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The Eames House (also known as Case Study House No. 8) is a landmark of mid-20th century modern architecture located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was designed and constructed in 1949 by husband-and-wife Charles and Ray Eames to serve as their home and studio.

It was one of roughly two dozen homes built as part of The Case Study House Program. Begun in the mid-1940s and continuing through the early 1960s, the program was spearheaded by John Entenza, the publisher of  Arts & Architecture magazine. It was developed to address a looming issue: a housing crisis. Millions of soldiers would be returning from the battlefields of World War II, and were wanting to start families. John Entenza recognized that houses needed to be built quickly, inexpensively, yet without sacrificing good design. In a challenge to the architectural community, the magazine announced that it would be the client for a series of homes designed to express man’s life in the modern world. These homes were to be built and furnished using materials and techniques derived from the experiences of the Second World War. Each home was designed with a real or hypothetical client in mind, taking into consideration their particular housing needs.

Click here to see their design brief more clearly from the December 1945 issue of Arts & Architecture .

First Design: Bridge House (unbuilt)

The first plan of the Eameses’ home, known as the Bridge House, was designed in 1945 by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen. The design used pre-fabricated materials ordered from catalogues, a continuation of the idea of mass-production. The parts were ordered and the Bridge House design was published in the December 1945 issue of the magazine, but due to a war-driven shortage, the steel did not arrive until late 1948.

While they were waiting for delivery, Charles and Ray picnicked in the meadow with family and friends, flew kites and did archery.  By then, Charles and Ray had “fallen in love with the meadow,” in Ray’s words, and they realized that they wanted to avoid what many architects had done: destroy what they loved most about a site by building across it.

Second Design: Eames House

Charles and Ray then set themselves a new problem: How to build a house that would 1) not destroy the meadow and trees, and 2) “maximize volume from minimal materials”.  Using the same off-the-shelf parts, but notably ordering one extra steel beam, Charles and Ray re-configured the House. The new design integrated the House into the landscape, rather than imposing the House on it. These plans were published in the May 1949 issue of Arts & Architecture .  It is this design that was built and is seen today.

Charles and Ray moved into the House on Christmas Eve, 1949, and lived there for the rest of their lives.  The interior, its objects and its collections remain very much the way they were in Charles and Ray’s lifetimes.  The house they created offered them a space where work, play, life, and nature co-existed.

While many icons of the modern movement are depicted as stark, barren spaces devoid of human use, photographs and motion pictures taken at the Eames house reveal a richly decorated, almost cluttered space full of folk art, thousands of books, shells, rocks, prisms, etc. The Eameses’ gracious live-work lifestyle continues to be an influential model.

The House has now become something of an iconographic structure visited by people from around the world.  The charm and appeal of the House is perhaps best explained in the words of the Case Study House Program founder, John Entenza, who felt that the Eames House “represented an attempt to state an idea rather than a fixed architectural pattern.”

Help us share the Eameses’ joy and rigor with future visitors, so they may have a direct experience of Charles and Ray’s approach to life and work.

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The Stahl House by Pierre Koenig | Case Study House #22

Perched on the Hollywood Hills with a commanding view of Los Angeles, the Stahl House, also known as Case Study House #22, is a paragon of mid-century modern architecture. Designed by Pierre Koenig and completed in 1960, this residence is an architectural masterpiece and a symbol of a particular era in Los Angeles, characterized by a burgeoning optimism and a new approach to residential design.

The Stahl House Technical Information

• Architects 1 : Pierre Koenig
• Location: 1636 Woods Drive, Los Angeles , California , United States
• Topics: Mid-Century Modern Houses
• Area: 210 m 2 | 2,300 ft 2
• Project Year: 1959-1960
• Photographs: Various, See Caption Details

If you don’t know the Stahl House, then you don’t know mid-century modern architecture. – Julius Shulman 3

The Stahl House Photographs

A Vision of Glass and Steel

The journey of the Stahl House began in 1954 when Buck Stahl purchased a lot that was considered unbuildable. His vision was clear—a home that embraced its surroundings with vast expanses of glass to capture the sprawling cityscape. In 1957, Koenig, known for his proficiency with industrial materials, was commissioned to realize this vision. The result was a structure of steel and glass that was both minimalistic and expressive.

Design and Layout

Koenig’s design was a masterclass in the use of industrial materials in residential architecture. The house is distinguished by its “L” shaped plan, separating public and private spaces through a simple yet effective layout. Large, 20-foot-wide panes of glass form the majority of the walls facing the view, offering unobstructed panoramas of Los Angeles.

The design also cleverly incorporates the landscape into the living experience. The swimming pool, positioned between the wings of the house, not only serves as a physical buffer separating the living spaces but also as a visual corridor to the city beyond.

I design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown. – Pierre Koenig 2

Iconic Status and Architectural Significance

Julius Shulman’s photography cemented the Stahl House’s iconic status. In a series of images that have become synonymous with mid-century modern architecture, Shulman captured the essence of the house. These photographs highlight the house’s integration with its surroundings and open, transparent design.

