A Bernard Maybeck–Designed Home With an Expansive Deck and Sunroom Seeks $1.5M in the Bay Area

Project Details:

Location: 113 Purdue Avenue, Kensington, California

Price: $1,495,000

Footprint: 2,247 square feet (three bedrooms, three baths)

Lot Size: 12,320 square feet

Architect: Bernard Maybeck

Year Built: 1949

From the agent: "Located at the end of a private road, this one-of-a-kind property is steeped in local history. This private section of Purdue Avenue was once owned by legendary Berkeley architect Bernard Maybeck, who sold the parcel to the original owners. As one of the first homes built after the subdivision map was completed in 1947, this house was here when the road was still an unpaved cow path, with every purchaser literally a pioneer of the hilltop. Bernard and his wife, Annie, interviewed each prospective home builder, looking for nice young couples who didn’t drink or spend beyond their means, and who promised not to build a white house. Bob and Ollie Shaner passed the test and became one of the first families to have a stake on the wild section of Purdue. Bernard, in his late 80s then, would walk the three miles from his home on Buena Vista Drive in Berkeley, often in his trademark sheepskin coat, to check on the building progress and make suggestions. The house has been through several additions since its construction in 1949, but has retained its rustic charm and connection to the hilltop and canyon."