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Alden Residence by Kemper Nomland. Photo ©Darren Bradley The architect Kemper Nomland is not exactly a household name, but he probably should be - at least to those who appreciate modern architecture. Nomland is in that elite group of architects who designed a home as part of the Arts & Architecture Case Study House program. I recently had the opportunity to visit the architect's only design in San Diego County, the Alden Residence in Vista.  Original rendering of the Alden Residence by Kemper Nomland (1957). Courtesy of Keith York .  A retired couple, Dr. & Mrs. Ward Alden, commissioned the design of the house from Kemper Nomland in 1957. The couple was already retired and didn't have any kids living with them, so the house was quite small and only had one bedroom. A detached guest quarters is also part of the original design.  Cute couple! Ward & Esther Alden in front of their new house in 1958. Photo courtesy of Keith York.   The house is essentia...

The Jolly Roger. Photo ©Darren Bradley Wildwood, on Cape May in New Jersey, is the undisputed capital of Googie modernist architecture on the East Coast. In fact, there's probably a higher concentration of architecture of this type here than anywhere else in the world. But it's also disappearing at an alarming rate.  The Sea Gull. Photo ©Darren Bradley The Wildwoods, as the combined communities are known (it's frankly impossible to tell where one city starts and the other ends), has always been a vacation resort. It got its start at the end of the 19th century, and gained a lot of momentum in the early 50s through the 1960s.  The Yankee Clipper. Photo ©Darren Bradley While I don't know the architects for most of these, quite a few were designed and built by the Morey family. The Moreys have been a prominent family in Wildwood since at least the 50s. They were inspired to create googie modern motels in Wildwood while visiting Miami Beach and seeing hotels like the Fontai...