Architects Who Built Palm Springs: Hugh Kaptur

Hugh Kaptur was born in Detroit and worked for a time in General Motors’ styling division. His father had been a designer engineer at Packard and GM. He studied architectural engineering at the Lawrence Institute of Technology in Detroit before joining the US Marine Corps in 1951.

Hugh Kaptur arrived in Palm Springs in 1954 and relocated here in 1956. Kaptur worked briefly for Wexler & Harrison but was laid off during the 1957 recession.

Business picked up in 1958 when homebuilders began developing Palm Springs on a large scale, and Kaptur found himself designing post-and-beam houses. In 1963, he partnered with licensed architect Robert Ricciardi to get the Palm Springs Fire Station #3 commission. Kaptur did not receive his California architecture license until 1966.

After that partnership broke up in 1965, he formed a company with Larry Lapham, the son of noted architect Howard Lapham, which lasted ten years. After a collaboration with James Cioffi, he semi-retired in 1992.

His original post-and-beam style can be found in many Palm Springs homes. He aimed to reflect a quiet elegance by keeping good proportions. His later work, and most of his work, was in an organic modern style inspired by Arizona’s desert architecture. His buildings often feature thick walls, deeply inset windows, and wide overhangs that protect them from absorbing the intense desert heat.

With more than 200 built projects in the area- residential, commercial, and institutional- he played a significant role in the architectural development of Palm Springs.

Hugh Kaptur received a Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 2014 and has been honored in many events during Modernism Week.

Key Works in Palm Springs

Impala Lodge: 1958, 555 East San Lorenzo Road

This was Hugh Kaptur’s first project, and it is now the Triangle Inn. The luxurious 9-unit building featured a lobby and family room framed in plate glass and steel, reaching a height of 15 feet.

Arthur Boyer Residence: 1959, 984 North Rose Avenue

A 1,600 sq. ft. house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood.

Hugh Kaptur Residence: 1958, 1897 East Belding Drive

Kaptur built a 1,597-square-foot home with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in the Sunrise Park neighborhood. William Cody built his home a short walk away.

The William Burgess Residence: 1958, 550 Palisades Drive.

This was designed by Hugh Kaptur and William Burgess in 1957. It is referred to as the bougainvillea house because of the surrounding bougainvillea. This 2,932 square foot home sits on 1 acre. It has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.

McCauley Residence: 1958, 1366 S. Calle Rolph.

Located in the Deepwell Estates neighborhood, this 2,136-square-foot home had 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.

Bahama Hotel & Apartments: 1959, 2323 N. Palm Canyon Drive.

This opened as a two-story, 30-room hotel with air conditioning and television for all rooms. The owner was the aunt of Kaptur’s wife at the time, Rosemarie. This is now The Cole Hotel.

Desert Park Estates: 1958

Tom Sills and the Ranch Construction Company developed them. The houses in this development had 5 model designs: Saddle, Sombrero, Spur, Lariat, and Prairie.

Earl Strebe Spec Residence I: 1959, 1951 South Camino Monte

This 1,937 square foot home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is located in The Mesa neighborhood. It is one of the finest examples of modern hillside architecture. Earl Strebe was the owner of the first local theaters in Palm Springs. He was the brother of George Strebe, who opened The Doll House (1032 N. Palm Canyon, demolished) restaurant.

This has been remodeled and is a vacation rental called On The Rocks. It has 3 bedrooms, 4 baths and is 2,684 square feet.

Earl Strebe Spec Residence II: 1959, 1935 South Camino Monte

This is a 1,500 square foot home with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Pete Siva Residence: 1959, 660 Palisades Drive

Simplicity is part of the feat. What could have been a showpiece on a showy strip of land beside the San Jacinto Mountains, Kaptur scaled modestly. With glass sides, the post-and-beam home seems to disappear, save for the orange sunshades Albert Frey added when he lived next door. A 3,000-square-foot flagstone terrace hugs the mountain and wraps around the house, creating opportunities for patio dining and view-gazing over the valley.

