He was one of the influential advocates of bringing modern architecture from custom residences and large corporate buildings to general public availability.

[1] Joseph Leopold Eichler was born on June 25, 1900, in New York City, and raised around Sutton Place, Manhattan,[2] where his father and mother ran a small toy store, and in The Bronx.

[2][6][7][8] For a few years in the mid 40s Joe ran a retail store Peninsula Farmyard in Burlingame, California which sold poultry and eggs.

Eichler houses are examples of Modernist architecture that has come to be known as "California Modern", and typically feature glass walls, post-and-beam construction, and open floorplans in a style made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Eichler house exteriors featured flat and/or low-sloping A-framed roofs, vertical 2-inch pattern wood siding, and spartan facades with clean geometric lines.

One of Eichler's signature concepts was to "bring the outside in", achieved via skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows with glass transoms looking out on protected and private outdoor rooms, patios, atriums, gardens, and swimming pools.

The interiors had numerous unorthodox and innovative features for the time period including: exposed post-and-beam construction; tongue and groove decking for the ceilings following the roofline; concrete slab floors with integral radiant heating; lauan (Philippine mahogany) paneling; sliding doors for rooms, closets, and cabinets; and typically a second bathroom located in the master bedroom.

Later models introduced the distinctive Eichler entry atriums, an open-air, enclosed entrance foyer designed to further advance the concept of integrating outdoor and indoor spaces.

The Southern California Eichler Homes developments are in Thousand Oaks, Granada Hills, Orange and Palm Springs.