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The Case Study houses that made Los Angeles a modernist mecca

Mapping the homes that helped to define an era

Los Angeles is full of fantastic residential architecture styles, from Spanish Colonial Revival to Streamline Moderne. But the modernist Case Study Houses , sponsored by Arts & Architecture and designed between the 1940s and 1960s, are both native to Southern California and particularly emblematic of the region.

The Case Study series showcased homes commissioned by the magazine and designed by some of the most influential designers and architects of the era, including Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra, and Pierre Koenig. The residences were intended to be relatively affordable, replicable houses for post-World War II family living, with an emphasis on “new materials and new techniques in house construction,” as the magazine’s program intro put it.

Technological innovation and practical, economical design features were emphasized—though the homes’ scintillating locations, on roomy lots in neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and the Hollywood Hills , gave them a luxurious allure.

With the help of photographer Julius Shulman , who shot most of the homes, the most impressive of the homes came to represent not only new styles of home design, but the postwar lifestyle of the booming Southern California region.

A total of 36 houses and apartment buildings were commissioned; a couple dozen were built, and about 20 still stand in the greater Los Angeles area (there’s also one in Northern California, a set near San Diego, and a small apartment complex in Phoenix). Some have been remodeled, but others have been well preserved. Eleven were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Here’s a guide to all the houses left to see—but keep in mind that, true to LA form, most are still private residences. The Eames and Stahl houses, two of the most famous Case Study Houses, are regularly open to visitors.

As for the unconventional house numbering, post-1962 A&A publisher David Travers writes that the explanation is “inexplicable, locked in the past.”

Case Study House No. 1

J.R. Davidson (with Greta Davidson) designed this house in 1948 (it was actually his second go at Case Study House No. 1). It was intended for “a hypothetical family" with two working parents and was designed to require "minimum maintenance.”

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Case Study House No. 2

Case Study House No. 2 was designed in 1947 by Sumner Spaulding and John Rex. Arts & Architecture wrote that the home’s layout “achieves a sense of spaciousness and flexibility,” with an open living area and glass doors that lead out to adjoining terraces.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samuel Dematraz (@samueldematraz) on Oct 28, 2018 at 1:07am PDT

Case Study House No. 7

Case Study House No. 7 was designed in 1948 by Thornton M. Abell. It has a “three-zone living area,” with space for study, activity, and relaxation/conversation; the areas can be separated by sliding panels or combined.

Eames House (Case Study House No. 8)

Legendary designer couple Charles and Ray Eames designed the Eames House in 1949 and even Arts & Architecture seemed kind of blown away by it. The home is built into a hillside behind a row of Eucalyptus trees on a bluff above Pacific Palisades. It's recognizable by its bright blue, red, and yellow panels. The Eameses lived in the house until their deaths. It’s now open to visitors five days per week, though reservations are required.

Entenza House (Case Study House No. 9)

The Entenza House was built in 1949 and designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen for Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza. According to the magazine, “In general, the purpose was to enclose as much space as possible within a reasonably simple construction.”

Case Study House No. 10

Case Study House No. 10 was designed in 1947 by Kemper Nomland. The house is built on several levels to mold into its sloping site. Recently restored, the home sold to Kristen Wiig in 2017.

Case Study House No. 15

Designed by J.R. Davidson in 1947, Case Study House No. 15 has south walls made of huge glass panels. Its flagstone patio and indoor floor are at the same level for that seamless indoor-outdoor feel. According to the magazine, the floorplan “is basically that of another Davidson house, Case Study House No. 11,” which has been demolished.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samuel Dematraz (@samueldematraz) on Nov 15, 2018 at 6:13am PST

Case Study House for 1953

Craig Ellwood’s Case Study House for 1953 is usually numbered as 16 in the Case Study series . It has a modular steel structure and “the basic plan is a four-foot modular rectangle.” But the interior walls stick out past the exterior walls to bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. The Bel Air house hit the market in November with a $3 million price tag.

