Modern for the Masses

Anthony Poon of Poon Design Inc. has simultaneously filled a niche market in architecture and re-invented the popular title Mid-Century Modern with Modern for the Masses. After a study of homes in Los Angeles, Anthony and Developer Andrew Adler set out to create modern homes at the fraction of the price at mass production level. A challenge that may have deemed unmanageable, but Poon Design delivered masterfully.

“Modern is not just the design of the home, it is a lifestyle living in a way that indoor and outdoors connect and is proven to make sense in this climate” says Poon. Each house is made for an individual that lives a modern lifestyle, who is concerned with sustainability and lives in a world surrounded by technology. Though just homes, the force and impact of great architecture comes at a community scale, acknowledging a framework for how a municipality might evolve.

Poon Design adopted these ideas for architecture, at the first of four communities designed and constructed with Alta Verde in Palm Springs, at a development called Escena. With Adler as a collaborative partner, Poon Design developed four home prototypes for 130 lots on 21 acres. The 3-bedroom prototypes captured many ideas, both proven and exploratory: extended roof overhangs for passive cooling and protection from the heat; drought tolerant native landscape; regional building materials; reflective energy efficient cool roof; electric car chargers; LED lighting; and rooftop solar panels.

While made for the highest efficiency and practicality, these homes do not lack in exquisite design. High ceilings and the application of windows for walls allow natural light to flow effortlessly that lends to a lifestyle of indoor and outdoor connectivity. Open floor plans allow for maximum spatial living space use and endless entertainment. Clean lines and a bright white ambiance will satisfy the minimalist and their dreams of a functional and aesthetically pleasing home. Like the approach to minimal art, few brush strokes can still be dramatic and impactful, necessary and desirable.