Haver Homes in Starlite Vista
15th Avenue at Glenn Drive
The Starlite homes of 1954 all feature the same floorplan, only flipped and re-oriented on the lot to create a uniform but diverse streetscape across three short drives. Many homes have their faces tilted slightly toward the street for an attractive 3/4 view. The homes feature a strip of angled clerestory windows that follow the pitch of the roofline, letting in light but maintaining privacy. Carports were also standard. In 1957 Haver later marketed a larger variation of this home as The Starlite Model during the Parade of Homes in North Central Phoenix. Concrete Masonry Units were used to create jutting privacy walls with square voids for simple and effective decoration near the entry walkways. Haver's partner Jimmie Nunn FAIA lived in his Starlite Vista home for many years, and paid $13,100 for it.
Voided wall and wood trellis create a welcome area in the front walkway. It is a distinguishing characteristic present in many Starlite Vista homes. It is unknown if the planter feature is original or not.
The same home several years after renovation.
Homes with the L-shaped window and alternating vertical bond of bricks near the carport were marketed as "The Panorama" model. This is a window shape Haver used in his own home of the same era, albeit with fewer panes. It was called a "glass gable" in its time, though today we are more likely to hear it called a "clerestory window".
Just a few homes in the area have weeping mortar joints.
Weeping mortar wainscoting is paired with with board and batten above. Weeping mortar wainscoting is also found in Janet Manor.
Check out Troy Bankord's renovation of a Starlite home, written up as an "Earth Angel" in Desert Living magazine! The angled wall, cladding and angled porch posts are Troy's additions. This is likely an "Evening Star" model home, which did not come with a wooden trellis.
Homes with the voided block and rectangle trellis are likely to be "The Spacemaster" model.
A double carport was always an original option when customizing a Starlite Vista home.
The irregularly spaced board and batten treatment shown above and below might be similar to the one described for Club Koko of the same era.
The Lorna House was remodeled by Shawn Kaffer. The angled porch posts similar to those in Marlen Grove and the second wall with voids are both his stylistic additions. Read all about it and see vintage photos here.
