House Models
University Hills is a single family development built by the Ray Hommes Company in the 1960s in the University City neighborhood of San Diego. It's one of several single and multifamily developments on the mesa bordered by Rose Canyon in the North, Interstate 5 in the West, State Highway 52 in San Clemente Canyon on the South, and Interstate 805 in the East. This area is referred to as South UC by local residents.
University City was a planned development designed by architect William Krisel for developer Irvin Kahn in 1960. The master plan uses a hierarchical road network designed around the hilly topography to enhance privacy and reduce congestion by limiting thru-traffic access. Cul-de-sacs are linked to connector roads with one or two accesses to the three major arterials Genesee, Governor and Regents and few links to neighboring developments. Individual single family developments are not gated or identified by signage. Different house models or shared fencing along their perimeters are the remaining traces of their common origin.
The five road-sheds comprising University Hills have some correspondence to different development phases. Aerial photographs on the cover of an original 1960's marketing brochure and other sources show areas west of Genesee bordering Governor developed by 1964, east of Genesee developed by 1966, and the Lahite Ct and the plateau north east of it was completed by 1980. A map in the EIR for the latest UC Plan Update provides new information on the development as well as neighboring ones.
- Carnegie Ct
- Carnegie Pl
- Carnegie St
- Eton Av
- Eton Ct
- Ithaca Pl
- Ithaca St
- Occidental St
- Scripps St
- Scripps Wy
- Stadium Pl
- Stadium St
- Syracuse Av
- Tulane Ct
- Tulane St
- Lahite Ct
- Mercer Ln
- Mercer St
- Stetson Av
- Stetson Pl
- Villanova Av
- Wellesly Av
- Wellesly Ct
- Wellesly Pl
- Wellmer Pl
- Dennison Pl
- Dennison St
- Fisk Ave
- Calgary Ave
- Calgary Ct
- Calgary Dr
- Combe Way
- Edmonton Ave
- Stettler Way
- Benhurst Ave
- Benhurst Ct
- Camrose Ave
- Erlanger St
- Farley Ct
- Farley Dr
- Farley Ln
Ray Lloyd Hommes (Nov 7 1900 - Aug 3, 1983) was a prolific developer of homes and military bases in California and the Western States who is all but forgotten compared to contemporaries like Joseph Eichler.
These tract houses were designed to appeal to a broader demographic than Eichler's with transitional touches like English cross timbering and Mansard Roofs or rustic features like wood siding, and cedar shakes and shingles on the roofs. As such they don't stand out as dramatically as the Eichler's from traditional styled houses from before or after the 1945-73.
Hommes is mentioned as a frequent client of architect Edward Hale Fickett in several articles about post-war tract housing:
Documentation also survives on their collaboration on the Sherman Park and Meadowlark Park housing developments in Reseda.
- The Huntington Digital Library: Maynard L. Parker Photographs of Meadowlark Park Model Houses
- CSUN Digital Collection: Brochure for the Ray Hommes & Co. Meadowlark Park housing development in Reseda
- Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Meadowlark Park
- Pacific Coast Architecture Database: Sherman Park
There is very little information online about architect Leonard Brunswick who is credited as the designer of the University Hills houses. Listings for two of his former residences in Silver Lake offer a few clues about personal preferences that may have influenced some his house designs for University Hills: