Cliff May (1903–1989) was an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

practicing in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

best known and remembered for developing the suburban

Post-war In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

"dream home" ( California Ranch House), and the Mid-century Modern.

The Ranch-style house

May built Monterey-style furniture as a young man. As a residential/building designer, May designed projects throughout

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

, including the regions around

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...

. He is credited with creating the pitched-roof, low-slung California

Ranch-style house Ranch (also known as American ranch, California ranch, rambler, or rancher) is a domestic architectural style that originated in the United States. The ranch-style house is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and wide open layout. ...

in 1932. He had very little training as an architect, and never had the need to formally register as a licensed architect. During his career, May designed numerous commercial buildings, over a thousand custom residences, and from model house prototypes more than eighteen thousand

tract house Tract housing is a type of housing development in which multiple similar houses are built on a tract (area) of land that is subdivided into smaller lots. Tract housing developments are found in suburb developments that were modeled on the "Levi ...

s had his imprint. May synthesized

Spanish Colonial Revival architecture The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In th ...

with abstracted California adobe ranchos and

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...

Robert Mondavi Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted label ...

chose May to design his winery in which he incorporated features found in construction of

California Missions The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests of ...

. In 1932 May's first house sold for $9,500. His work drew attention and the second home he built was featured in

Architectural Digest ''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internati ...

in 1934. He continued to build 50 additional houses in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles in 1935. Many of his 1,000+ houses were built in Southern California, however some were built as far away as Switzerland, Australia and Ireland. During the 1940s and 50s, his work was featured in many publications including Architectural Forum, American Home, California arts and Architecture, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Sunset Magazine, Modernism Magazine, Southern California Quarterly, among others. During the 1950s May, along with colleague Chris Choate designed prefabricated tract ranch homes which they sold to builders across the US. Many of these prefab tracts like Rancho Estates in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

were popular and resulted in many homes in the tracts being built and sold. Some, particularity those outside of California, were unprofitable and only resulted in the model homes being built. The partnership between May and Choate ended in 1956 with May's departure. May said of his architecture, "The ranch house was everything a California house should be -it had cross-ventilation, the floor was level with the ground, and with its courtyard and the exterior corridor, it was about sunshine and informal outdoor living." The HGTV television show

Flip or Flop ''Flip or Flop'' is an American television series that aired on HGTV, hosted by the formerly-married couple Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall. The program was the original show in the ''Flip or Flop'' franchise, debuting in 2013. The ninth s ...

featured remodels of two Cliff May homes.

Projects

Selected works include: * O'Leary House (1932), San Diego, California * Lindstrom House (1933), San Diego, California, (National Register of Historic Places) * Sheldon Hodge House (1933), San Diego, California, destroyed by gas explosion in the 1970s * Porterfield Beardsley House (1933), San Diego, California, (May's first commissioned house) * Highland House (1934), San Diego, California, (listed on the City of San Diego's Historic Register) * Whalen House (1935), in Bonita, California * Tucker House (1936), in San Diego, California * Hacienda Ranch House (1936), in San Diego, California * Smith House (1936), in

La Habra Heights, California La Habra Heights is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 5,325 at the 2010 census, down from 5,712 at the 2000 census. La Habra Heights is a suburban canyon community located on the border of Orange and Lo ...

* Oakmont House (1939), in Brentwood Park,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

* House Beautiful's Pacesetter House (1947), in Los Angeles, California * Sullivan Canyon Ranches (c.1948), in Los Angeles, California * Prefab House (1951), in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

Cliff May Experimental House The Cliff May Experimental House was built by Cliff May Cliff May (1903–1989) was an architect practicing in California best known and remembered for developing the suburban Post-war "dream home" ( California Ranch House), and the Mid-ce ...

(1952), in Los Angeles, California * Tanglewood House (1952), in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

* Rancho Rinconada (April 1953) present eastern Cupertino, California - Cliff May pre-fab subdivision of "around 900 homes (per May) (built with Stern & Price) * Lakewood Rancho Prefab Homes (700+ homes) (1953-1954), in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

Strawther, Larry, "A Brief History of Los Alamitos and Rossmoor". p131-135. Pages briefly cover the May-Choate-Ross Cortese partnership on the Lakewood Rancho homes (now called Rancho Estates) in Long Beach and the ensuing Frematic Homes in Anaheim. * Prefab Homes (1954), in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

* Lakewood Prefab Homes (1954), in

Lakewood, Washington Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census. History Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Tacoma/Lakewood Center and Lakes Distric ...

