A Guide to Eichler Townhomes in Santa Clara

The Eichler Townhomes of Santa Clara: A Modernist Story Told in Wood, Glass, and Community

Hidden among Santa Clara’s tree-lined avenues and unassuming suburban streets lie several of the most intriguing mid-century communities in Silicon Valley: the Eichler townhomes. At a glance, you might pass them without realizing their significance. They don’t announce themselves loudly. Their silhouettes are low, their materials humble, their lines clean and self-assured. But step inside—or even stroll the quiet walkways winding between the buildings—and an entire design philosophy unfolds.

These communities were Joseph Eichler’s answer to a question few builders in his era were asking: How do you give people the light, openness, and optimism of modern architecture, even if they aren’t buying a single-family home? In Santa Clara, Eichler explored that idea through townhome developments shaped by shared spaces, generous greenery, and a sense of neighborhood that feels rare today.

The result is not just housing, but an atmosphere—a gentle blend of privacy and togetherness, framed in glass and timber.

A Landscape of Modernism, Scaled for Community

Most people know Eichler for his atrium houses—iconic silhouettes scattered across the Peninsula and South Bay. But in Santa Clara, Eichler created something different: modernist villages, designed to bring families closer together through layout rather than density.

In Pomeroy West, the largest of these communities, homes are arranged around broad greenbelts and walking paths. Cars take a back seat here—literally. Parking areas hug the perimeter, leaving the heart of the neighborhood free for lawns, gardens, and the daily choreography of neighbors crossing paths. Children ride bikes freely; residents meander to the pool with a towel over one shoulder; dogs patrol the grassy stretches, tails wagging.

Across the street, Pomeroy Green feels more intimate, a quieter pocket with a slower rhythm. The pace inside the Green is leisurely, almost contemplative. Many townhomes face an open lawn rather than a street, which means sunlight pours into living rooms throughout the day. When you stand on one of these patios in the morning, the glass glows soft and warm, as if the architecture itself is waking up.

These spaces weren’t built as luxury developments at the time—they were built with humanity in mind. Today, that intention has aged beautifully.

A Different Kind of Mid-Century Experience

Living in a Santa Clara Eichler townhome doesn’t feel like living in a typical townhouse. The structure is attached, but the experience is expansive.

You step inside and your eyes follow the long, exposed beams stretching overhead, guiding your gaze outward toward glass walls that open to a private patio. The floor plan is simple, honest, and flexible. Rooms flow into one another without fuss. Light sweeps across the concrete slab floors at different angles throughout the day. Even the smallest courtyard feels intentional—like a room without a ceiling.

Eichler wasn’t content with decoration for its own sake. He believed a home should feel like it belongs to its environment, even in a neighborhood setting. So in these townhome communities, nature becomes a partner in the design: walls of glass frame trees instead of walls; clerestory windows borrow light from the sky; breezes slip through sliding doors during warm afternoons.

The architecture invites you to slow down, breathe, and simply exist in the moment.

Recognizing Authentic Eichler Craftsmanship

While other mid-century townhomes in Santa Clara adopt the aesthetic language of the 1960s, the true Eichler communities carry unmistakable signatures:

• Post-and-beam lines that extend outdoors, blurring the boundary between interior space and the natural world

• Tall glass sliders that open entire living rooms to the patio in a single gesture

• Vertical wood siding, quiet and warm, in tones that seem to belong to the California landscape

• Flat or gently pitched rooflines, giving the buildings a serene, horizontal profile

• Privacy at the street, openness within, a recurring theme in Eichler’s work

Even the way the homes sit in relationship to the greenbelts feels intentional—there is a softness to the space, a respect for calm.

Lookalike mid-century communities may echo certain features, but they often miss the harmony of proportion, the careful choreography of light, or the quiet confidence of Eichler’s layouts. An Eichler doesn’t just look modern; it feels alive.

The Market for Eichler Townhomes: Small in Number, Big in Appeal

For all their appeal, Santa Clara’s Eichler townhomes are astonishingly scarce. Only a limited number were ever built, and the communities have remained tightly held. It’s not unusual for residents to stay for decades, passing their homes to family members or selling only after long and thoughtful consideration.

When one finally reaches the market, it tends to make a splash. Design enthusiasts recognize the rarity; architects recognize the significance; buyers appreciate the understated luxury of open space, light, and community. And because these homes sit in central Santa Clara—minutes from major tech campuses—the competition can be swift.

Prices vary with condition and location within the development, but the real value lies in the lifestyle: the quiet mornings on the patio, the soft echoes of laughter drifting across the greenbelt, the sunsets framed by glass.

Why People Fall in Love With These Communities

Ask residents why they love living in an Eichler townhome, and the answers tend to circle around the same themes:

• The light.

• The openness.

• The connection to neighbors.

• The sense that every day feels a little calmer than it does elsewhere.

These aren’t just architectural features—they’re emotional experiences. The homes create a backdrop that encourages slower meals, lingering conversations, and genuine interaction with the community around you. They offer mid-century character without the upkeep of a larger single-family home. And they carry an authenticity that no speculative builder today can truly replicate.

Staying Ahead in a Market Where Homes Rarely Surface

Because these townhomes are so seldom available, buyers who genuinely want one often rely on inside information. Eichler-focused real estate agents, neighborhood networks, and mid-century modern mailing lists frequently know of potential sellers before the homes ever appear online.

Sometimes a whisper of a listing is enough to bring offers before a sign is even ordered.

For those watching the market closely, patience pays off—but preparation pays off even more. When the right home becomes available, it’s common for buyers to make swift, confident moves to secure it.

Eric & Janelle Boyenga
Founding Partners | The Boyenga Team at Compass
📞 Call/Text: 408-373-1660
📧 Email: homes@boyenga.com
🌐 www.BoyengaTeam.com | www.EichlerHomesForSale.com
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