Typical floor plan of a Twin Palms home with a right entry and extended butterfly roof.
When you first visit Twin Palms, it can be quite difficult to detect Krisel’s repetition of the exact floor plan, as each home feels so unique. It’s impressive to see such economically built housing
continuing
to be embraced by the owners almost 70 years after it was built.
The Influence of These Two Communities
The designers of both these developments were seeking to create designs that responded to modern life in their eras. Palmer and Krisel were successful as architects working with a builder to produce thousands of homes. After Twin Palms, they went on to design more communities in Palm Springs, including in the Vista Las Palmas development, Canyon View Estates and Racquet Club Estates, among others. The success of Twin Palms inspired many modern tracts by the Alexanders and others and helped set the architectural style for the city.
Krisel’s attention to branding has retained its value. The work that he and the Alexanders put into market research, curb appeal and the efficient delivery of a consistent product was part of their innovation. They were selling a lifestyle that had a major influence on large-scale builders going forward.
Back on the East Coast, TAC would go on to create Five Fields (1951), a similar development with 68 houses and common amenities. After that, the collaborative shifted its focus to larger-scale institutional and public work, becoming one of the largest architectural firms in the country.
By
/ June 21, 2025 
When you first visit Twin Palms, it can be quite difficult to detect Krisel’s repetition of the exact floor plan, as each home feels so unique. It’s impressive to see such economically built housing continuing to be embraced by the owners almost 70 years after it was built.
The Influence of These Two Communities
The designers of both these developments were seeking to create designs that responded to modern life in their eras. Palmer and Krisel were successful as architects working with a builder to produce thousands of homes. After Twin Palms, they went on to design more communities in Palm Springs, including in the Vista Las Palmas development, Canyon View Estates and Racquet Club Estates, among others. The success of Twin Palms inspired many modern tracts by the Alexanders and others and helped set the architectural style for the city.
Krisel’s attention to branding has retained its value. The work that he and the Alexanders put into market research, curb appeal and the efficient delivery of a consistent product was part of their innovation. They were selling a lifestyle that had a major influence on large-scale builders going forward.
Back on the East Coast, TAC would go on to create Five Fields (1951), a similar development with 68 houses and common amenities. After that, the collaborative shifted its focus to larger-scale institutional and public work, becoming one of the largest architectural firms in the country.