Homer Delawie

“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.

Visiting his brother-in-law while on vacation in San Diego, Homer drove up 5th Avenue only to discover The Design Center. As any recent architecture graduate would do, he queried owner/proprietor/designer Lloyd Ruocco, about the fantastic building. Delawie returned to San Luis Obispo. Two days later Ruocco’s partner called asking him to move to San Diego and work for the firm. One of Delawie’s first tasks was to help with KGTV-TV’s new building (still standing), the most advanced television station in the country.

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

Partial List of San Diego Projects

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

Charlton Residence
2767 Hidden Valley Road

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 (1963)
1833 Neale Street, Mission Hills

Feller Residence (1962)
St. Charles, Point Loma

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

Kratz Residence (1964)
1660 Froude, Ocean Beach

Lanthorn Residence
Mt Helix

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

Marshall Residence
2767 Hidden Valley Road

Mexico Pacific Shop (1964)
2729 San Diego Avenue
Old Town State Historic Park
Demolished

Nichols Residence (1962)
2682 Idle Hour Lane

Petersen Residence (1964)

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

Porter, David Office Building
Pacific Beach

Private Residence (1960)
3343 Poe Street
Designed by the office of Ruocco & Delawie

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

Private Residence (1960)
2218 Vallecitos, La Jolla

Private Residence
1660 Cloverdale Road, Escondido

Private Residence
Puterbaugh Street, Mission Hills

Private Residence (1960)
11819 Johnson Lake Drive, Lakeside

Randolph Residence
4551 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach

Senterfit Residence (1960)
1404 Franciscan Way, University Heights

Thompson Medical Library (1968)
Balboa Park / Naval Hospital

Tract Housing Design
Pacifica/La Jolla

Westphal/Chapman (1965)
Jackdaw Street, Mission Hill