Homer Delawie (1927 - 2009)

Homer Delawie circa 1962. Photograph by Douglas Simmonds

“Architecture is a way of life. If not, you shouldn’t be doing it”
– Homer Delawie November 2002.

As luck would have it Homer Delawie enlisted in the US Navy at age 17, two weeks prior to Japanese surrender. Following his short tenure in the military, Delawie returned to fire fighting, a job he held while in high school. While challenging, Homer left his forestry work to graduate with his degree in architecture. Under the tutelage of George Haslin, Homer was amongst a small group of graduates, the 2nd graduating class ever from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

With a progressive, contemporary, foundation, Delawie was already thinking differently than his Beaux-Arts colleagues leaving UC Berkeley at the time. Homer recalls, “I was already thinking about terrain, environments and how people lived.”

Only after Homer Delawie decided to devote his life to architecture did he learn of Mies van der Rohe and ‘modern’. At Cal Poly all professors were ‘modern.’ George Haslin led architecture students on field trips to Los Angeles to meet practicing architects, visit architectural practices and see the Case Study House program.

Following a short stint as partner with Lloyd Ruocco, Delawie went solo in 1961. Designing his own office near Old Town State Park (still standing), Homer’s office grew in size and scope for decades.

“The great thing about architecture, is getting to know everything about the client” - Homer Delawie, September 2002

Delawie Residence #1 "Boxcar House" (1958) in Mission Hills

Delawie Residence #1 "Boxcar House" (1958) in Mission Hills
Photograph by Douglas Simmonds

Delawie Residence #1 "Boxcar House" (1958) in Mission Hills
Photograph by Douglas Simmonds

Senterfit Residence (1960)

David Porter Apartments (1963) in Mission Bay

Nichols Residence (1962)

Delawie Architecture Office (1962)

Delawie Residence #2 (1963) in Mission Hills

Westphal-Chapman Residence in Mission Hills

Randolph Residence

Casady Residence

Lanthorn Residence

Andrusson Residence (1967) sliding glass front door

Delawie Tract Housing Design

Cate Residence in Ocean Beach

Dr. Mel Goldzband Residence (1964) near Mt. Helix

Feller Residence (1962), Ruocco and Delawie

Partial List of San Diego Projects

Anderson Residence
2001 Wilbur Street, Point Loma

Andrusson, Uno Residence (1967)
4726 Panorama, North Park

Art Linkletter Housing Tract (ca. 1962-63)
Houses on East Washington Avenue and Wichita, El Cajon

Burke Residence
El Paseo Grande, La Jolla

Casady Residence (1966)
9974 Shadow Road, La Mesa

Cate Residence (1966)
4440 Brindisi Street, Ocean Beach

Charlton Residence
Via Capri, La Jolla

J. Clark Residence
Mission Hills

M. Clark Residence
Country Club Lane, La Jolla

Collins Residence
La Jolla

Crist/La Point Residence
Hillcrest

Delawie Architectural Office Building (1962)
2827 Presidio Drive
Award of Excellence AIA, San Diego Chapter (1962)

Delawie Residence #1 (1958)
1773 Torrance Street, Mission Hills
Award of Excellence, AIA San Diego 1960

Delawie Residence #2. Photo by Douglas Simmonds

Delawie Residence #2 (1963)
1833 Neale Street, Mission Hills

Delawie Residence #3 (1974)
2749 Azalea Drive, Point Loma

Delbeco Residence
Hillside Drive, La Jolla

Del Cerro Residence (November, 1961)
5657 Del Cerro Avenue
'Del Cerro Residence Study, Owner - Schreiber Const. Co. by Delawie AIA Architects, San Diego, California'
This home includes an addition 'Addition to the Mr. & Mrs. Raymond C. Adler Residence by James E. Hurley AIBD, Building Designer (while his office was at 7870 La Mesa Blvd. La Mesa, CA dated 12/19/68'

Feller Residence (1960)
3377 Charles Street, Point Loma
Designed by the office of Ruocco & Delawie

Foster (AKA Hillside House) Residence (1960)
3343 Poe Street, Point Loma
Designed by the office of Ruocco & Delawie

Fredman Residence (1988)
969 Coast Blvd. South, La Jolla

Frivalosky Residence (1962)
1945 Balboa, Del Mar

Godfrey Residence (1960)
2218 Vallecitos, La Jolla

Goldzband, Dr. Mel Residence (1964)
4709 La Rueda, Mt. Helix

Hawkins, William Residence (1963)
6949 Fairway Road, La Jolla

Hine Residence
La Jolla

Hoffman-Munoz Residence (1964)
9339 Crest, Spring Valley

Hurley Residence (1965)
1442 Yaqui Road, Borrego Springs

Jackson Residence
El Paseo Grande, La Jolla

Jacobs Residence
El Cajon

Johnston Residence
Rancho Santa Fe

Kattleman Residence
Mission Hills

Kratz, Hugh and Karen Residence (1964)
1660 Froude, Ocean Beach

Lanthorn Residence (1963)
7520 Mar Avenue, La Jolla

Legro, Stanley Residence (designed ca. 1971, built ca. 1973)
Rancho Santa Fe

Lincoln Residence
Borrego Springs

Mannis, Ruth Residence (1965)
Jacaranda Drive, Chula Vista

Marshall Residence
2767 Hidden Valley Road

McNitt Residence
La Jolla

Mexico Pacific Shop (1964)
2729 (or 2723?) San Diego Avenue
Old Town State Historic Park
Recognized at the 1964 United Masonry Association of San Diego Awards

Demolished

Nichols Residence (1962)
2682 Idle Hour Lane, La Jolla

Petersen, Captain & Mrs. A.J. Residence (1963)
1010 Glorietta Blvd, Coronado

Peyke Residence
La Jolla Shores

Platt Residence
Bankers Hill

Porter, David Apartments (1962)
3525 Bayside, Mission Beach

Porter, David Office Building
Pacific Beach

Private Residence (1960)
3343 Poe Street

Private Residence (extensive remodel) (1965)
3437 Jackdaw, Mission Hills

Private Residence (1971)
1660 Cloverdale Road, Escondido

Private Residence (ca. 1960)
2322 Hartford Street
Original owners were Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burke.
Designed by Ruocco & Delawie

Private Residence
Puterbaugh Street, Mission Hills

Randolph Residence
4551 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach

Ricketeson Residence (1960)
11819 Johnson Lake Drive, Lakeside

Sandell Residence
Sunset, Mission Hills

Saunders Residence (1968)
3044 Sterne Street, Point Loma

Scholander Residence
Paseo Del Ocaso, La Jolla

Schrock Residence (Spec House)
La Jolla

Schroeder Residence
San Pasqual Valley

Senterfit Residence (1960)
1404 Franciscan Way, University Heights

Slayen Residence (1963)
4293 Jackdaw Street, Mission Hills

Smith Residence
Pacific Beach

Styner Residence
Ocean Beach

Swanson Residence (1973)
1887 Viking Way, La Jolla

Thompson Medical Library (1968)
Balboa Park / Naval Hospital

Tract Housing Design (ca. 1965)
Poway and Mt. Soledad

Upas Garden Apartments (1960)
1740 Upas Street
Designed by Ruocco & Delawie

Wasserman Residence
La Jolla

Westphal Residence (1963)
4285 Jackdaw Street, Mission Hills