Case Study Houses

With 36 prototype designs, the Case Study House program created paradigms for modern living that would extend their influence far beyond their Los Angeles heartland. This essential introduction features 150 photographs and plans to explore each of these model residences and their architects, including Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and...

Sponsored by John Entenza's Arts & Architecture magazine, the Case Study Houses program brought new thinking, techniques, and materials to post-war California house building including Los Angeles. Contains the work of Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, Craig Ellwood.

The Stahl House: Case Study House #22, The Making of a Modernist Icon is the official autobiography of this world-renowned architectural gem by the family that made it their home. Considered one of the most iconic and recognizable examples of mid-century modern homes in the world, the Stahl House was first envisioned by the owners Buck and Carlotta Stahl, designed by architect Pierre Koenig, and immortalized by photographer Julius Shulman. This 1960 glass-and-steel home in the Hollywood Hills has come to embody the idealism of a generation in search of the American dream. As one of the Case Study Houses designed between 1945 and 1966 under the vision of John Entenza and Arts & Architecture magazine, this was an affordable yet progressive design experiment to address the postwar housing shortage. The result—a two-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot house with glass walls that disappear into a 270-degree panorama of Los Angeles—became Koenig's pièce de résistance. The Stahl House broke rules, defied building codes that discouraged building on cliffs, and expanded the possibilities of residential architecture. The glass walls blurred the boundary between indoors and outdoors. The building seemed to merge with the city itself, the lines of the structure aligning with the geometry of the city's gridded streets. "Los Angeles becomes an extension of the house and vice versa," Koenig said. "The house is just a part of the city." The book shares the never-before-told inside story by the Stahl family's adult children who grew up there and still graciously give home tours to fans from around the world. Through extensive research and interviews, historical information and personal photos are featured. This includes Buck Stahl's initial vision of the home with his own DIY schematic model for how to build on the complicated site. It also includes blueprints, floor plans, and sketches by Pierre Koenig, as well as Julius Shulman's renowned photographs. Additionally, photographs of the house used in high-end, fashion ad campaigns and film and television are also included, cementing The Stahl House's prominence in contemporary culture.

Includes eight main essays as well as contributions from Elizabeth A.T. Smith, this volume documents the Case Study House Progam, carried out between 1945 and 1966 where 36 experimental prototype houses were built by leading Californian architects.

Born and raised in Vienna, Richard Neutra (1872 1970) came to America early in his career, settling in California. His influence on post-war architecture is undisputed, the sunny climate and rich landscape being particularly suited to his cool, sleek modern style. Neutra had a keen appreciation for the relationship between people and nature; his trademark plate glass walls and ceilings which turn into deep overhangs have the effect of connecting the indoors with the outdoors. Neutra ability to incorporate technology, aesthetics, science, and nature into his designs him recognition as one of Modernist architecture greatest talents.

This text is a journey through the shapes and colours, forms and functions of design history in the 20th century. It contains an A-Z of designers and design schools, which builds into a complete picture of contemporary living.

Since the popular Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit of 1989, Blueprints for Modern Living, much attention has been paid to the pioneering work done by the architects of the Case Study Program. With the catalogue for that exhibit long out of print, this study remains the definitive work on the project. Sponsored by John Entenza's Arts & Architecture magazine, the Case Study Houses program brought new thinking, techniques, and materials to post-war California house building. Contains the work of Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, Craig Ellwood.

Though they are best known to the general public for their furniture, the husband and wife duo of Charles and Ray Eames were also forerunners in the fields of architecture, industrial design, photography, and film. This book covers all aspects of their career.--From book jacket.