The Case Study Houses
The Case Study Houses were a series of experimental prototype homes designed and built in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine, the Case Study House program was an ambitious effort to develop innovative designs for modern, mass-produced housing that were affordable and practical for post-World War II America. The program commissioned leading architects of the day, including Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Craig Ellwood, to design and build houses that would showcase new ideas and technologies for residential construction.
A total of 36 houses were built as part of the Case Study House program, with most of them located in Southern California. The houses were designed to be simple, functional, and adaptable to different sites and climates, and they incorporated many of the principles of modernist architecture, such as an emphasis on open floor plans, the use of glass and steel, and a connection to the outdoors. Today, many of the Case Study Houses are considered architectural landmarks and are protected as historic sites. They continue to be a source of inspiration for architects and designers interested in the development of modern, mass-produced housing.
There are several Case Study Houses that are particularly well known and have become iconic examples of modernist architecture. Some of the most famous Case Study Houses include:
Case Study House #22, also known as the Stahl House, designed by architect Pierre Koenig. Located in the Hollywood Hills, the Stahl House is one of the most iconic and photographed Case Study Houses, and is known for its dramatic cantilevered design and sweeping views of the Los Angeles skyline.
Stahl House
Case Study House #8, also known as the Eames House, designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Located in the Pacific Palisades, the Eames House is a small, minimalist dwelling that is notable for its innovative use of prefabricated steel components and its integration into the surrounding landscape.
Eames House
Case Study House #9, also known as the Entenza House, designed by Richard Neutra. Located in Pacific Palisades, the Entenza House is a spacious, open-plan dwelling that is known for its use of glass and its connection to the outdoors.
Case Study House #9
Case Study House #16, also known as the Bailey House, designed by Craig Ellwood. Located in Pacific Palisades, the Bailey House is a sleek, modernist residence known for its clean lines and use of industrial materials.
Case Study House #16
These Case Study Houses are considered some of the most significant and influential examples of modernist residential architecture and continue to be admired and studied by architects and design professionals around the world.
