooflines and A-frame atrium entrances visible in some Fairpark homes boyengarealestateteam.com. The inclusion of these architects’ designs gave Fairpark houses the distinctive profiles and features characteristic of late Eichler models.

Architectural Features

Like other Eichler neighborhoods, Fairpark Addition showcases quintessential Mid-Century Modern residential design. The homes are single-story with flat or low-pitched roofs and unadorned facades toward the street, creating a humble street presence boyengarealestateteam.com. Yet behind the carports or modest front doors, the interiors open up to light-filled spaces with post-and-beam construction and walls of glass boyengarealestateteam.com. Eichler’s signature emphasis on bringing the outside in is evident: many Fairpark homes are built around a private atrium or open-air courtyard, or feature a landscaped rear patio, effectively blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels and sliding glass doors flood the interiors with natural light and provide visual continuity with the yards boyengarealestateteam.com. The post-and-beam structural system allows for open floor plans and vaulted ceilings without interior load-bearing walls, creating an airy, spacious feel despite the homes’ moderate size. Interior finishes often include authentic mid-century elements such as exposed wood paneling and tongue-and-groove ceilings, and most Fairpark Eichlers were equipped with Eichler’s innovative in-floor radiant heating system for comfortable, even heat. Notably, some models in Fairpark exhibit the dramatic peaked A-frame entry atriums that Eichler and his architects experimented with in the early 1970s, adding visual flair to the otherwise clean-lined modernist aesthetic boyengarealestateteam.com.

In summary, the key design features of Fairpark Addition Eichler homes include:

Open-plan layouts with post-and-beam construction – providing expansive, vaulted interiors without need for interior support walls.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sliders – bringing in abundant daylight and seamlessly connecting indoor spaces to patios and gardens.
Central atriums or courtyard patios – featured in many homes to create private outdoor rooms and an indoor-outdoor living experience.
In-floor radiant heating – a signature Eichler feature (hot water pipes in the concrete slab) that offers gentle, uniform heating throughout the home.
Distinctive rooflines – low-sloped or flat roofs for a sleek profile, with some late-model homes showcasing peaked A-frame entrances for added character.

Externally, Fairpark houses display typical Eichler materials and styling: board-and-batten or grooved plywood siding, minimalist fronts (often just a blank garage/carport and a simple paneled front door visible from the street), and a focus on privacy for the facade while the rear and interior atrium are lined with glass boyengarealestateteam.com. These design choices create a harmonious streetscape of low-slung mid-century homes that prioritize light, nature, and community over ostentation.

Preservation and Design Guidelines

Both Fairpark Addition and the nearby Rancho Sans Souci tract have their mid-century modern character protected under the City of Sunnyvale’s Eichler Design Guidelines. In response to residents’ concerns about incompatible remodels or teardowns, Sunnyvale formally adopted special design guidelines in 2009 specifically for Eichler neighborhoods boyengarealestateteam.com. Fairpark Addition is one of the Eichler enclaves covered by these citywide guidelines, which means any exterior changes, additions, or new construction in the neighborhood are reviewed to ensure they remain in harmony with the original Eichler style boyengarealestateteam.com. The guidelines address features like roof profile, massing, materials, and window placement to preserve the low-profile, horizontal look of Eichler homes. For example, homeowners are encouraged to use flat or gently sloped roofs and natural materials (wood, glass, stone) consistent with mid-century design, and discouraged from adding second stories or design elements that would clash with the 1960s–70s modernist aesthetic boyengarealestateteam.com. In fact, several Eichler neighborhoods in Sunnyvale (including Fairpark) have also adopted Single-Story Overlay (SSO) zoning, which prohibits two-story rebuilds, ensuring no towering structures disrupt the uniform one-story skyline boyengarealestateteam.com. This combination of the Eichler Design Guidelines and selective SSO zoning has been crucial in preserving the cohesive mid-century look and feel of Fairpark Addition boyengarealestateteam.com. Thanks to these measures, Fairpark remains a well-preserved pocket of California Modernism – renovations and upgrades in the tract tend to respect the original architecture, allowing the neighborhood to retain its timeless Eichler charm for future generations boyengarealestateteam.com.