Architect A. Quincy Jones

_{Above: The Milton S. Tyre House located in Los Angeles and completed in the 1950’s. Photo: Jason Schmidt}

It would be very difficult to put together a comprehensive collection of the works of architect Archibald. Quincy Jones. His output and influence over his 40 year career is not only noteworthy but astounding. And Jones’ works were as widespread as they were prolific – ranging from houses like the luxurious Brody Residence to his designs of the Eichler homes of everyday working Americans. In addition to residential architecture, A. Quincy Jones also designed churches, restaurants, libraries, university buildings, schools, and commercial buildings. Jones prioritized the spatial experience of each building’s interior space, used lightweight structural systems, and had an interest in ‘greenbelt planning,’ making him a premier architect for the residential developments and corporate campuses that flourished during the post-war period.

Elevation illustration for Jone’s Tyre House, 1950’s.

Born in in Kansas City, Missouri in 1913, A. Quincy Jones, who was known as Quincy, practiced architecture in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death in 1979. A quiet modernist and dedicated architecture professor at the University of Southern California, Jones worked to bring a high standard of design to the growing middle class by reconsidering and refining postwar housing and emphasizing cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable building methods. In addition, Jones is among the first architects of this period to view developments as an opportunity to build community through shared green spaces, varied home models, and non-grid site planning. Jones is credited with over 5,000 built projects, most of which still exist today, as the clients and homeowners shared Jones’s compassion for ‘better living.’ Known by architects for designing from the inside out, Jones’s homes and buildings are celebrated for expansive interior spaces, thoughtful and efficient building layouts, and a reverence for the outdoors, which still resonates in contemporary design today.

Archibald Quincy Jones, FAIA (1913 – 1979)

Many thanks to ucla.edu for the info!

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