The Stahl House was included in the Case Study House program, which aimed to reimagine residential architecture post-World War II. Case Study House #22 became an influential model showcasing the possibilities of modernist aesthetics in suburban settings.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Over the years, the Stahl House has transcended its role as a private residence to become a cultural landmark. It has been featured in numerous films, commercials, and fashion shoots, each time underscoring its timeless appeal and architectural significance.

Despite its fame, the house remains a family-owned property, preserved as the Stahls left it. The family offers tours, allowing architecture enthusiasts to experience the space and its spectacular views firsthand.

The Stahl House Plans

The Stahl House Image Gallery

About Pierre Koenig

Pierre Koenig was a pioneering American architect, born on October 17, 1925, in San Francisco. Renowned for his influential contributions to mid-century modern architecture, Koenig is best known for his work in the Case Study House program, particularly the iconic Case Study House #22, or Stahl House. His designs emphasized industrial materials like steel and glass, integrating buildings seamlessly into their environments while promoting sustainability through the use of prefabricated materials. A long-time professor at the University of Southern California, Koenig’s legacy continues to influence architectural practices and education. He passed away on April 4, 2004, leaving behind a significant impact on the landscape of Southern California architecture.

Notes & Additional Credits

• Client: Buck Stahl
• Case Study Houses by Elizabeth A. T. Smith
• Modernism Rediscovered by Julius Shulman
• Pierre Koenig: Living with Steel by Neil Jackson

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What are Case Study Houses and why are they so important?

Case Study House #8 (Eames House) designed by legends of the design world Charles and Ray Eames

Los Angeles is renowned for its fantastic motley of architectural styles. Every road might offer anything from a ranch-style pad to a Victorian cottage, a Mediterranean revival house to a Craftsman family home. What I was there to see on a recent trip, though, were the city's iconic mid-century modern houses, and particularly the iconic Case Study Houses built between 1945 and 1966. Honked and nudged by LA drivers unused to British politeness, I made my way down Sunset Boulevard. With built up shops and flats down a neon-flashing thoroughfare, I couldn't comprehend how I would possibly come across the airy, Modernist houses I'd heard so much about. Turn off the main stretch though, and you'll quickly find yourself ascending through jasmine and eucalyptus-scented streets and into the Hollywood Hills, which play host to some of the most important mid-century modern houses in America.

The Case Study House Program stands as one of the most iconic architectural endeavours of the mid-20th century. Initiated by Arts & Architecture magazine editor John Entenza in 1945, the program aimed to address the post-World War II housing boom in the United States caused by the return of millions of soldiers by creating affordable and efficient model homes. These experimental homes were designed by some of the era’s most forward-thinking architects, including Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Pierre Koenig.

The Hollywood Hills play host to several Case Study houses - along with the leafy suburb Pasadena. The style has been hugely influential, infusing the architecture of many of the hillside houses built since the mid-20th century.

The vision behind the Case Study House Program was ambitious: to create modern homes that could be easily replicated for the American middle class. The program emphasised the use of new materials and techniques developed during the war, which promised efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The homes were to be innovative, flexible, and reflective of contemporary lifestyles.

With 36 prototype designs, the Case Study House program aimed to house thousands of Americans in modern, functional homes. The prefabricated nature of the houses (meaning they were largely or partially built before being taken to site – think flat-pack houses) were intended to make the building process streamlined and affordable.

The program was successful in defining California's architectural vernacular and mid-century design globally, with architects still using the prototype plans to create reproductions of the Case Study houses. But the roll-out program was not hugely effective, and only around 24 of the 36 prototypes were built – 20 of them in LA , plus one in Northern California, an apartment complex in Phoenix and one near San Diego. The steel-framed single-family homes which were in great demand after the war turned out to be less popular than predicted, and the wooden-frame home model continued as the norm for developers. High inflation and low supply also meant the houses quickly became unaffordable for the masses – exactly the market the scheme was intended for. Today the houses are deemed as exceptional slices of history, and (ironically) sell for millions.

A Bigger Splash 1967 © David Hockney - Tate, which is on display currently as part of Tate Britain’s free collection.

These Modernist houses were designed by architect Richard Neutra around 1965 on a hillside Los Angeles. Though not Case Study houses themselves, Neutra was one of the most significant contributors to the scheme.

As with so many architectural phenomenons, what started as a practical solution has now become celebrated and enshrined as emblematic of a historical period. The houses are also, as I found out on my slalom through the hills, beautiful and striking in their own right.

A major difference between the Case Study houses from the designs that came before them was the open-plan nature. Following a period of social change and emancipation, families were beginning to prioritise open-plan living as opposed to separating the kitchen (and therefore the women) away from the living space. The houses also often included sleek, built-in furniture, which reduced costs for families moving in, and made them instantly liveable. Stylistically this was very different from pre-war interior design, where free-standing furniture would have been essential.

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The balmy Los Angeles climate was also considered, with plenty of integration of indoor and outdoor spaces through modern porches. The architects all used glass, steel and concrete as their central building materials, all of which are recognisable hallmarks of the mid-century modern movement. Though they may not have used the term ‘sustainable’ in the era, architects often used efficient materials and cross-ventilation in their buildings. Charles and Ray Eames were particularly keen to “maximise volume from minimal materials," according to the Eames Foundation .