 Ralph Breeden Residence: 1959, 2995 N. Chuperosa Road

This modest 1,396-square-foot home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and is in the Desert Part Estates neighborhood. It was featured during Modernism Week by Atomic Ranch magazine. It was fully renovated in 2018 while preserving the context of the original architecture.

Werner Hogback Residence: 1960, 1577 Calle Marcus

This home is located in the Deepwell Estates neighborhood. Hogback was a local developer. It is 2,093 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The house is a study of Hugh Kaptur’s design: masonry, exposed beams, walls of glass, floating rooflines, geometric angles, and expansive interior spaces. It has been lovingly restored and maintained, and Hugh Kaptur approved it.

Larry Gee Residence: 1961, 2302 West Nicola Road

This is a 1,444-square-foot home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is located in the Desert Park Estates neighborhood.

Richard Gillian Residence: 1961, 2755 Verona Road

A 2,040 square foot home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. It was featured in the 2018 Palm Springs Modernism Week Home Tour.

Noel Gillette Residence II: 1963, 1033 East Via Colusa

This large 6,083-square-foot home boasts 5 bedrooms and 4 baths. It sits on .83 acres and is located in The Movie Colony, close to the Twin Palms Frank Sinatra Estate.

Palm Springs Fire Station #3 – 1963, 590 E. Racquet Club Road.

Partnering briefly with architect Robert Ricciardi.

Steve McQueen Residence: 1964, 2203 Southridge Drive

The Broadway song publisher Edwin Morris originally owned this. It was a sizeable speculative house built in the Southridge subdivision. Kaptur added a carport and covered walkway, among other changes. It was sold to Steve McQueen in 1969, and he had it until his death in 1980. It is 4,493 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. Neighbors were Bob Hope and William Holden. The exterior is a joining of two glass boxes framed in steel, while walls of glass windows open up the space and provide spectacular views of the desert valley, the surrounding mountains, and the city’s lights. The interior has cypress paneling, a floating staircase, and a three-stall carport.

Thomas Griffin Residence: 1964, 521 W. Via Lola

This is a large 5,922-square-foot home with 5 bedrooms and 6 baths in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood. It sits on 1/2 acre of land. The home’s focus is its spectacular pool/spa and sundecks with mountain views, accessed from every principal room.

 Casa Blanca Motor Hotel: 1967, 1342 South Palm Canyon Drive

Now, Musicland Hotel has 43 guest rooms.

Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort Clubhouse: 1967, 1885 Golf Club Drive.

It is considered a Pueblo-inspired modernist architecture style. The shape is similar to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. The course was originally opened on October 18, 1959. The clubhouse was dedicated on November 2, 1967.  Large beams set at angles give the restaurant roof the curve of a golfer’s swing. At the top, clerestory windows flood the interior with light. A breezeway roof connects the restaurant to the pro shop. It, too, has windows open to the sky to let the desert light in but still provide plenty of shade.

“Since the clubhouse was in the direct flight path of airliners landing in Palm Springs, the roof was as important to me during the design as the elevations. I wanted it to look clean and efficient.”   – Hugh M. Kaptur.

Palm Springs Fire Station #4: 1971, 1300 S La Verne Way

Platt and Welmas Condominiums: 1973.

They are now called the Casa Sonora Condominiums, the 60-unit complex is located by the Saguaro Hotel on leased land.

Smoke Tree Racquet Club: 1793 – 1975, 1650 E. Palm Canyon

A 128-unit condo community near Smoke Tree Ranch.

The William Holden House: 1977, 2433 Southridge Drive

This Southridge home combined a concrete foundation, creating a building platform on a steep site, with a wood post and beam structure. Holden lived there until his death in 1981. Fantastic architectural detail includes soaring ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, oversized formal spaces, and a lavish Primary suite with a dual-sided fireplace and extraordinary walk-in closet/dressing room. The vast decking and verandas provide the most exhilarating views of Palm Springs and beyond. This large 6,657 square foot home has 5 bedrooms and 6 baths. It sits on 3.71 acres.

