Published July 16, 2026
Set within Sunset Homes' master-planned Granada Village (Sunset West) neighborhood, Granada Woods opened in August 1963 as Livermore's premier custom-home tract. Inspired by San Francisco's St. Francis Wood, the 65-home enclave occupies only a small portion of Granada Village, yet it represents one of Sunset Homes' most ambitious residential projects in the city. Winding streets, oversized lots, landscaped medians, and architect-designed entrance monuments created an upscale setting aimed at professionals, including many working at the nearby Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Builder Masud Mehran, president of Sunset Homes, described Granada Woods as "an oasis of urban relaxation in a world where gracious living has become almost a rarity."
Rather than offering a handful of standardized floor plans, Sunset Homes encouraged architectural variety. Buyers could select one of the featured home designs or commission a custom residence, provided it met the community’s architectural standards. The emphasis was on custom construction within a carefully planned neighborhood.
Three model homes opened on Avenida de las Palmas in 1963, introducing buyers to Granada Woods' custom-home concept. Priced as high as $60,000—among the most expensive new homes in Livermore at the time—they were followed by a more affordable semi-custom collection in 1964. By 1966, additional builders had joined the neighborhood, continuing its emphasis on custom residential design.
Mapping Granada Woods
Granada Woods is a community within Livermore's Granada Village (Sunset West) neighborhood.
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| Annotated aerial map showing the location of Granada Woods within Livermore's Granada Village neighborhood. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Granada Woods homes and architectural style
When Sunset Homes introduced Granada Woods in 1963, prospective buyers encountered the community through its model homes. The models showcased the different designs, floor plans, and lifestyles the builder was offering to buyers in Livermore.
The Granada Woods home designs
Unlike many Sunset Homes subdivisions, Granada Woods was never defined by a large model home complex. Three showcase homes opened on Avenida de las Palmas in 1963 to introduce the community, but the emphasis quickly shifted to individually designed custom homes rather than mass-produced plans.
The Florentine
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| October 1963 advertisement featuring the Florentine, one of the original model homes that introduced Granada Woods to prospective buyers. |
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Sunset Homes’ 1963 Florentine model in Granada Woods. Imagery from Google Street View. |
The Emerald
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| In 1964, Sunset Homes introduced four lower-priced semi-custom homes to broaden Granada Woods' appeal. The Emerald was one of the new designs. |
Marketing Granada Woods
Granada Woods was marketed as the prestige address within Granada Village.
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| August 1963 grand opening advertisement for Granada Woods, promoting the 65-home executive community’s landscaped streets, one-way drives, oversized homesites, and architect-designed entrance monuments. |
Newspaper advertisements emphasized quarter- to one-third-acre homesites, landscaped streets, one-way drives, and architect-designed entrance monuments, distinguishing the community from Sunset Homes’ larger production neighborhoods.
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| The Granada Woods entrance monument on El Caminito remains one of the community’s defining architectural features more than sixty years after it was built. |
Other builders join custom-home building
Although Sunset Homes established Granada Woods, the community soon attracted other custom builders. By 1966, Jim Knuppe Homes and other custom builders were constructing residences throughout the neighborhood, offering buyers the opportunity to personalize floor plans and finishes. Knuppe's Spanish-inspired designs featured adobe fireplaces, tile roofs, and unusually luxurious touches such as fireplaces in the primary bedroom.
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| By 1966, Jim Knuppe Homes and other builders were constructing custom residences in Granada Woods, expanding the community beyond its original Sunset Homes offerings. |
Knuppe Plan 1186
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| Original Knuppe Plan 1186 model home, reflecting the neighborhood's later phase of custom-home construction. Image via Google Street View. |
Legacy of Granada Woods
Granada Woods remains one of Granada Village's most distinctive enclaves. Its generous lot sizes, curving streets, mature landscaping, and custom homes continue to distinguish it from the surrounding neighborhood, preserving Sunset Homes' vision of an executive residential district more than sixty years after it opened.
Collection
Livermore — the making of a suburban city
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