Several houses from the program have achieved iconic status, including Case Study House #8 (Eames House) designed by legends of the design world Charles and Ray Eames. The pair are perhaps most famous for their contribution to the furniture world, particularly in the creation of the iconic reclining Eames Chair. This Case Study house, which still remains in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles, is still celebrated for it's joyful take on the brief, featuring Bauhaus-inspired flats of colour in a simple steel and glass frame.

“The house would make no demands for itself and would serve as a background for life in work, with nature as a shock absorber," Charles said of the house . Despite these claims, the house is certainly more than a ‘background,' with flocks of fans continuing to visit the colourful construction (now a National Historic Landmark) today.

Though I glimpsed swathes of houses clearly inspired by the mid-century movement, I only managed to get into Case Study House #22 or Stahl House. Designed by Pierre Koenig in 1960, the Stahl House is perhaps the most famous of all, known for its dramatic glass walls and breathtaking views of Los Angeles. It epitomises the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living with its jutting roof that extends over a shaded poolside area. When I think of iconic LA houses, this one stands out. In fact it's not dissimilar to the Modernist house in Hockney's most famous work A Bigger Splash, painted in 1967. Like many of the Case Study structures, Stahl House is precariously balanced on a typical LA hillside (for maximum views, sunlight and privacy, among other factors) and a new residence at the base of this particular hill puts the house at risk. Many are now calling for its protection which, given its significant place in architectural history, feels deeply necessary.

Drawings for one of two Pierre Koenig designs for a Case Study House

The Case Study House Program had a profound impact on the trajectory of American residential architecture. It challenged conventional notions of home design and demonstrated that modernist principles could be applied to create beautiful, liveable, and affordable homes. While not all the houses were built, as I drove through the hills, begrudging my past self for not forking out for a soft-top, you can see the indelible mark the scheme has left on the architectural landscape of Los Angeles.

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The Mid-Century Fairytale of LA’s Case Study Houses

Featured image credit: mbtrama

It’s not often that we get to witness experiments in architecture while they’re in motion. Yet, that’s exactly the experience case study houses offer. Arts & Architecture magazine challenged notable architects to create affordable homes to address the U.S.’s residential housing boom. With World War II finally coming to an end, millions of soldiers were returning home to start families or pick up where they’d left off. The need for new housing was crucial. Arts & Architecture funded the experiment which ran just over two decades from 1945 until 1966. While one of the homes was built in Northern California and another in Phoenix, Arizona, most were erected in the Southern California region. Today, we take a closer look at this innovative moment in California’s housing history. 

The Mid-Century Fairytale of Case Study Houses

It’s safe to say that the project piqued the public’s curiosity, drawing over 350,000 visitors to the initial six houses revealed in 1948. But Arts & Architecture did what it could to bring the case study houses to the Americans who couldn’t make the pilgrimage themselves. 

The magazine regularly featured the completed homes in its pages, often supported by the keen eye of photographer Julius Shulman. Working in moody black-and-white, Shulman brought a classiness to his legendary shots of the forward-thinking domiciles. Furthermore, having specialized in architectural photography, Shulman fit naturally into the ambitious project. 

Of course, his photographs benefited from the otherworldly glamor of Southern California. Homes perched proudly atop Hollywood hilltops with the stars seeming to bow at their feet. Other times, the open promises of the Pacific Ocean lapped at the perimeter while palms kissed cloudless skies. 

In a world that had recently clawed itself out of the burned out crater of a devastating war, Arts & Architecture offered a “happily ever after” that was just sensible enough to believe. Soon, the case study houses became synonymous with the aesthetic of post-war Southern California. 

Seeking Protections for SoCal’s Case Study Houses

The completed case study houses haven’t always had an easy time over the resulting decades. Some owners remodeled homes beyond recognition. Others razed them altogether.  

But in 2013, the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee petitioned to include 11 of the homes in the national registry. These homes range throughout Southern California, from Ventura to San Diego, though most stand in the Greater Los Angeles area. 

Ultimately, the National Register of Historic Places accepted ten of these homes. The 11th would have made the list as well, but the private owner requested the home not appear on the official register. However, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has protected all 11 of these case study houses since July 24, 2013.

While the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee nominated whatever case study houses they could, some didn’t make the list. They excluded extensively remodeled properties. Yet, the successful inclusion of the 11 petitioned properties paved the way to potentially include remodeled properties in the future. Additionally, the committee neglected to nominate other well-known case study homes, such as the Eames house, simply because they already appeared on the register. 

Of the 11 homes submitted for registry, eight stand in Los Angeles County. Two more are located in San Diego County and another in Ventura County. Perhaps we’ll review those at a later date in our Los Angeles Home Spotlight column. But for today, we’re going to focus on the Los Angeles County offerings to the registry. 

Case Study House #1

10152 Toluca Lake Ave, Los Angeles

Architect: j.r. and greta davidson, year completed: 1948.