Canyon East and West Estates Condominiums: 1978

Palm Villas: 1979

An 88-condo-unit community near Cielo Road.

Tahquitz Plaza: 1974 – 1977, 600 – 700 East Tahquitz Canyon Way

The firm Kaptur-Lapham designed this in two stages, in 1974 and Hugh Kaptur in 1977. It is now a Class 1 Historic Site and a thorough refresh was performed involving Kaptur himself. It is an important and largely intact example of a desert modernist commercial structure.

Al Anderson Residence: 1978, 899 E. Granvia Valmonte

Sited on two lots purchased from Bob and Dolores Hope in the heart of the Movie Colony and roughly .62 of an acre. This home blends the classic California Ranch with the dynamic details of post and beam architecture. The shaker shingle roof is juxtaposed against spider legs, and the interior features vaulted ceilings with wood tongue and groove. Most of the original details are intact, and the home features 3 bedrooms in the main house and a separate casita offering fantastic separation of space.

Rancho El Mirador Condominiums: 1983, 291 E Mel Avenue

It was built on the grounds of the original El Mirador Hotel, now Desert Regional Hospital. 61 condo units.

The Deauville Condominiums: 1985, East Amado Road and El Segundo

It is located adjacent to the Agua Caliente Casino. It includes 168 units.

Villa Caballeros Condos: 1985, 255 S Avenida Caballeros

This is a 59-unit gated complex with a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, indoor racquetball court, and community room.

Villa Serena Apartments: 1980, 900 East Saturnino Road

This was originally an adults-only complex with one to three bedrooms. While many articles note it was built in 1986, the Desert Sun advertised these units in 1980, and permits were issued in 1979.

Paul Selzer House: 1988, 38727 Maracaibo Circle West

Paul was an environmental lawyer. He and his wife met with Kaptur and asked him to design a Mediterranean-French Provincial style home featuring stucco and tile. The staggered pyramidal roof line with twin pyramids, clad with lightweight concrete roof tiles, defines the structure while offering stunning interior spaces. Each pyramid has functional skylights that open, allowing the air to vortex up through the house, mimicking the airflow of a fireplace. Sculptured tapering chimneys add a vertical statement to the roof line that calls to discerning enthusiasts. A third smaller open-beamed pyramid is placed over the entry, setting the tone as you enter the home.

This spacious 4,824 square foot home has 4 bedrooms and 5 baths. It’s located off Bogert Trail in south Palm Springs.

 Villa Boutique Apartment Homes: 2002, 1700 South Araby Drive

Located by Araby Cove.

Kaptur Court: 2016, 262 West Vista Chino

These are three single-family homes designed by Kaptur at age 85. He took his 1950 designs and updated them. It features post & beam construction and a butterfly roofline. Sitting on a large 1/3 acre lot in the exclusive neighborhood of Little Tuscany on fee simple land, Kaptur Court features just under 2,200 SF, 3 Bedroom, 3 Bath, open living room, dining room, and social gourmet kitchen showcasing custom cabinetry, and quartz countertops. Other classic elements are high-angled wood beamed ceilings, clerestory windows, Italian terrazzo flooring, and a spacious breakfast nook with mountain and pool views. The wall and gated private entertainer yard features a 40′ lap pool. 

Kaptur received little credit in the early years. Most of the Palm Springs architects didn’t.

“The time of Bill Cody and myself and Clark, Frey & Chambers and Williams, Williams & Williams, architects weren’t much appreciated. We did buildings, people needed us, you know, but it wasn’t like doctors or lawyers — we were like used car salesmen,” Kaptur said. “We never got much recognition and never in our wildest dreams would be get recognition. But back about 15, 20 years ago, the gay community really came and took an interest in the history. values. of architecture, and that’s what started it.”

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