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 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.
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.
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“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.
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.