Don’t let the number system fool you. Case study house #1 was not the program’s first home to be constructed. Thus, we introduce the notoriously irrational numbering system of the case study program. Even the editor of Arts & Architecture admitted there’s little to no rhyme or reason to the numbers. 

J.R. Davidson, a force in the early days of California architecture, designed this home with the assistance of his wife, Greta. Efficiency was at the heart of the architecture as the Davidsons envisioned the busy lives of two working parents. Case study house #1 would allow working families more free time by keeping daily maintenance to a minimum. 

This case study abode also introduced a series of features that became hallmarks of the program including:

• Open floor plan
• Floor-to-ceiling windows
• Keeping corridors to a minimum
• Multi-purpose rooms
• Garden access from all primary rooms
• Standardized materials (ie. concrete, plywood, and industrial glass)

Case Study House #9

205 Chautauqua Blvd, Los Angeles

Architect: charles eames and eero saarinen, year completed: 1949.

Case study home #9 is popularly recognized as the Entenza House since it was built for Arts & Architecture ’s editor and publisher John Entenza. Designers Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen challenged themselves to offer a wealth of space with simple, minimalist construction. The home, built from a steel frame and covered in wood-paneling, overlooks the Pacific Ocean from a scenic hill in Pacific Palisades. 

Case Study House #10

711 S. San Rafael Ave, Pasadena

Architect: kemper nomland and kemper nomland, jr., year completed: 1947.

This tri-level structure would have existed regardless of the case study program. That’s because it wasn’t built in response to the program. Rather, it just happened to fit many of the ideals of the program including:

• Utilization of contemporary materials
• Employing modern building techniques
• Affordable to working class Americans
• Simple construction
• Economic use of materials
• Blending of indoor and outdoor features

So, how did this unrelated structure come to be case study house #10? Just two years into the case study program, Arts & Architecture were having trouble keeping a consistent pace. Without the completion of a new house on the horizon, they needed to find a way to keep the inertia. 

So, despite the fact that Kemper Nomland and son had already built the home without regard to the program, its symbiosis found it ripe for inclusion. The Nomlands used the home’s multi-level design to fit it to a Pasadena hillside. In 2017, it sold to comedian, actress, and Saturday Night Live alum Kristen Wiig. 

Case Study House #16

1811 Bel Air Rd, Los Angeles

Architect: craig ellwood, year completed: 1953.

The designer of case study home #16 (although that number changes depending on who you ask) was one of the most prolific in the program. So, it may come as a surprise that Craig Ellwood actually had no formal design instruction. Rather, he learned what he knew through his contracting work. It was enough to place his homes not once, not twice, but three times in the case study program. 

Sadly, two of Ellwood’s designs have been remodeled beyond recognition. Thus, case study home #16 is the only remainder we have of his unique vision in relation to the program. Ellwood was noted for his propensity to use industrial materials and techniques for residential purposes. 

But, as this home illustrates, he also had a gift for blending interiors and exteriors. This Bel Air home blurs the lines between the inside and outside by stretching inner walls beyond the outer walls. 

Case Study House #18

199 Chautauqua Blvd, Los Angeles

Architect: rodney walker.

Pacific Palisades was a popular place for the case study program. Though it appears later on the list than home #8, home #18 (sometimes referred to as 18A) was the first to be completed in the area. Overlooking the tumultuous Pacific Ocean, the structure is built atop a cliff far away from the battering waves. It’s also positioned back from the cliff’s edge to reduce the roar of the sea. 

But perhaps the most notable feature of Rodney Walker’s contribution to the program is the fireplace. The floor-to-ceiling double-sided brick fireplace is shared by a living room on one side and an interior garden room on the other. Three neighboring homes, including the aforementioned #8, would join #18 in the case study program over the next few years. 

Case Study House #20

2275 N. Santa Rosa Ave, Altadena

Architect: conrad buff iii, calvin c. straub, and donald c. hensman, year completed: 1958.

While the majority of case study houses being built in the late 1950s employed steel, case study house #20 was crafted from a variety of natural woods. The design team from architectural firm Buff, Straub, and Hensman leveled a decaying estate in Altadena to bring their economical vision to life. The idea was to create a home for young parents who couldn’t afford more than the essentials. However, the home went to industrial designer Saul Bass and his biochemist wife Dr. Ruth Bass. 

Case Study House #21

9038 Wonderland Park Ave, Los Angeles

Architect: pierre koenig, year completed: 1959.

Pierre Konig was a regular contributor to the case study program with his steel framed take on residential living. It was a trend that never quite caught on, but not for his lack of trying. One of the most notable case study houses, the Stahl House (#22 for those counting at home), was a result of Koenig’s lust for steel. 

Case study house #21 was dreamt up as a model for efficient modern living with the possibility of mass production. But it was originally distinguished by a surrounding moat. The home was accessible via walkways at the front entry and carport. Though this property was extensively remodeled over the decades, Koenig returned to it in the 1990s to attempt to aid in its return to its original vision. 

Case Study House #22

1635 Woods Dr, Los Angeles

Year completed: 1960.