Case Study House No. 17 (A)

Case Study House No. 17 (A) was designed by Rodney Walker in 1947. A tight budget kept the house at just 1,560 square feet, “but more space was gained through the use of many glass areas.” The house also has a large front terrace with a fireplace that connects the indoor living room fireplace. The house has been remodeled .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Case Study House #17, 1947 (@casestudy17) on Jun 11, 2016 at 2:20pm PDT

Case Study House No. 17 (B)

Case Study House No. 17 (B) was designed in 1956 by Craig Ellwood, but “governed by a specific program set forth by the client.” Ellwood took into account the clients' collection of contemporary paintings and made the living room “purposely undersized” to work best for small gatherings. The house was extensively remodeled in the sixties by Hollywood Regency architect John Elgin Woolf and his partner, interior designer Robert Koch Woolf.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BAUKUNST™ El Arte de Construir (@i_volante) on Aug 13, 2017 at 4:42pm PDT

West House (Case Study House No. 18 [A])

Case Study House No. 18 (A) was designed by Rodney Walker in 1948. The house is oriented toward the ocean, but set back from the cliff edge it sits on to avoid noise issues. As A&A says, "High above the ocean, the privacy of the open south and east exposures of Case Study House No. 18 can be threatened only by an occasional sea-gull." The house features a "bricked garden room" separated from the living room by a two-sided fireplace.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CaseStudyHouse18A (@casestudyhouse18a) on Oct 6, 2018 at 8:44pm PDT

Fields House (Case Study House No. 18 [B])

Case Study House No. 18 (B) was designed by Craig Ellwood in 1958. Ellwood didn’t attempt to hide that the house was prefabricated (the magazine explains that he believed “that the increasing cost of labor and the decline of the craftsman will within not too many years force a complete mechanization of residential construction methods”). The components of the house, however, are “strongly defined with color: ceiling and panels are off-white and the steel framework is blue.” According to A&A' s website, the house has been remodeled.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MCM Daily (@dc_hillier) on Oct 29, 2018 at 8:32pm PDT

Case Study House No. 20 [A])

This two-bedroom house was meant “to serve young parents who find they can afford just that much,” according to architect Richard Neutra’s description. He also wrote that he used several different kinds of natural wood in the house.

Bass House (Case Study House No. 20 [B])

The Bass House was designed in 1958 by Buff, Straub, and Hensman for famed graphic designer Saul Bass. It's “unique in that it was based upon the experimental use of several prefabricated Douglas fir plywood products as part of the structural concept,” including hollow-core plywood vaults that covered the central part of the house.

Case Study House No. 21

Pierre Koenig designed Case Study House No. 21 in 1958. It was originally completely surrounded by water, with a walkway and driveway spanning the moat at the front door and carport, respectively. The house was severely messed with over the years, but restored in the ’90s with help from Koenig.

Stahl House (Case Study House No. 22)

Pierre Koenig's Stahl House , designed in 1960, is probably the most famous house in Los Angeles, thanks to an iconic photo by Julius Shulman . The house isn't much to look at from the street, but its backside is mostly glass surrounding a cliff's-edge pool. Tours are available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday—but book well ahead of time, as they sell out quickly.

Case Study House for 1950

The unnumbered Case Study House for 1950 was designed by Raphael Soriano. It's rectangular, with living room and bedrooms facing out to the view. However, in the kitchen and eating areas, the house “turns upon itself and living develops around a large kitchen-dining plan opening upon a terrace which leads directly into the living room interrupted only by the mass of two fireplaces.” According to A&A 's website, the house has been remodeled.

Frank House (Case Study House No. 25)

The two-story Frank House was designed by Killingsworth, Brady, and Smith and Associates in 1962 and it sits on a canal in Long Beach. A reflecting pool with stepping stones leads to its huge front door and inside to an 18-foot high courtyard. The house sold in 2015 with some unfortunate remodeling .

Case Study House No. 28

Case Study House No. 28 was designed in 1966 by Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman. According to the magazine, “the architects were asked to design a house that incorporated face brick as the primary structural material to demonstrate its particular advantages.” They came up with a plan for two symmetrical wings joined by glass galleries.

