builder filesfile 26 of 57Eichler’s architects 1950–1960boyenga team at compass
Anshen & Allen homes
Robert Anshen and Stephen Allen formed their San Francisco firm in 1940 and designed Joseph Eichler’s homes from 1950 to 1960, starting with the AA-1 model and Palo Alto’s Green Gables, now a National Register district. They also designed modern tracts for John Mackay and Elmer Gavello. Here’s where the houses are, how to spot one and what they sell for.
- architects
- Anshen & Allen, San Francisco
- partners
- Robert Anshen (1910–1964) and W. Stephen Allen Jr. (1912–1992)
- formed
- 1940
- Eichler years
- 1950–1960, per UC Berkeley’s archive
- first Eichler model
- AA-1, Sunnyvale, 1950
- also for
- John Mackay; Elmer Gavello
- listings say
- “designed by Anshen & Allen”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- years they designed for Eichler1950–60
where they are
Where their houses are
From the Green Gables National Register nomination, Palo Alto’s Eichler guidelines, UC Berkeley’s archive and the Eichler Network, a specialist magazine; listing-only credits are marked.
| tract | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First AA-1 tract | Sunnyvale | 1950 | 51 | Eichler’s first Anshen & Allen tract; all 51 houses sold within two weeks, per the Green Gables nomination. The Eichler Network calls it Sunnyvale Manor II. |
| Green Gables | Palo Alto | 1950 | 63 | A National Register district since 2005; 1914 Channing Ave was the model home, per the nomination. |
| Charleston Meadows | Palo Alto | 1950–1951 | about 100 | Eichler set up his first architectural review committee here in 1950, per Palo Alto’s guidelines; the Eichler Network credits the plans to Anshen & Allen. |
| Fairmeadow | Palo Alto | 1951–1954 | — | The Eichler Network credits the concentric-circle street plan to Anshen & Allen. |
| Eichler’s own house, Lindenwood | Atherton | 1951 | 1 | The Eichler family home on Irving Ave, designed with Robert Anshen and Steve Allen, per Palo Alto Online. |
| Mackay tracts | Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Mountain View | 1952–1956 | — | Sunshine Glen in Palo Alto and Sunshine Meadows in Santa Clara each won a 1954 AIA Merit Award; listings also credit the firm in Maywood and Monta Loma. |
| Gavello Glen | Sunnyvale | about 1952–1959 | about 160 | Modern homes built by Elmer Gavello to Anshen & Allen designs, per the Eichler Network. |
| Peremont | Saratoga | mid-1950s | — | An enclave on Montpere Way built by Perego-Montgomery to Anshen & Allen plans; Saratoga added at least one house to its Heritage Resources Inventory in 2015, per the Eichler Network. |
Listings credit Anshen & Allen for houses in other Sunnyvale and Palo Alto tracts that we couldn’t tie to records, so treat those credits as leads.
how to spot one
How to spot an Anshen & Allen house
From the Green Gables nomination and the Eichler Network.
- module
Post-and-beam on a 4-foot module
Douglas fir plank roofs, radiant slab heat and a 16-foot span over one open living, dining and kitchen space, per the Green Gables nomination.
- street
Private front, glass back
A mostly blank wall and a garage or carport to the street, with floor-to-ceiling glass across the back facing the patio.
- atrium
Where the atrium came from
Ned Eichler and a former Anshen & Allen draftsman credit Bob Anshen with the atrium idea and name; Eichler began marketing it in 1957–58, per the Eichler Network.
- mackay
Mackay versions
For John Mackay the firm’s modern plans often wore more familiar exterior siding, per the Green Gables nomination.
- myth check
Not the 1949 tracts
Eichler’s first 1949 tracts in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto weren’t Anshen & Allen designs; the firm’s Eichler work began in 1950.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Anshen & Allen sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Anshen & Allen, including Eichler, Mackay and Gavello homes, mostly in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. Hover a dot for the address, date and price.
- sales on record…
- median price…
- median $ per sq ft…
- latest sale…
one recorded salemedian for the yearprice per sq ft = sale price ÷ listed living area
| sold | address | price | $/sq ft | bd / ba | sq ft |
|---|
Some listings guess the architect, and many of their houses sell without the firm’s name, so treat each credit as a lead to confirm. Sales come from the MLS records available to us and include every sold listing whose description names the builder, so a few homes may be labeled by the listing agent rather than confirmed from tract records. Sold data is shown with the listing brokerage. Price per square foot uses the living area in the listing. Ask us for a full comparable-sales report on any address.
on the market
For sale now
Active listings whose description names Anshen & Allen.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- Green GablesAs a National Register district it’s also on the California Register, and Palo Alto puts ADU projects there through historic design review, per the city’s guidelines.
- Eichler guidelinesPalo Alto’s Eichler guidelines apply across its Eichler tracts, some tracts have single-story overlays, and Charleston Meadows has an active architectural committee enforcing its CC&Rs.