Easily the most iconic of the case study homes on this list, case study house #22 is reserved for Koenig’s aforementioned Stahl House. It seems to float above the Greater Los Angeles area, kissing the interminable blue sky with the corners of its flat roof. To create this effect, Koenig employed the largest piece of glass available to commercial enterprises at the time. Furthermore, Koenig worked with the cliff’s edge site instead of against it to create a piece of LA history you can visit to this day. 

The Aftermath of the Case Study Program

While the case study program aimed to build 36 examples of modern living, builders never completed (or even started) several planned homes. For example, case study house #19 would have been erected in the San Francisco Bay area. On the other hand, home #27 wouldn’t have even been in California. It was marked to be constructed in Smoke Rise, New Jersey. 

The majority of LA’s remaining case study houses are private residences, yet two remain open to public tours. The Eames and Stahl Houses can be visited by scheduling a tour through their respective websites. 

Will we ever see another age of innovation like the case study houses commissioned by Arts & Architecture magazine? It’s hard to say, but we hope it doesn’t take us another war to get there. 

Seth Styles

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The Case Study Houses: 1946-1963

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Here is a list of the 24 Case Study Houses that were built and the architects who built them.

Many of the architects who designed Case Study Houses are dead, including some of the more famous, such as Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Quincy Jones and Raphael Soriano.

A dozen are still living, and several are still in practice, including Pierre Koenig in Brentwood and Ed Killingsworth in Long Beach. Craig Ellwood lives in Tuscany, Italy, and teaches one semester a year at Cal Poly Pomona.

Whitney Smith, John Rex and Kemper Nomland Jr. have retired. Ralph Rapson, Calvin Straub and Beverly Thorne have moved from Southern California.

1946: 540 Barrington Ave., Brentwood. J. R. Davidson. The first Case Study House, since destroyed, was small but ingeniously planned, without an inch of wasted space in its innovative open plan.

1947: 857 Chapea Road, Pasadena. Spaulding & Rex. In the second Case Study House, the basic open floor plan, with the living areas separating the parents’ and children’s bedrooms, was developed as a prototype that became the standard for many following houses.

--9945 Beverly Grove Drive, Beverly Hills. Rodney A. Walker.

--7861 Woodrow Wilson Drive, Hollywood. Rodney A. Walker.

--199 Chautauqua Blvd., Pacific Palisades. Rodney A. Walker.

(These three houses, by Walker, pioneered a simplified wood-frame construction made up of standard 3-foot modules intended as a model for low-cost housing.)

--711 San Rafael Ave., Pasadena. Nomland & Nomland. Set in a picturesque eucalyptus grove, this house features a simple shed roof and long walls of glass.

--4755 Lasheart Drive, La Canada Flintridge. J. R. Davidson. This small and simple dwelling is another example of the Case Study House urge to create standard and repeatable plans for low-cost houses.

1948: 6236 N. Deerfield Ave., San Gabriel. Thornton M. Abell. A blank concrete block wall screens the house from its suburban street to create a private interior environment.

--219 Chautauqua Blvd., Pacific Palisades. Richard Neutra. This house continued the innovations Neutra had incorporated in a number of his pre-World War II two-bedroom houses, including the ground-hugging horizontal emphasis and the deep and sheltering roof overhangs.

1949: 13187 Chalon Road, Brentwood. Wurster & Bernardi. An H-shaped plan divides the living from the sleeping wings with a central porch that is also the entry.

--203 Chautauqua Blvd., Pacific Palisades. Charles Eames. The most famous Case Study House, the Eames house uses off-the-shelf industrial structural components in a style that later became known as high-tech.

--201 Chautauqua Blvd., Pacific Palisades. Eames and Saaarinen. Surprisingly restrained in its structural expression, Entenza’s own house lacks the boldness of the Eames house next door.

1950: 1080 Ravoli Drive, Pacific Palisades. Raphael Soriano. In the first study house built of steel, Soriano pioneered the standardized system he used on many later projects.

1952: 1811 Bel Air Road, Bel-Air. Craig Ellwood.

1955: 9554 Hidden Valley Road, Beverly Hills. Craig Ellwood. The house has since been altered.

1957: 1129 Miradero Road, Beverly Hills. Craig Ellwood.

(The design of the three houses above by Ellwood followed in Soriano’s footsteps with steel-framed dwellings that allowed long spans free of columns and clear interior spaces with low partition walls or storage units. The Miradero Road house has been altered.)

1958: 2275 Santa Rosa Ave., Altadena. Straub & Hensman. Adapting the standardized, factory-built systems developed for steel framing, this wood-framed home for famed designer Saul Bass is warmer in feeling than the colder steel houses.

--9036 Wonderland Park Ave., Hollywood. Pierre Koenig.

1959: 1635 Woods Drive, Hollywood. Pierre Koenig.

Koenig, like Ellwood and Soriano, was fascinated by the lightness and openness a steel frame allowed in house design, enhanced by the dramatic possibilities of perching a house on the edge of a precipice.

1960: Three houses: 2329, 2342 and 2343 Rue de Ann, La Jolla. Killingsworth, Brady & Smith. This triad of houses in the hills marked the Case Study program’s move toward planning communities as well as single-family houses. Closely grouped, the homes offer a unique insight into what an entire Case Study House neighborhood or tract might have looked like. The house at 2343 Rue de Ann has been altered.

