Parmer Place

Parmer Place Historical Overview

Parmer Place is a small mid-century modern Eichler home tract in Sunnyvale, California (zip code 94087). All of its homes were built in 1967 by the iconic developer Joseph Eichler, making it one of the last Eichler projects in the area. The tract contains approximately 42 single-story Eichler houses, known for their indoor-outdoor design ethos and modernist style. Located about one mile north of the larger Fairbrae and Rancho Verde Eichler neighborhoods in Sunnyvale eichlerhomesforsale.com, Parmer Place offers a more intimate enclave while still embodying Eichler’s distinctive architectural legacy.

Location and Community

Parmer Place Eichlers are situated on a handful of quiet residential streets – specifically Brookline Drive, Cumberland Avenue, and portions of Pear Avenue and Piper Avenue eichlerhomesforsale.com. This tract is nestled in a central Sunnyvale location with convenient access to local amenities. For example, it lies near Las Palmas Park and is only a short distance from Downtown Sunnyvale boyengarealestateteam.com. Families are drawn to the area in part due to its top-rated schools – the neighborhood is served by Cumberland Elementary School and Homestead High School, both highly regarded in the region boyengarealestateteam.com. The combination of a secluded feel (owing to its modest size and cul-de-sac streets) with proximity to parks, schools, and shopping makes Parmer Place a particularly desirable community within Silicon Valley.

Architecture and Home Design

A late-1960s Eichler home in Sunnyvale, showcasing classic mid-century modern features: clean lines, post-and-beam construction, and a low-pitched roof. Parmer Place homes share many of these design elements.

All Parmer Place houses are single-story, mid-century modern homes built on slab foundations with post-and-beam construction – hallmarks of Eichler design eichlerhomesforsale.com. They feature the minimalist, horizontal profile typical of Eichlers: low or flat rooflines, open layouts, and floor-to-ceiling glass that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor spaces eichlerhomesforsale.com. Notably, these homes were constructed in the late 1960s and tend to be larger than Eichler’s earlier models, with living areas ranging from roughly 1,600 sq ft up to 2,400+ sq ft eichlerhomesforsale.com. Most models offer 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, reflecting Eichler’s response to buyer demand for more space in that era. Many houses incorporate the signature Eichler atrium – an open-air courtyard at the center of the home – which fills the interior with natural light and brings the outside in. Even the street-facing facades embrace Eichler’s privacy-friendly style (minimal windows on the front, with expansive glass opening to the back and atrium) eichlerhomesforsale.com, giving the tract a unified modernist aesthetic.

Interior view of an Eichler atrium model. Many Parmer Place homes have a central atrium (open-to-sky courtyard) or its enclosed “gallery” equivalent, creating a bright, indoor-outdoor living space.

Architecturally, Parmer Place showcases a variety of Eichler models, including both open-air atrium designs and the later “gallery” model designs eichlerhomesforsale.com. A gallery model Eichler is essentially an atrium that was roofed over – creating a large, skylit interior foyer or hall in lieu of an open courtyard eichlerhomesforsale.com. Eichler and his architect Claude Oakland introduced these gallery-style floor plans in the late 1960s as an experimental alternative to the traditional atrium eichlerhomesforsale.com. Parmer Place contains a mix of both types: many homes have the classic open atrium, while a few feature the enclosed atrium (gallery) layout eichlerhomesforsale.com. In total, Eichler used 11 distinct floor plans in this tract – an unusually high variety for a 42-home development. Among these is one rare “Loggia” model Eichler home. (In Eichler parlance, a loggia model includes a partially enclosed, covered outdoor hallway or extended foyer integrated into the floor plan.) The presence of a loggia design in Parmer Place underscores the tract’s role as a showcase of Eichler’s more unique late-60s innovations. Another distinguishing quirk of the tract’s layout is that a few of the larger lots back directly onto high-voltage power lines – a result of the tract being an infill development on available land at the time. Despite that minor drawback for a handful of properties, Parmer Place homes overall exemplify the pinnacle of Eichler’s mid-century modern architecture, with spacious plans, walls of glass, and integration with the California landscape.

