ARCHITECTS

WILLIAM F. CODY, FAIA

(1916-1978)

William F. Cody, FAIA, moved to the desert with his family in 1946.  His first commission for the Del Marcos Hotel in Palm Springs was given an AIA award. He never looked back, designing numerous private residences, hotels, and the valley’s three landmark 1950s country clubs: Thunderbird, Tamarisk, and Eldorado. Many homeowners who bought lots at the new clubs commissioned Cody to design their homes overlooking the fairways.  Rancho Mirage is fortunate to be home to many Cody projects: from the master plan, clubhouse, and ramadas designs for Bing Crosby’s Blue Skies Village to an apartment building, to the Cody Court condominiums. Most notable among the country club homes by Cody is the 1954 Jorgensen-Mavis house at Thunderbird, which epitomizes Cody’s desert modern design, with thin roof slabs, and extended horizontal lines.