1962: 82 Rivo Alto Canal, Naples. Killingsworth, Brady & Smith. The most urbane of all the homes, this house on one of the Naples area canals shows how a modern residential design could fit into an urban as well as a suburban environment.

1963: 177 San Marino Dr., San Rafael. David Thorne.

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Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Eames House

House tour: Architectural homes in Los Angeles

Visit these important architectural homes from some of LA's pioneering greats like Eames, Gehry and Neutra.

From tract homes to Case Study Houses, Southern California has always been at the forefront of residential home design ( even Ice Cube knows it ). Whether you’re interested in local history, celebrity digs or plain old house porn, we’ve got a spot for you. So get off the beaten museum track and check out these landmark architectural homes, all within a few mile radius and (mostly) open to the public.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Eames House

• Historic buildings and sites
• Pacific Palisades

Designing couple Charles and Ray Eames were known for their intelligence and their joie de vivre , both of which are apparent at the Eames House nestled in the Pacific Palisades. One of Southern California’s most beloved examples of modernist residential design, with its Mondrian-style color-block exterior and environmentally-sensitive siting, this home was the Eames’ residence from the time they moved in—on Christmas Eve of 1949—until their deaths in the '70s and '80s, respectively. Visitors park a couple blocks away and walk up the hilly driveway for a self-guided tour of the exterior ($10, reservations required). Interior tours are more difficult to come by: Members are invited for an appreciation day, always scheduled near the Eames’ June 20 anniversary. Anyone can book a one-hour personal tour ($275; $200 for members), but if you’re a real Eames fan, you may want to splurge on the picnic for four in the meadow ($750; $675 for members) and recreate the opening shots of the duo’s popular Powers of Ten video.

Schindler House

• Things to do
• Walks and tours
• West Hollywood

Sleeping baskets on the roof, communal kitchens and a revolving-door salon of artists. Nope, not a Burning Man camp: This is the Schindler House, designed by Austrian architect Rudolf Schindler, who built it as a dual-family residence in which his family cohabited for a time with his frenemy and fellow influential architect Richard Neutra. A quiet, Japanese-influenced concrete building hidden behind a bamboo grove on a street of condos, this experiment in living now houses the Mak Center , a Vienna-based institute that runs a fantastic program of events in the space, including experimental fashion shows, innovative performance art and concerts of new, original compositions. During the week, visitors can wander around the empty house and imagine themselves part of the freewheeling LA bohemia of the 1920s and '30s.

Lummis House (El Alisal)

• Highland Park

Where would we be without those energetic civic boosters that built Los Angeles? The prolific Charles Fletcher Lummis founded the Southwest Museum, was an editor at the Los Angeles Times , and still managed to design this house (the name of which means “the Sycamore” in Spanish) on the banks of the Arroyo Seco. Its exterior is made almost entirely from river rock and the interior is heavily influenced by Pueblo Indian dwellings. Fans of today’s DIY movement will appreciate the rustic Craftsman charm of this home, which is furnished with hand-crafted wood pieces; it’s interesting to see how closely modern-day bohemian design mirrors that of Lummis House. The Historical Society of Southern California is now headquartered here, and it holds several Sunday afternoon programs a year, as well as an annual holiday open house in December.

Hollyhock House

This 1921, Mayan-inflected Frank Lloyd Wright house was originally built as a “progressive theatrical community” space by activist and oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. Today it’s the centerpiece of Barnsdall Park and is open for tours during the park’s popular Friday night wine tasting events . Rudolf Schindler, a protégé of Wright’s, was the overseeing architect on this project (unusual for Wright, who typically was on-site for all of his buildings) and by all reports it was a contentious building process, with the same delays and cost overruns familiar to anyone who’s attempted construction. After it was completed, frequent flooding of the living room in the short yet destructive rainy season and seismic concerns prevented Barnsdall from living in the gorgeous but impractical concrete and stucco house for long—though she did spend the rest of her life in a smaller house on the property, which the family called Olive Hill.

Sam Maloof House

• Inland Empire

Master woodworker Sam Maloof and his carpenters designed and built this lovely, thoughtful home piece by piece in his on-site workshop; no two door openings are the same here, and each joint is a wonder of craftsmanship. A MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, Maloof has had his iconic rocking chairs shown at the Smithsonian; he also designed the chairs that were used on-camera at the history-changing Nixon/Kennedy debates. Visitors can see some of this furniture, as well as the wide-ranging collection of arts-and-craft pieces that he and his wife of 50 years, Alfreda, amassed together. The garden, which he tended, and the house are both open for tours; if you ask, you might be able to peek into the workshop, where he continued building until his death in 2009 at the age of 93.

