Jack Hillmer Rarity Surfaces

For those few Bay Area residents who own a home designed by mid-century architect Jack Hillmer, they indeed possess a rare treasure.

Hillmer, whose residential designs are represented by only a handful of built projects, had an "approach to architecture that was as an art," it's been said. There's also a delicacy to his provocative designs, which—considering his favored use of heavy, raw materials, and the fact that he was not a licensed architect—is nothing short of remarkable.

One of Hillmer's designs, the architect's tenth and final completed residential project, is currently on the East Bay market. Built late in Hillmer's career, the home was completed in 1996, yet radiates mid-century personality.

Commissioned by Dr. Clarence Poor, the 3-bedroom, 2-bath, single-family home is located in the hills of Berkeley at 1241 Westview Drive. The Dr. Poor residence, as it is known, is "a beauty, a piece of art," says Ernie Sexton of Sexton Group Real Estate, who represents the home, now listed at $2.395 mil.

"Inside are massive, oversized beams, thick redwood timber. I believe he commissioned them from Canada. He was mesmerized by redwood, and said he loved that part of nature, that raw redwood look."

Sexton sold the home to the home's current owner in 2006, "so this is a second time I get to do this," he says. "At the time she bought the house, it had been donated to the architect's alma mater, the University of Washington."

"What's interesting is that the house is so open," Sexton points out. "It ‘lives' like a big house, but at 2,424 square feet, it's actually a small house. But it has these big, beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows in front and on the sides, which make it feel so big," framing endless views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

"My client wanted to lean into the whole museum feel," Sexton adds. "So when she redid the yard, she put in all that slate tile, and the outdoor fireplace, adding the pathway and rocks in that one area to the side." Hidden inside the squares of retaining walls, he says, are light fixtures that lend a magical effect to everything at nighttime.

A man with a unique vision, Jack Hillmer (1918-2007) was not a licensed architect but drew high praise for his distinctive designs, choosing to let nature shine through in his choice of unfinished, raw materials.