- Eichler-era systemsRadiant slab heat, low-slope roofs, single-pane glass walls and possible asbestos in older materials call for specialist inspections. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- Flood zonesPalo Alto’s guidelines note large flood-hazard areas near the bayside tracts, so check the flood map and insurance early.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Confirm the architectWe match the house to its tract and the original plans, since listings often guess the architect.
- Permits and historyWe check the permit history for additions and conversions before you plan a remodel.
- InspectionsRoof, foundation and systems matched to the home’s age. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- The right comparablesWe compare against similar homes in the same neighborhood first.
How we market one when you sell
- Document the designAn Anshen & Allen design is part of the value; we gather the tract and plan records that prove it.
- Photograph the glass wallThe rear glass, beams and patio, shot to show the design.
- Prep with a planOur Prep Lab budgets repairs and refresh before you list.
- Price from real salesWe price from recent sales of similar homes nearby.
questions
Questions we hear
Who were Anshen & Allen?
Robert Anshen (1910–1964) and Stephen Allen (1912–1992), University of Pennsylvania-trained architects who formed their San Francisco firm in 1940. They designed Eichler’s homes from 1950 to 1960, per UC Berkeley’s archive; the firm later focused on hospitals and campuses.
Did they design the first Eichlers?
Their first Eichler model, the AA-1, went on the market in Sunnyvale in early 1950, per the Green Gables nomination. Eichler’s 1949 tracts used other designers.
Did Anshen & Allen invent the Eichler atrium?
Ned Eichler and a former firm draftsman credit Bob Anshen with the idea and the name, per the Eichler Network; Eichler began marketing atrium models in 1957–58.
How is an Anshen & Allen Mackay different from an Eichler?
Mackay used the firm for a few years but often wrapped its modern plans in more familiar exterior styles, per the Green Gables nomination. Tract maps and sales records give the surest answer.
sources
Sources
The National Register, Palo Alto’s Eichler guidelines, UC Berkeley’s archive and the Eichler Network, checked October 2026.
- Online Archive of California: Anshen & Allen collectionThe partners, Eichler years and later workoac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c87h1nx6/
- National Park Service: Green Gables nominationThe 1950 tract, the AA-1 and the firm’s building systemnpgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/04000863_text
- City of Palo Alto: Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines (2018)Tract years, the 1950 committee and owner ruleswww.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-amp-development-services/eichler-neighood-design-guidelines/2018-04-02_palo-alto-eichler-design-guidelines_adopted-design-guidelines.pdf
- Palo Alto Online: Joseph Eichler’s personal home (2024)The 1951 Atherton housewww.paloaltoonline.com/real-estate/2024/03/15/check-out-joseph-eichlers-personal-home-this-weekend-before-it-goes-up-for-sale/
- Eichler Network: The Mystery of the Eichler AtriumWho came up with the atrium (secondary source)www.eichlernetwork.com/article/mystery-eichler-atrium
- Eichler Network: Melting the MystiqueGavello Glen (secondary source)www.eichlernetwork.com/article/melting-mystique
- Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Sunshine Meadows1954 AIA Merit Awardpcad.lib.washington.edu/building/11431
builder files
Every builder file, by era
Bars show the years each builder was building here. See all builders or the home styles field guide.
- Fernando Nelson1880–1920s
- Ernest Coxhead1890–1930s
- Willis Polk1890s–1920s
- Frank Delos Wolfe1892–1926
- Henry Gutterson1914–1954
- Gellert (Sunstream)1922–1972
- Birge Clark1922–1970s
- Stoneson1920s–1960s
- Doelger1927–1960s
- McKeon1927–early 1970s
- Gardner Dailey1930s–1960s
- William Wurster1930s–1960s
- Rousseau1931–1933
- Bohannon1936–1955
- Cliff May1950s
- Stern & Price1951–1953
- Mackay Homes1950s
- Goodwin Steinberg1950s–1980s
- Mardell1955–1959
- Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
- Ditz-Crane1962–1984
- Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
- Bahl1968–1986
- Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
- Shapell1971–2000s
- Anshen & Allen1940s–1960
- Jones & Emmons1951–1970s
- Claude Oakland1950s–1970s
- Owen Signature Homes1970–today
- Swatt | Miers1975–today
- SummerHill Homes1976–today
- Pinn Brothers1976–today
- Citation Homeslate 1970s–2010s
- Robson Homes1989–today
- Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
- Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
- Classic Communities1990s–2010s
- Warmington1990s–2020s
- Kelly Gordon2000s–2010s
- Feldman Architecture2003–today
- DeNova Homes2000s–today
- City Ventures2011–today
- Trumark Homes2012–today
- Davidon Homes2010s
- The New Home Company2014–2018
- Dividend Homes2010s–today
- KB Home1980s–today
- Brookfield1990s–today
- Pulte Homes2000s–today
- Shea Homes2000s–2010s
- Lennar2000s–today
- Toll Brothers2000s–today
- Taylor Morrison2007–today
- D.R. Horton2010s
- Tri Pointe Homes2012–today
- K. Hovnanian2014–2018
- Meritage Homes2010s
talk to a property nerd
Own an Anshen & Allen house?
We can help document the design and value it against recent sales nearby. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