Greystone Mansion

• Beverly Hills

Is the Greystone Mansion haunted ? The society that runs it certainly wants us to think so—haunted house tours and a popular interactive play capitalize on the 1929 scandal in which the owner of the mansion, oil heir Ned Doheny, died in a mysterious murder-suicide with his boyhood friend and employee. Doheny’s father was mired in the Teacup Dome Scandal at the time, and the deaths meant that he was excused from testifying; rumors also abounded that Ned, who was married with children, was trying to cover up a same-sex affair. Either way, a tour of this 55-room Tudor estate is a good way to get a glimpse into the lives of LA’s historical 1%—costly slate clads the façade and walkways, the windows are leaded glass and guests were entertained in the bowling alley and two movie theaters. When the home was finished in 1929, it cost a reported $3M, making it the most expensive private home in the city at the time.

Gamble House

• Cultural centers
• price 2 of 4

Pasadena may think it owes much of its traditional Arts and Crafts style to Charles and Henry Greene, the brothers and architects responsible for designing many of the city’s landmark buildings, but really, they should be honoring Thomas Greene, the architects’ father. He was the one who decided on their profession, sending them off to MIT and then demanding they move out to Pasadena once they graduated. No word on whether he determined their style as well, but no matter who the progenitor, this graceful house originally built for one of the heirs of the Proctor & Gamble fortune remains one of the best examples of their work. Programming at the Gamble House is exceptional—there are tours that focus on things like the art glass or the details and joinery in the house, as well as more casual events like Brown Bag Tuesday, when visitors bring their own picnic lunch to eat on the grounds, followed by a 20-minute tour. However you decide to experience it, don’t miss the remarkable zig-zag staircase, a joyous element that adds a bit of fun to the perfection of the house.

Neutra VDL Research House

• Silver Lake

The original Neutra VDL Research House, a living laboratory for architect Richard Neutra’s theories on residential design, was built for $8,000 (including the site!) in 1932; it burned down in 1963 and two years later his son oversaw the rebuilding of an updated version. Neutra was something of a control-freak as a designer—he made recommendations to his clients that included the ideal flowers to display, and would occasionally make unannounced visits to see how, exactly, people were living in his homes. This remodel retains Neutra’s clarity of vision and is still a stunner. Today, this glass-walled paragon of modern design overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir is an active part of LA’s design community and home to occasional art installations. Each Saturday, students in Cal Poly Pomona’s architecture program lead half-hour tours.

Avila Adobe

Visit this 1818 home to see what life was like in California when it was still governed by Mexico. This is the oldest standing residence in the city, built by wealthy cattle rancher Francisco Avila, whose extensive 4,439-acre land grant covered much of Beverly Hills and the Miracle Mile district. Built of tar from the La Brea Tar Pits , clay from the LA River and wood from the riverbank, this adobe structure is located near the Zanja Madre (in English, "mother ditch"), the original aqueduct that brought water to the LA River for El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles (the original name of our fair city). Though visitors only see about half of the original house, it’s well-preserved with an interesting mix of Spanish, Mission and ranchero influences.

Frank Gehry House

• Santa Monica

The neighbors love to hate it, carloads of architecture students drop by to gawk at it: This unexpected intersection of chicken wire, plywood, corrugated metal and traditional Santa Monica house is famed architect Frank Gehry’s actual place of residence. This year the AIA gave it the Twenty-Five Year Award, for a building that has stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years. Rumor has it that when Gehry had a party for his firm here, design enthusiast Brad Pitt knocked on the door and invited himself in. You probably shouldn’t do the same, but you can take it in from the outside. There are no official visiting hours or tickets, but the house is very easy to view from the street.

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Stahl House (Case Study House #22)

Immortalized by photographer Julius Shulman, the Stahl House epitomized the ideal of modern living in postwar Los Angeles.

Place Details

• Pierre Koenig

Designation

• Locally Designated

Property Type

• Single-Family Residential
• Los Angeles

Based on a recent approval by the City of Los Angeles for a new residence at the base of the hillside and below the historic Stahl House, this action now places this Modernist icon at risk. The hillside is especially fragile as it is prone to slides and susceptible to destabilization. This condition will be exacerbated as this proposed new residence is planned to cut into the hillside and erect large retaining walls.

The proposed project received approval despite opposition and documentation submitted that substantiates the problem and potential harm to the Stahl House. An appeal has been filed and the City is reviewing this now. No date has been set yet for when this might come back to the City Planning Commission.

To demonstrate your support for the Stahl House and to ensure the appeal is granted (sending the proposed project back for review), please sign on to the  Save the Stahl House campaign .

Who hasn’t seen the iconic image of architect Pierre Koenig’s Stahl House (Case Study House #22), dramatically soaring over the Los Angeles basin? Built in 1960 as part of the Case Study House program, it is one of the best-known houses of mid-century Los Angeles.

The program was created in 1945 by John Entenza, editor of the groundbreaking magazine  Arts & Architecture . Its mission was to shape and form postwar living through replicable building techniques that used modern industrial materials. With its glass-and-steel construction, the Stahl House remains one of the most famous examples of the program’s principles and aesthetics.

Original owners Buck and Carlotta Stahl found a perfect partner in Koenig, who was the only architect to see the precarious site as an advantage rather than an impediment. The soaring effect was achieved using dramatic roof overhangs and the largest pieces of commercially available glass at the time.

