The Architecture and Design Council is made up of over 250 members passionate about contemporary issues and innovations surrounding architecture and design. In addition to special events at private residents, the ADC sponsors an annual symposium, a lecture series, and tours to architecturally-significant sites. The group continues to grow at an unprecedented pace.

For more information on the ADC, contact Emily Christie at 760.322.4818.

Architecture tour to San Francisco - 10.24.08 - 10.26.08

Long known as the mecca of "painted ladies" and other historic buildings, San Francisco has recently become the site of numerous extraordinary contemporary buildings. From the newly opened Renzo Piano-designed California Academy of Science (seen at left), where the project architect Brett Terpuluk will give a guided tour, to the Contemporary Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, this group will spend a long weekend viewing outstanding architecture. Escorted by associate curator Sidney Williams and toured by local experts, this tour has limited space. Please contact Emily Christie, ADC coordinator at 760.322.4818 for additional information.

ADC Members Reception at the Dinah Shore House - 11.01.08 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Please join the Architecture and Design Council, our hosts Mark Nichols and David Lee and honored guest Donald Wexler, FAIA and architect for a members Cocktail Reception at the Dinah Shore House.

$75 ADC member
$40 member's guest or potential member
R.S.V.P. to Emily Christie, 760 322 4818 or

Each attendee will be entered in a drawing for a Julius Shulman signed limited edition color photograph of the house.

Photo: Dinah Shore House by Donald Wexler, photograph © Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai, 2007, collection Palm Springs Art Museum

Lecture - Poptimism: Modernism and Multi-cultural References - 11.15.08 6:00 PM

Lecturer: Frank Clementi, Rios Clementi, Hale Architects, Los Angeles

Lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 6 p.m. followed by a reception at 7 p.m.

"Making solutions beautiful" drives Frank Clementi's creative work that includes architecture, product design and graphic design. Early in his career he began his exploration of design when he spent two years working as MEMPHIS in Milan. Since 1990, when he joined Rios, Clementi Hale in Los Angeles, he has developed am international reputation for his collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach. His firm is currently working on the restoration of the El Paseo building on North Palm Canyon.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Palm Springs Architecture Lecture Series - Albert Frey - 01.17.09 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Lecturer: Bill Butler

First in a series of four classes on Palm Springs architects, includes a visit to a site designed by the subject architect.

This lecture series focuses on the history of modernist architecture in Palm Springs. The series will focus on four local icons: Albert Frey, William Cody, Donald Wexler and E. Stewart Williams and will trace the roots of their work, looking at their development and impact on the community. Each lecture will conclude with a visit to a home or building designed by the subject architect.

$25 per lecture, $85 for the series
Contact the museum box office for tickets at 760.325.4490.

Lecture - Christopher Hawthorne, LA Times architecture critic - 01.24.09 6:00 PM

Lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 6 p.m. followed by a reception at 7 p.m.

"L.A. is the most interesting city in the country right now, because of what's happening with its urbanism, more than its architecture," states Christopher Hawthorne, who has been the architecture critic of the Los Angeles Times for many years. The city that became synonymous with sprawl has "hit the limits of its growth and is turning back on itself," he explains. "But it's not just getting denser; it's having to redefine itself as a city." This lecture will provide Hawthornes' unique insight into the growth and development of the LA architectural scene and predict patterns of growth.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Frey II Tours - 30 Min Tours - 02.16.09 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Frey II Tours - 30 Min Tours - 02.17.09 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Albert Frey, one of the most important modern architects in our time, lived and worked in Palm Springs since 1934. Over a long and prolific career, he produced over 200 building designs, including such notable local landmarks as the Palm Springs City Hall and the Aerial Tramway Valley Station with John Porter Clark. Frey House ll, his long-time residence is perched on the hillside at the west end of Tahquitz Canyon Way.

At the time it was built in 1963-64, Frey House ll was at the highest elevation of any residence in the city. The house is steel-frame construction with large spans of glass and sheathing in painted corrugated metal. A platform, parallel to the road, projects in front of the house and acts as a deck for the pool and as a roof for the carport below. Normally closed to the public, these special tours during Modernism Week will enable Frey fans to tour this stunning architectural achievement. The tours will quickly sell out, so to reserve space, contact Emily Christie at 760.322.4818 or .

Architecture film, Architects Herzog & De Meuron, Alchemy of Building - 02.17.09 6:00 PM

Herzog & de Meuron Architekten, is a Swiss architecture firm, founded and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland in 1978. The careers of founders and senior partners Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron closely paralleled one another, with both attending the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich. They are perhaps best known for their conversion of the giant Bankside Power Station in London to the new home of the Tate Museum of Modern Art. Visiting examples of Herzog and de Meuron's ground-breaking style in Europe and Japan, this film reflects their capacity to astonish and explores the way in which they transform what might otherwise be ordinary shapes, materials and surfaces through new treatments and techniques. Their perspective on and approach to architecture; their design dialogue; the way their strengths and weaknesses complement each other; and their collaborations with others, particularly artists, will all be brought into focus to give a fascinating insight into the cutting edge of architecture today.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the screening.

