While very much a modernist, Roger Lee (1920–1981) was strongly influenced by the early 20th C. Arts and Crafts movement. As a result, his midcentury homes combine rustic and streamlined sensibilities with their emphasis on wood and natural materials while also featuring glass walls and open, spacious interiors. A pioneering Chinese American architect and graduate of UC Berkeley, he designed more than 100 homes in Berkeley, El Cerrito and Kensington during the ‘50s and ‘60s that remain highly sought after today.

Where you can find a few of his homes:

• 3215 Burdeck Drive, Oakland

• 1360 Summit Road, Berkeley

• 189 Highland Blvd, Kensington

Drawing by Michelle Morby; watercolor on paper, 2022.