builder filesfile 18 of 57practice opened 1953boyenga team at compass
Goodwin Steinberg homes
Goodwin “Goody” Steinberg studied under Mies van der Rohe, opened his architecture practice in 1953 and grew it into the firm now called Steinberg Hart. Alongside schools and civic buildings he designed custom houses, several in Los Altos Hills, that wrap around gardens and use the same materials inside and out. Here’s what the records confirm and what the homes sell for.
- architect
- Goodwin B. Steinberg, FAIA (1922–2010)
- trained
- Illinois Institute of Technology, under Mies van der Rohe
- practice
- opened 1953
- firm today
- Steinberg Hart
- teaching
- Stanford
- honor
- Birge Clark Lifetime Achievement Award, AIA Santa Clara Valley, 2010
- listings say
- “designed by Goodwin Steinberg”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- year he opened his practice1953
where they are
Where his houses are
From local press, the Eichler Network and listings; listing-only credits are marked.
| work | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillside house | Los Altos Hills | 1961 | 1 | A cantilevered house with natural wood walls and a wraparound deck, set into the hillside on Thomas Church’s advice, per the Los Altos Town Crier. |
| Courtyard house | Los Altos Hills | 1971 | 1 | Adobe walls, Douglas fir, a central atrium and courtyards, later updated by builder RJ Dailey, per its listing. |
| San Jose house | San Jose | — | 1 | A preserved Steinberg house featured by the Eichler Network, with built-in planters, paneling and large skylights. |
| Other houses and townhomes | Los Altos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Belmont, Mountain View | — | — | Listings credit him with houses and townhomes in these cities; we couldn’t confirm them from records. |
Most of his firm’s documented work is schools, campuses and civic buildings, and much of his residential work isn’t documented online.
how to spot one
How to spot a Steinberg house
From local press, the Eichler Network and listings.
- plan
Low and garden-wrapped
Writers describe low-slung houses with sprawling gardens and a blurred line between inside and outside, per the Eichler Network.
- materials
Same materials inside and out
Gardens reach into his houses, and the same tile and stone run inside and out, per a San Francisco Chronicle piece quoted by the Eichler Network.
- site
Set into the land
His 1961 Los Altos Hills house was set into the hillside on Thomas Church’s advice, per the Town Crier.
- warmth
Warm modern
He trained under Mies van der Rohe, but the houses we found use wood, adobe and courtyards rather than a strict glass box.
- myth check
Designed or remodeled?
Some listings credit him with a remodel or addition rather than the original house, so check the permits.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Steinberg sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Goodwin Steinberg, mostly in Los Altos Hills. 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 credit him with a remodel or addition, and many of his houses sell without his 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 Goodwin Steinberg.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- Mid-century systemsHouses of this era can have radiant floor heat, low-slope roofs and single-pane glass, so plan inspections for those.
- Hillside lotsSeveral of his houses sit on Los Altos Hills hillsides. Read the geologic and drainage reports and check the town’s rules before planning additions.
- Townhome HOAsFor townhomes credited to him, ask for the CC&Rs, budget and reserve study.
- Homes of this agePlan for foundation, electrical and plumbing checks. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Confirm the architectWe look for plans, permits or a published record, since a listing credit alone isn’t proof.
- 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 designA documented Steinberg design is part of the value; we gather the records that prove it.
- Photograph the detailsCourtyards, wood, glass and the garden, 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 was Goodwin Steinberg?
A Silicon Valley architect (1922–2010), born in Chicago, who studied under Mies van der Rohe and opened his practice in 1953. His firm became the Steinberg Group, then Steinberg Architects, and is now Steinberg Hart. He was a Fellow of the AIA and taught at Stanford.
Where are his houses?
The documented ones include a 1961 hillside house and a 1971 courtyard house in Los Altos Hills and a house in San Jose. Listings credit him with others in Los Altos, Menlo Park, Woodside, Belmont and Mountain View.
Did he design the townhomes credited to him in Mountain View?
Some listings say so, but we couldn’t confirm it from records.
How can I confirm a Steinberg house?
Check the original permits and plans for the address. Many listings name him without documentation.
sources
Sources
Public records, local press and architecture writing, checked October 2026.
- Congressional Record: tribute to Goodwin Steinberg (2010)His career and honorswww.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2010-12-21/html/CREC-2010-12-21-pt1-PgE2235.htm
- Encyclopedia.com: Goodwin B. SteinbergBirth, education and practicewww.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/steinberg-goodwin-b-1922
- Los Altos Town Crier: Los Altos Hills architecture and landscaping (1995)The 1961 hillside house and Thomas Churchwww.losaltosonline.com/home/legendary-los-altos-hills-architecture-and-landscaping/article_39ac79ce-709d-570a-8426-706263004c46.html
- Eichler Network: a preserved Goody Steinberg house in San JoseHis design approach (secondary source)www.eichlernetwork.com/blog/explore-beautifully-preserved-goody-steinberg-san-jose
- Building Design+Construction: Steinberg HartThe firm todaywww.bdcnetwork.com/building-team/architects/press-release/55171595/steinberg-hart-and-holzman-moss-bottino-architecture-combine-to-elevate-design-expand-opportunities-and-strengthen-client-relationships
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 a Goodwin Steinberg 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.