* Casa View Oaks Prefab Homes (1954-1955), in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

* Charleston Heights Prefab Homes (1954-1955), in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

* Harvey Park Prefab Homes (1955), in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

* 2 Prefab Homes (1955), in

Odessa, Texas Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small section of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, mak ...

* Cherokee Village Prefab Houses (1955), in

Cherokee Village, Arkansas Cherokee Village is a city in Fulton and Sharp counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 4,661 in 2019. Geography Cherokee Village is located at (36.293289, -91.572336). ...

* Castle Hills Prefab Homes (1955), in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

* Maywood Hills Prefab Homes (1955), in

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

Fish-Baughman House The Fish-Baughman House is a one-story, frame, California Ranch-style house at 3436 E. Ranch View Dr. in Millcreek, Utah. It was built in 1955 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. It was partly a pre-fabricated st ...

(1955), in

Millcreek, Utah Millcreek is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, and is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population as of the 2020 Census was 63,380. Prior to its incorporation on December 28, 2016, Millcreek was a c ...

, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2016 *Cliff May House "Mandalay" (1955), in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California * Cliff May pre-fab homes (9) in Medford, Oregon. (with J.T. Hight builders) * Cliff May prefab homes - (1956) Santa Maria, California (with builder George Pabst) *Overdale House (1956), in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

*Vientos House (1963), in

Camarillo, California Camarillo ( ) is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan an ...

*Ocotillo House (1963), in Tucson, Arizona *Oxblow House (1968), in

Solvang, California Solvang (; ) is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. It is located in the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 census, up from 5,245 at the 2010 census. Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May ...

*Private Residence (1969), in Phoenix, Arizona *Charles House (1973), in

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

*El Vuelo House (1973), in

Rancho Santa Fe, California Rancho Santa Fe is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States, within the San Diego metropolitan area. The population was 3,156 at the 2020 census. The CDP is primarily residential with a few shopping blocks, ...

*Gerald Katell House (1978), in

Rolling Hills, California Rolling Hills is a city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Rolling Hills is a gated community with private roads with three entry gates. Homes are single-story 19th century California ranch or Span ...

* Cliff May tract-housing (79 units, 1956), Westridge Manor,

Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is a city in California, United States. It is the largest populated place and only incorporated city in Inyo County. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of . The city was na ...

(with Marburt Homes, Inc.)

Personal life

May grew up in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. On his mother's side he is related to Jose Antonio Estudillo, one of the founders of San Diego. His father's side of the family held a lifetime lease on the old Los Flores Rancho in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

. May lived in his 10,000 square foot "ultimate ranch house" located on a 15-acre site in one of the canyons in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

near Brentwood. May was a record collector and amateur saxophone player and piano player; his home had a sound system that piped-in music to every indoor and outdoor space. May was also a pilot; he made many trips in his plane to Mexico during his lifetime.

Death

May died in 1989 at the age of 83, at his estate "Mandalay" in Sullivan Canyon in the Brentwood neighborhood of

Legacy

In 2012, the UC Santa Barbara

Art, Design & Architecture Museum The Art, Design & Architecture Museum (AD&A), formerly the University Art Museum (UAM), is located on the campus of the UCSB in Goleta, California, United States. Built in 1959, it was originally a gallery for art education at UCSB. Several books have been published about his work, including the 2008 Rizzoli publication, ''Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House''. An archive of Cliff May's papers, c. 1931–1989, consisting of 350 linear feet of papers, correspondence, clippings, photographs and ephermera is held in the Architecture and Design Collection of the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at the University Santa Barbara.

References

External links

Interview of Cliff May, Center for Oral History Research, UCLA Library Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles.
* ''Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House'', Rizzoli, 2008.
Cliff May Home Registry
{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Cliff Architects from California 1903 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American architects