Cheyne Walk (pronounced chA-nE)
When Rohe & Wright Builders wanted to build on the lot they purchased on historic Sunset Boulevard, they looked to the past for inspiration.
The land was originally purchased from the George Hermann Estate and was developed by Joseph Cullinan a retired oilman. The area was originally developed as part of the civic art movement, designed to provide harmony and beauty in a city desperate for a focal point. The exclusive neighborhood had private streets and utilities and the street that ran along the Rice Institute (now Rice University) was named Sunset because of the beautiful sunsets reflected off the buildings of the school. As one of the area's first planned communities it boasted a who's who of residents as well as showcased some of the city's most beloved architect's better work.
Realizing the significance of the site the principals of Rohe & Wright Builders decided to develop something in keeping with the land's original vision. Instead of the 35-story hi-rise the other developer wanted to build, Rohe & Wright has designed a townhouse square similar to those in London's finest neighborhoods.
Soon after closing on the property, the principals, their wives and the residential designer chosen for the project, Preston Wood, traveled to London to study the style, architecture, land planning and layout of the townhouses and private gardens popular there. They commissioned a London School of Architecture professor, Benedict O'Looney, to give the group a tour of the region's historical architecture and design style. After an exhaustive pounding of the pavement and many rolls of film, the idea for Cheyne Walk was born. A distinguished set of homes surrounding a private garden, fully landscaped and in keeping with the area's beauty and old-growth trees.
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