In 1963, developer Basil Collier, taking advantage of California’s recently passed Condominium Act, hired architect Barry Berkus to imagine a resort community on one of the last large parcels in the premier Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood of Rancho Mirage, California. Situated just minutes from Palm Springs and near world-renowned Thunderbird and Tamarisk Country Clubs, the location was ideal for those wanting a resort-like getaway. Construction was completed in 1964 and the first units were sold in early 1965.

Berkus’ clever layout of the terraced property creates privacy while encouraging community. The superb use of space continues inside with each unit having floor-to-ceiling glass views of the patio & courtyard, a flex-use den behind pocket doors, and a “Jack-and-Jill” shower room. Every room has at least two entry/exit points creating a natural flow to the space. This exceptional space-saving layout makes the units feel much larger than their 915-square-foot design would otherwise seem.

Highlights of the buildings' exteriors are A-framed “chalet” roofs covering each unit’s courtyard, “like little mountains rising from the desert floor,” as Collier would later describe. Diamond-patterned shadow block walls surround the building’s exteriors. At night, the open roof-line glows from the patio and interior lights while shadows play across the walls, adding an additional experience once the sun sets.

Each of the eight buildings contains 4 units with floor plans mirrored and flipped inside the building resulting in identical construction requirements but deceptively “unique” spaces. Using flat-roof construction without traditional attic space, drop ceilings in the centrally-located bathrooms were utilized to hide the HVAC mechanicals indoors. To balance the reduced headroom in these areas, Berkus added skylights in the bathrooms and a sunken floor in the shower to keep these spaces as bright and airy as possible. The result is a classic mid-century modern flat roof design with nearly invisible mechanicals. Units were fully electrified and all utilities were placed underground to maintain the resort feel.

Chalet Palms is an excellent example of techniques and details Berkus used earlier in Palm Springs (Park Imperial South, Merito Manor, & Park Imperial North ) and would continue to utilize in other Southern California developments he was designing while working on Chalet Palms (Lake Park & Tanglewood in Orange County and Kingspark in Simi Valley).