William Krisel

Architect

Los Angeles, CA

William Krisel entered the University of Southern California's School of Architecture at the age of 16 in 1941 and then enlisted in the US Army at the age of 17. Krisel spent the war years in China on General Joseph Stilwell’s staff; Born in Shanghai, Krisel spoke the Chinese language fluently. Resuming his studies after the war, Krisel returned to USC and graduated in 1949 and obtained his architect’s license in 1950. In 1954 he was licensed as a landscape architect.
Krisel began his practice by designing custom homes in Bel Air and Brentwood. In 1950 he evolved the modular post-and-beam system for use in tract homes. In 1951 he built the first small tract of ten homes located in the West San Fernando Valley. These homes sold out quickly, attracting attention from builders.  The 247 tract of Corbin Palms in 1953 for the Alexander Construction Company was his first major housing project.
Krisel’s successful tracts and ideas gained national attention. Architectural Forum and House and Home published frequent articles on his work noting the good design, intriguing building system and the commercial success of the projects. Krisel was receiving tract-housing commissions in Florida, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and elsewhere.
In 2006 Krisel was awarded a “Lifetime Achievement Award” in Architecture and Krisel’s Star was embedded in the sidewalk of the Palm Springs “Walk of Fame”.