Your Field Guide to Visit Great Architecture

Case Study houses - Architecture and Buildings to Visit

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The Case Study houses were commissioned over a twenty year period from the mid-1940's to the mid-1960's and were conceived originally as prototype low cost houses using standardized, mass-produced components. Later with the growth of prosperity and full employment during the 1950's the houses began to reflect the needs of an increasingly affluent middle class. . When the first six houses were opened to the public in 1946-7 they attracted 368,554 visitors.

The architects for the Case Study Houses included a number of stablished professionals such as Richard Neutra but most were relatively young and unknown. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Sarinen were just beginning their careers. Younger still were Craig Ellwood and Pierre Koenig.

All the houses were technologically innovative. Sometimes the innovation was in the structure as in the steel framing of Ellwood's Miesian houses and sometimes in the use of building materials.

Best known and most influential of the early Case Study Houses was House number 8 by Charles and Ray Eames. Next door House number 9 designed by Eames and Eero Saarinen for John Entenza contrasted strongly with the Eames House [number 8]. Craig Ellwood, clearly inspired by Mies' Farnsworth House, designed three Case Study Houses number 16 [1952-3], 17 [1954-5] and 18 [1956-8]. Pierre Koenig, dedicated to the use of steel, not just for framing but also for internal cladding designed House Number 21 [1958] and 22 [1959-60]. As a final example, in 1959-60 Edward Killingsworth designed the very elegant House Number 23 'Triad' at La Jolla California.

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History, Background and Context

List of designs

#1: Julius Ralph 'J.R.' Davidson, 1945-48. 10152 Toluca Lake Ave, North Hollywood. Built two years after publication.
#2: Sumner Spaulding and John Rex, 1945-47. 857 Chapea Rd, Pasadena (listed as Chapman Woods/Arcadia in some references).
#3: William W. Wurster and Theodore Bernardi, 1945-49. 13187 Chalon Rd, Los Angeles (Mandeville Canyon).
#4: "Greenbelt House", Ralph Rapson, 1945. Unbuilt. Redesigned in 2003 as the prefab Rapson Greenbelt due to Dwell Magazine Green Belt House .
#5: "Loggia House", Whitney R. Smith, 1945. Loggia House (unbuilt)
#6: "Omega", Richard Neutra, 1945. #6 Omega House (unbuilt)
#7: Thornton Abell, 1945-48. 634 N. Deerfield Ave, San Gabriel.
#8: "Eames House", Charles and Ray Eames, 1945-49. 203 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades.
#9: "Entenza House", Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, 1945-49. 205 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades. Remodeled.
#10: Kemper Nomland and Kemper Nomland Jr., 1945-47. 711 San Rafael Ave, Pasadena.
#11: Julius Ralph 'J.R.' Davidson, 1945-46. 540 S. Barrington Ave, West Los Angeles. First to be built. House has been moved or demolished.
#12: Whitney R. Smith, 1946. Unbuilt
#13: "Alpha", Richard Neutra, 1946. Unbuilt
#14: Skipped for unknown reasons
#15: Julius Ralph 'J.R.' Davidson, 1947. 4755 Lasheart Dr, La Cañada Flintridge.
#16: Rodney Walker, 1946-47. 9945 Beverly Grove Drive, Beverly Hills. Demolished. Another exists in Louisville , KY and two replicas have been built from original plans by Walker's sons.
# 17: Rodney Walker, 1947. 7861 Woodrow Wilson Dr, Los Angeles.
# 17: Craig Ellwood, 1947. 9554 Hidden Valley Road, Beverly Hills.
# 18: "West House", Rodney Walker, 1947-48. 199 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades.
# 19: Don Knorr, #19, 1947. Unbuilt
# 20: "Bailey House", Richard Neutra, 1947-48. 219 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades.
# 20: "Bass House", C. Buff, C. Straub, D. Hensman, 1958. 2275 Santa Rosa Ave,Altadena.
# 21: Pierre Koenig, 1958-1960. 1958. 9038 Wonderland Park,Los Angeles Case Study House

1950: Raphael Soriano, 1950. 1080 Ravoli Dr, Pacific Palisades. Remodeled beyond recognition. 1950
1953: Craig Ellwood, 1952-53. 1811 Bel Air Rd, Bel-Air. 1953

Note: Numbers 17-21 were assigned twice for reasons unknown.

#17: Craig Ellwood, 1954-55. 9554 Hidden Valley Rd, Beverly Hills. Remodeled beyond recognition.
#18: "Fields House", Craig Ellwood, 1956-58. 1129 Miradero Rd, Beverly Hills. Remodeled beyond recognition.
#19: Don Knorr, 1957. Unbuilt.
#20: "Bass House", Buff, Straub & Hensman, 1958. 2275 N. Santa Rosa Ave, Altadena.
#21: Pierre Koenig, 1958. 9038 Wonderland Park Ave, West Hollywood.
#22: "Stahl House", Pierre Koenig, 1959-60. 1635 Woods Dr, West Hollywood.
#23: "Triad A", Killingsworth, Brady & Smith, 1959-60. Rue de Anna, La Jolla.
#23: "Triad B", Killingsworth, Brady & Smith, 1959-60. Rue de Anna, La Jolla.
#23: "Triad C", Killingsworth, Brady & Smith, 1959-60. Rue de Anna, La Jolla.
#24: A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons. Unbuilt
#25: "Frank House", Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Assoc., 1962. 82 Rivo Alto Canal, Long Beach.
#26: "Harrison House", Beverley "David" Thorne, 1962-63. San Marino Dr, San Rafael.
#27: Campbell and Wong, 1963. Unbuilt
#28: Buff & Hensman, 1965-66. 91 Inverness Rd, Thousand Oaks.

Apartments:

#1: Alfred N. Beadle and Alan A. Dailey, 1963-64. 4402 28th St, Phoenix.
#No. 2: Killingsworth, Brady & Smith, 1964. Unbuilt