Elizabeth A. T. Smith – författare

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.

The Case Study House program (1945–1966) was an exceptional, innovative event in the history of American architecture and remains to this day unique. The program, which concentrated on the Los Angeles area and oversaw the design of 36 prototype homes, sought to make available plans for modern residences that could be easily and cheaply constructed during the postwar building boom. The program’s chief motivating force was Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza, a champion of modernism who had all the right connections to attract some of architecture’s greatest talents, such as Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eero Saarinen. Highly experimental, the program generated houses that were designed to redefine the modern home, and had a pronounced influence on architecture—American and international—both during the program’s existence and even to this day. TASCHEN brings you a retrospective of the entire program with comprehensive documentation, brilliant photographs from the period and, for the houses still in existence, contemporary photos, as well as extensive floor plans and sketches.

The Case Study House program (1945–66) was an exceptional, innovative event in the history of American architecture and remains to this day unique. The program, which concentrated on the Los Angeles area and oversaw the design of 36 prototype homes, sought to make available plans for modern residences that could be easily and cheaply constructed during the postwar building boom.The program’s chief motivating force was Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza, a champion of modernism who had all the right connections to attract some of architecture’s greatest talents, such as Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eero Saarinen. Highly experimental, the program generated houses that were designed to redefine the modern home, and thus had a pronounced influence on architecture—American and international—both during the program’s existence and even to this day.TASCHEN brings you a monumental retrospective of the entire program with comprehensive documentation, brilliant photographs from the period and, for the houses still in existence, contemporary photos, as well as extensive floor plans and sketches.

Mid-century California wasn’t just a place, it was a mecca for ambitious architects who envisioned new ways of living. Four devotees—two Austrians, one Swiss, and a Midwesterner of Irish-Austrian descent—journeyed to California’s sun-drenched climes, inspired by the raw beauty of the landscape and attracted by clients with deeper pockets and broader horizons, in every sense. This book celebrates their transformational work. Richard Neutra designed homes where glass walls dissolved boundaries between interior and exterior, combining lyrical modernism with total meticulousness—he was known for asking his clients to fill out detailed questionnaires. R. M. Schindler, his lifelong friend and rival, extolled an expressive style he called “space architecture,” using warm materials, complex shapes, and striking colors.Albert Frey saw the Californian landscape as a blank canvas for his “desert modernism,” crafting sleek, elemental structures sympathetic to Palm Springs’ rocky terrain. Committed iconoclast John Lautner eagerly tackled difficult sites, upon which he conjured multilevel living spaces, using pioneering materials and panoramic expanses of plate glass. Meanwhile, the Case Study House program sought to democratize modernism—inviting talents like Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Eames, and Pierre Koenig to create elegant, efficient, replicable homes to meet the urgent needs of a postwar world. This collection celebrates the achievements and influence of these important pioneers who saw a future where innovation harmonized with nature and who made California a blueprint for modern living.