Harold Zook / Joshua Tree Retreat Center Bungalows

Inspiration Heights, serene contemplative living. Designed in 1960 by Harold Zook. 

This is a continuation on my latest visit to the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. To be honest, I never noticed these buildings before. However, they are now being restored in a collaborative effort by the retreat center and Homestead Modern. Brad Dunning is leading the design and restoration. Needless to say, it's in great hands and soon you'll be able to stay at The Bungalows.

The housing was built on a knoll referred to as Inspiration Heights. The permanent living suites were designed for students and retired members of the organization. They were completely furnished and touted as being "thoroughly modern." In newspaper articles of the day, it was also described as "serene contemplative living."  

Harold B Zook A.I.A, a Cornell graduate and former Albert Frey employee, was the architect and O.K. Earl Jr was the builder. Both were based in Pasadena. Earl was fresh off of building the First Sanctuary of Mystical Christianity and The Preceptory of Light buildings on the property.

This was part of a multi-year building plan for what was envisioned as a 1600 acre property. Future plans for what Dr. Dingle referred to as the New City of Mentalphysics included the building of a school, orphanage, ball field, more residences and other necessary facilities.

For background, in 1941, Ding Le Mei (Edwin J. Dingle) established the Mentalphysics Spiritual Teaching and Retreat Center in Yucca Valley (now Joshua Tree).

Serene indeed

I took a peak into one of the nearly-completed units. Dunning chose “Encilia yellow” drapes as a nod to Zook's time with Albert Frey (see Frey II). That is the sort of deep cuts kind of thing you'd expect from Brad. 

Find out more here.

Since Zook was based in Pasadena, he did many projects there. This includes at least one house he designed for himself at 1125 Mesita Rd. He was also the architect for the Civil Defense center, Gwinn’s Restaurant and a Cat Clinic at 1986 East Foothill Blvd. The Cat Clinic building looks great and is still actually a Cat Clinic! He also designed Whitney Estates in Altadena and the Hacienda Gardens tract in Pomona. 

In 1947 he designed this guest house that was published in Arts & Architecture

Zook and  O.K. Earl Jr worked together on the Saga Motor Hotel in 1959. This was just before they did the buildings in Joshua Tree.

Saga is still there on Colorado Blvd/Historic Route 66 and in really good condition. I've stayed there many, many times over the years on trips to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. There's an O.K. Earl Jr bronze plaque still embedded in the sidewalk.