Lecture - Havanna Before Castro - 02.19.09 6:00 PM

Lecturer: Peter Moruzzi, writer and founder of Palm Springs Modernism Committee

A fascinating look at Havana, visually rich with hundreds of photos and other unique images, this addition to the literature on one of the world's urban architectural treasures is authored by an architectural historian. Peter Moruzzi's embellishes the images form the book, drawn mostly from his own collection. Havana enjoys a captivating history, and the legacy of gambling, hotels, drugs, sex, and nightlife makes for an unparalleled reading experience.

Moruzzi will emphasize the building boom of the 1950s, when American mob characters benefited from President Fulgencio Batista's corrupt regime and tourists flocked to the enchanted island a mere 90 miles from America, helped by airlines and cruise lines offering tour packages to Havana. The vivid descriptions of casinos and hotels, many still standing, bring a lost era to life.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Lecture - Ron Hill and Jason Hill, father and son, automobile designers - 02.28.09 6:00 PM

Lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 6 p.m. followed by a reception at 7 p.m.

The Architecture and Design Council assembles a thought-provoking and stimulating lecture series showcasing a diverse array of speakers each year, and the 2008-2009 series is no exception.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Palm Springs Architecture Lecture Series - William Cody - 02.28.09 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Lecturer: Patrick McGrew

Second in a series of four classes on Palm Springs architects, includes a visit to a site designed by the subject architect.

This lecture series focuses on the history of modernist architecture in Palm Springs. The series will focus on four local icons: Albert Frey, William Cody, Donald Wexler and E. Stewart Williams and will trace the roots of their work, looking at their development and impact on the community. Each lecture will conclude with a visit to a home or building designed by the subject architect.

$25 per lecture, $85 for the series
Contact the museum box office for tickets at 760.325.4490.

Lecture - Kanner Architects, Los Angeles - 03.21.09 6:00 PM

Lecturer: Stephen Kanner

Lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 6 p.m. followed by a reception at 7 p.m.

The Architecture and Design Council assembles a thought-provoking and stimulating lecture series showcasing a diverse array of speakers each year, and the 2008-2009 series is no exception. Known for his light-filled elegant designs, Kanner has created buildings that bring life, good design and human scale to their neighborhoods.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Palm Springs Architecture Lecture Series - Donald Wexler - 03.28.09 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Lecturer: Bill Butler

Third in a series of four classes on Palm Springs architects, includes a visit to a site designed by the subject architect.

This lecture series focuses on the history of modernist architecture in Palm Springs. The series will focus on four local icons: Albert Frey, William Cody, Donald Wexler and E. Stewart Williams and will trace the roots of their work, looking at their development and impact on the community. Each lecture will conclude with a visit to a home or building designed by the subject architect.

$25 per lecture, $85 for the series
Contact the museum box office for tickets at 760.325.4490.

Palm Springs Architecture Lecture Series - E. Stewart Williams - 04.25.09 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Lecturer: Sidney Williams

Fourth in a series of four classes on Palm Springs architects, includes a visit to a site designed by the subject architect.

This lecture series focuses on the history of modernist architecture in Palm Springs. The series will focus on four local icons: Albert Frey, William Cody, Donald Wexler and E. Stewart Williams and will trace the roots of their work, looking at their development and impact on the community. Each lecture will conclude with a visit to a home or building designed by the subject architect.

$25 per lecture, $85 for the series
Contact the museum box office for tickets at 760.325.4490.

Lecture - Estudio Teddy Cruz, San Diego - 04.25.09 6:00 PM

Lecturer: Teddy Cruz

Lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 6 p.m. followed by a reception at 7 p.m.

The Architecture and Design Council assembles a thought-provoking and stimulating lecture series showcasing a diverse array of speakers each year, and the 2008-2009 series is no exception. Estudio Teddy Cruz, San Diego architect who has gained a national reputation for his low income housing designs. His work was recently included in the MOMA exhibition, Home Delivery.

Cost: $10 ADC members, $15 nonmembers
Tickets available at the Box Office the day of the lecture.

Julius Shulman: Palm Springs Special Deluxe Edition Available

We have a unique opportunity for you as an Architecture and Design Council member. In conjunction with the exhibition, Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, at the Palm Springs Art Museum February 15- May 4, 2008, Rizzoli International is publishing a 208-page book co-authored by curator, Michael Stern and architectural historian, Alan Hess.

Available now through February 14th as a Member benefit, we are offering a special deluxe edition to ADC members only. This deluxe edition includes a boxed copy of the book and a choice of one photograph from a limited edition of 100 signed and numbered 16” x 20” color photographs by Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai.

There are twenty photographs, 1/20 through 20/20, of five homes in Palm Springs from which to choose:

Alexander Steel Development House, 1961, architecture by Donald Wexler

Burgess House,1958, architecture by Hugh Kaptur and William Burgess with subsequent additions by Albert Frey.

Dinah Shore House, 1964, architecture by Donald Wexler

Elrod House, 1968, architecture by John Lautner

Sunnylands, Ambassador and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg House, 1963, architecture by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons

The non-member price for this Julius Shulman: Palm Springs deluxe edition will be $2,500 plus tax. However, as an ADC member, you will receive a 20% discount, for a price of $2,000, plus tax. We appreciate your support as a member of our council and the Museum and hope that you will take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The photographs can be seen by appointment at the Museum. Please contact Emily Christie at 760.322.4818 to reserve your deluxe edition and color photograph today!