Historical Background

Parmer Place holds a special place in Eichler history. By the mid-1960s, Eichler’s original company (Eichler Homes, Inc.) was in financial distress and went bankrupt by 1969eichlerhomesforsale.com. Determined to continue building, Joseph Eichler formed a new company called Nonpareil Homes (Joseph L. Eichler Associates) and targeted Sunnyvale for his comeback project. That first project – planned for 47 homes priced around $35,000 each – would later become known as Parmer Place. Famed Eichler architect Claude Oakland was commissioned to design the models for this tract. “They are going to be entirely original, different than anything Eichler has built before,” Joe Eichler proclaimed at the time, underscoring his intent to make these homes special. In the end, about 42–43 Eichler homes were actually built in Parmer Place (not all 47 were realized), but they indeed turned out to be some of the most innovative and unique designs of Eichler’s career. Built in 1967, these were among the last Eichler-built houses in Sunnyvale and the broader Bay Area. Parmer Place thus represents Eichler’s late-career legacy – the tract where he “bounced back” and proved that his vision of modern architecture could endure despite earlier setbacks. Every home in Parmer Place was designed under Eichler’s guidance (via Claude Oakland’s firm), carrying forward the Eichler ethos of “modern living for the masses” but with 1960s-era refinements. This historical context adds to the neighborhood’s significance for Eichler enthusiasts: walking through Parmer Place, one is experiencing the culmination of Eichler’s residential design innovations, as well as a tangible piece of Silicon Valley’s mid-century development story.

Preservation and Design Guidelines

The City of Sunnyvale today officially recognizes the historic and architectural value of its Eichler neighborhoods, including Parmer Place. In 2009, Sunnyvale adopted Eichler Design Guidelines to help preserve the character of these mid-century modern homes scribd.com. Parmer Place is one of eleven Eichler enclaves in Sunnyvale covered by these guidelines eichlerhomesforsale.com. The guidelines provide direction for homeowners on renovations and additions – ensuring that changes remain consistent with the Eichler aesthetic (e.g. maintaining low rooflines, complementary materials, and respecting the original design principles) eichlerhomesforsale.com. In practice, this means Parmer Place residents are encouraged (and in some cases required) to use Eichler-appropriate styles when replacing windows, adding fences, expanding the home, etc., so that the tract’s cohesive look is maintained scribd.com. Additionally, Sunnyvale has established single-story overlay zoning in several Eichler tracts to prevent construction of new second-story additions that would loom over the classic one-story Eichlers eichlerhomesforsale.com. This kind of overlay helps protect neighborhoods like Parmer Place – which consists entirely of one-story designs – from losing their defining scale and sightlines. Thanks to these measures, Parmer Place has managed to retain its 1960s modernist charm. Many homes still boast original features (such as mahogany paneling, globe pendant lights, and open atriums), and any upgrades (like double-pane windows or energy-efficient roofing) are done in a sympathetic manner. The community’s commitment to preservation, supported by city policy, ensures that Parmer Place will continue to look and feel like a mid-century modern time capsule for future generations to appreciate.

Legacy and Current Appeal

Today, Parmer Place stands as a coveted Eichler enclave in the heart of Silicon Valley. Its blend of architectural heritage, convenient location, and strong community spirit drives high demand for the homes. Eichler properties in Parmer Place rarely come on the market – and when they do, they command premium prices. As of 2024, the median sale price for a Parmer Place Eichler home was reported to be well above $2.5 million eichlerhomesforsale.com, reflecting intense competition among buyers who value design pedigree and neighborhood ambiance. The typical homeowners include tech professionals and design enthusiasts drawn to the tract’s retro-contemporary vibe eichlerhomesforsale.com. Despite being over 50 years old, these homes remain timeless: the open layouts and walls of glass perfectly suit modern lifestyles, and many owners have tastefully updated systems (heating, insulation, solar panels) to 21st-century standards without altering the iconic Eichler look. Parmer Place’s legacy is also evident in how it’s frequently cited as a prime example of Eichler’s enduring influence – it’s part of a city that boasts one of the largest collections of Eichler homes in the nation, and it continues to attract those seeking a combination of architectural significance and community living. In short, Parmer Place Eichler tract is not just a group of houses; it’s a well-preserved mid-century modern haven that epitomizes Joseph Eichler’s vision, maintained and treasured by its residents.

Parmer Place Eichlers Info

• Year Built: 1967 (all homes constructed in a single phase)

• Number of Eichler Homes: 42 houses were built in the Parmer Place tract

• Architect/Designer: Claude Oakland (principal architect for Eichler’s late-1960s homes)

• Home Models: Mix of Atrium models and Gallery models (enclosed atrium design), including one rare “Loggia” model in the tract eichlerhomesforsale.com

• Home Size: Approximately 1,600–2,400 sq ft of living space (3–5 bedrooms, single-story layout)