Archibald Quincy Jones

A. Quincy Jones was born in Kansas City, Missouri and secured his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Washington in 1936. Jones then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in the offices of architects Douglas Honnold and George Vernon Russell (1936 to 1937) and Burton A. Schutt (1937 to 1939). From 1939 to 1940, he worked for Paul R. Williams.

Discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945, Jones returned to Los Angeles and opened an architecture office in the house in Laurel Canyon he had built with his former wife. The years after the War again saw Jones partnering with Paul R. Williams on several projects in the Palm Springs area. Jones also participated in John Entenza’s Case Study House program.

Years before he would be widely acclaimed for his Case Study House #24 (1961) for Arts & Architecture and tract house designs for developer Joseph Eichler - simply known as 'Eichlers' - Jones secured his- and San Diego's first National American Institute of Architects 'First Honor Award' (in 1950) for his 1948 design - 'Builder's House for Hvistendahl'. Following the award, the December 1950 issue of Architectural Forum featured ‘Builder's House of the Year’ that would be marketed as the Sun Villa.

Published locally in Magazine San Diego and nationally in House Beautiful, the house was designed originally for developer A.C. Hvistendahl - owner of Cal-Sun Building Company and operating as Vistendahl Building Contractor in La Jolla. The intent was that the design was available for purchase, from a model home sales office on El Cajon Boulevard, for those clients who owned a parcel of land yet feared the rising building costs of custom homes

While it was through his relationship with Joseph Eichler that A. Quincy Jones was provided both the venue and the freedom to implement his concepts in tract housing developments, the earlier Sun Villas served as the experimental training ground for Jones to ultimately raise the tract house in California from the simple stucco box to a logically designed structure integrated into the landscape and surrounded by greenbelts. Jones, along with partner Frederick Emmons, designed a number of homes for Eichler. The closest example of these are the designs for the San Luis Rey Estates tract housing in Oceanside.

Partial List of San Diego Projects

Daphne, Nicholas P. House (1949)
San Diego
*House was reportedly based on Hvistendahl House

Franken, Mr. & Mrs. House (ca. 1950)
San Diego

Fuller, Mr. & Mrs. Arthur House (ca. 1950)
San Diego
*Sun Villa house built on owner's lot

Hvistendahl, A.C. Residence (1949-50)
2548 El Cajon Boulevard
*A Guide to Contemporary Architecture in Southern California noted an incorrect address as '2400 El Cajon Blvd' but sales materials state the exact location. This ‘Exhibition House’; known informally as San Diego house was later built in various locations, yet regardless where built, was always known as San Diego House to the Jones office and Sun Villa according to the builder’s literature.

Kett, Mr. & Mrs. Stewart House (ca. 1950)
San Diego
*Sun Villa house built on owner's lot

Leavitt, Donald House (ca. 1950)
San Diego
*Sun Villa house built on owner's lot

Lingo, Adell Development (1949)
San Diego
*2.06 Acres for Housing - feasibility study for housing to include Sun Villa(s)

Mandeville Center for the Arts (designed 1968, built 1975)
UC San Diego Campus

Mission Valley West
*Design attributed to Jones & Emmons, while architects and engineers were Frank L. Hope & Associates

Modern Homes, Inc. (1948-49)
San Diego
*Planned subdivision of 18 Sun Villas

North, Mrs. S House (ca. 1950)
San Diego
*Sun Villa house built on owner's lot

Proposed Development on Coronado Island for Irving C. Jordan and Nels G. Severin
Not Built

Proposed Development of Hotel Del Coronado Property for Ben Deane
Not Built

San Luis Rey Estates Tract (circa 1962-1963)
Oceanside
*The firm of Jones & Emmons built a number of examples of their pitched-roof 'Lido' design and flat-roofed 'Newport' plan on the following streets in Oceanside: Dunes Place, Mint Place, Sahara Place, Sands Place, Siesta Place, Tacayme Place, Hacienda Drive, Flamingo Drive, Las Vegas Drive, Riviera Drive, Tropicana Drive, Frontier Drive, Luna Drive, Siesta Drive, Sol Sitio, Tacayme Drive and Redondo Drive.

Sun Villa (1950)
3711 Dudley Street, Point Loma
*Later remodeled by architect Sim Bruce Richards

Sun Villa (1950)
9103 Valencia Street, Spring Valley
*Attribution by Modern San Diego

Sun Villa (1950)
3021 North Evergreen, Point Loma
*This example was destroyed after it sold for the first time in 2001

Sun Villa (1950)
9211 Lavell, Mt. Helix
*After purchasing plans for a Sun Villa, the owner had Jones add a 3rd bedroom to the stock plans.

Sun Villa (1949-1950)
1040 9th Street, Ramona
*Purchased/Commissioned from Cal-Sun Building Co. by Everett and Elrena Warnes

Sun Villa (1950)
5417 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa
*Remodeled heavily in 2018

Sun Villa (1950)
68 W. Kenneth Road, Glendale

Sun Villa (1951)
2015 S. Nevada Street, Oceanside

Sun Villa (1951)
1647 Berenda Place, El Cajon

Union Rescue Mission (ca. 1950)
Green Oak Ranch, Vista

Valley Grove Subdivision for Valley Grove Estates, Inc (1948-49)
San Diego
*This subdivision consisted of 151 lots in tract, including site plans for San Diego Houses on lots 23 and 24 – location unknown

Webber, Mr. & Mrs. Frank House (1948-1950)
San Diego
*Sun-Villa house built on owner's lot