The enduring fame of the Stahl House can be partly attributed to renowned architectural photographer Julius Shulman, who captured nearly a century of growth and development in Southern California but was best-known for conveying the Modern architecture and optimistic lifestyle of postwar Los Angeles. Shulman’s most iconic photo perfectly conveys the drama of the Stahl House at twilight: two women casually recline in the glowing living room as it hovers over the sparkling metropolis below.

View the National Register of Historic Places Nomination

The Conservancy does not own or operate the Stahl House. For any requests, please contact the Stahl House directly at (208) 429-1058.

Issues including Stahl House (Case Study House #22)

Case Study Houses

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Case Study Houses (Basic Art)

The Case Study House program (1945–1966) was a unique event in the history of American architecture. Sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine, the program sought to respond to the postwar building boom with prototype modern homes that could be both easily replicated and readily affordable to the average American. Concentrated on the Los Angeles area, the Case Study Houses included 36 model homes commissioned from such major architects of the day as Richard Neutra, Raphael Soriano, Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, Eero Saarinen, A. Quincy Jones, and Ralph Rapson. Their criteria included “using, as far as is practicable, many war-born techniques and materials best suited to the expression of man’s life in the modern world.” The results of the program would redefine the modern home and extend influence not only across the United States but around the world. This compact guide includes all of the Case Study Houses with over 150 photos and plans, as well as a map showing locations of all sites, including those that no longer exist.

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Zaha Hadid’s Only Private Residential Project Rises Above A Russian Forest

• Written by Niall Patrick Walsh
• Published on April 10, 2018

On a hillside forest outside of Moscow , amongst 65-foot-high (20-meter-high) pine and birch trees, sits the only private house to be designed and built by Zaha Hadid in her lifetime. With a form defined by its natural surroundings, the Capital Hill Residence is divided into two components, one merging with the sloping hillside, and another “floating” 72 feet (22 meters) above ground to unlock spectacular views across the Russian forested landscape.

Like many of Zaha Hadid’s public works, the Capital Hill Residence is defined by fluid geometries emerging from the landscape. The scheme is organized into four levels, with the lower two floors housing a living room, dining room, kitchen, entertaining spaces, indoor swimming pool , and leisure facilities. The entrance foyer, library, guest room and children’s playroom occupy the first floor, while the master bedroom suites and exterior terraces on the elevated upper level emerge above the trees to take in sweeping vistas of the surroundings.

The scheme’s two main components are connected via three structural concrete columns, with a transparent glass elevator and staircase situated between two of the columns. The columns intersect the roof at the first floor, defining skylights and a double-height main entrance. The roof is supported by a double-curved cast concrete structure, serving to frame views of the forest from the living room while also dividing the living spaces.

The Capital Hill Residence is, in a way, a celebration of early visionary modernism, from expressionism through constructivism and the visual dematerialization of architecture, making it appear as something fast-moving and organic, rather than fixed and static. Including organic intricacy, complexity of spatial arrangements, and outstanding craftsmanship within its shape and form. But even more than that, it is, in the words of both architect and client, a “dream house” — as much fantasy as reality, an idea of architecture that still seems somehow impossible. -Financial Times 

News via: Zaha Hadid Architects

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• Pasadena & Environs
• For Sale in Los Angeles

Case Study House #10 hits the market in Pasadena

Newly renovated, it’s asking $2.99 million

Architecture enthusiasts, get ready for a bidding war. Pasadena’s newly updated Case Study House #10 is back on the market.

Built in 1947 and included on the National Register of Historic Places, the home was designed by father-and-son duo Kemper Nomland and Kemper Nomland Jr. and included in the influential Case Study program sponsored by Arts and Architecture Magazine .

The homes designed during the program’s long run shaped the development of modern architecture and made Los Angeles a key center of the movement.

This particular residence is the only Case Study house constructed in Pasadena . It last sold in 2012 and shortly after received a thorough restoration . The home’s owners received a Historic Preservation Award from the city of Pasadena in 2015.

The 3,425-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, along with an open living and dining room area that flows into the kitchen. The entire residence has been thoroughly updated since it last sold and the kitchen and bathrooms have been equipped with contemporary appliances and fixtures.

Other interior features include hardwood floors, pitched ceilings, and walls of glass and sliding doors providing natural light and easy outdoor access. The airy living room is centered around an impressive, pillar-like brick fireplace.

The house sits on a 15,989-square-foot lot, with a grassy lawn, plenty of patio space, terraced gardens, and a swimming pool and spa.

Asking price is $2.99 million.

• 711 South San Rafael Avenue [Cynthia Luczyski, Lauren Luczyski | Deasy/Penner & Partners]

Next Up In For Sale in Los Angeles

• Koreatown Craftsman With Lots of Hand-Carved Woodwork Asks $1.5M
• Tiny 1920s Bungalow Near Dodger Stadium Asks $699K
• Sun-Dappled Mid-Century Bungalow Asks $899K in Highland Park
• Mid-Century Lodge With Ocean and Canyon Views Asks $4.8M in Topanga
• 1930s Spanish-Style Home With Original Tile Asks $1.4M in Los Feliz
• Hilltop home made of redwood and glass asking $2.4M in Sherman Oaks

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