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Combined Shape .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} SMS Main navigation Things to Do Attractions & Tours Arts & Culture Outdoors & Wellness Shopping Budget Family Hidden Gems Luxury Pet-Friendly Eat & Drink Bars Clubs Dine LA Restaurant Week Restaurants Business Spotlight Find Events Itineraries Where to Stay Celebrate LA Heritage AAPI Heritage Black LA Latino Heritage LGBTQ+ Tourist Information Meetings About LA Tourism Travel Trade Membership Business Spotlight Media Research Careers Today's must read Hidden Gems of Los Angeles Log in × LOVE LA? WE ❤️ YOU BACK! Register to unlock exclusive content, discounts, tickets and access to the very best of LA now.

Marion Davies House - Annenberg Beach House

The site that is currently known as the Annenberg Community Beach House was originally a five-acre oceanfront property belonging to William Randolph Hearst and his mistress, Marion Davies. The lavish compound was designed in the Georgian Colonial-style by architects Julia Morgan and William Flannery and featured a three-story main house, three detached guest houses, servants' quarters, dog kennels, tennis courts and two swimming pools. The legendary parties held at the compound during Hearst and Davies’ tenure had guest lists that often numbered in the thousands. Luminaries such as Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, Winston Churchill, and Gloria Swanson all spent time at the massive estate at one time or another.

The site operated as the popular Sand & Sea Club for decades, then sat vacant and boarded up for years until the city of Santa Monica announced plans to renovate and reopen it as a public beach facility. Renowned philanthropist Wallis Annenberg donated $27.5 million to the cause. During the renovation, all of the remaining original structures from the Hearst days were demolished, except for a 110-foot Italian marble swimming pool and one of the guest homes, now known as the Marion Davies Guest House . The Annenberg Community Beach House opened to the public in April 2009. The site is open daily and is also used as a special events/wedding venue and filming location.

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences

The only Richard Neutra-designed house that is now open regularly to the public, the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a Silver Lake hidden gem that was built by the famed architect in 1932. He ran his practice out of a studio here, and along with his wife Dione, raised three sons in this house, which he designed to demonstrate that Modernist principles could be enjoyed by less affluent clients, while maintaining privacy. Natural light, glass walls, patios and mirrors are hallmarks of the Neutra VDL House. Tours of the property, given by Cal Poly Pomona architecture students, are offered on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In January 2017, the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The U.S. Department of the Interior press release describes Neutra as "a nationally and internationally seminal figure of the twentieth century Modern movement in architecture" and the VDL Research House as "the only property where one can see the progression of his style over a period of years and is among the key properties to understanding the national significance of Richard Neutra.”

Schindler House

When this residential house was built by Vienna-born Rudolf Schindler back in1922 - inspired by a recent trip to Yosemite with his wife - it was extremely unconventional at the time for a place to live. In reality, it was meant to be a cooperative live-work space between two families, much like a camp site. Having been the residence of the Schindlers and then other creatives, this WeHo hidden gem is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday as an architectural center.

Stahl House

The Stahl House (aka Case Study House #22) was designed by architect Pierre Koenig and built in 1959. Perched in the Hollywood hills above the city, the Stahl House is an icon of Mid-Century Modern architecture. A 1960 black and white photograph by Julius Shulman, showing two women leisurely sitting in a corner of the house with panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling glass walls, is one of the most famous architectural photos in history and a quintessential Los Angeles image. In 2016, TIME named Shulman's photo one of the 100 Most Influential Images of All Time .

The Stahl House was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #670 in 1999. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) listed the Stahl House as one of the top 150 structures on its "America's Favorite Architecture" list, one of only 11 in Southern California, and the only private residence on the list. The Stahl House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Discover LA Newsletter

8 Famous Midcentury Homes You Can Actually Tour

The simple, rational homes designed by the illustrious architects of the 1950s and ’60s define the era’s values, aesthetics, and lifestyle. The impact of midcentury icons like Philip Johnson’s Glass House and the Eames House is hard to overstate, and more easily understood when experienced in person. As preservation efforts continue across the country, famous homes are increasingly opening as house museums. Read on for the eight residences at the top of our list.

Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts

Walter Gropius designed his residence in Lincoln, Massachusetts, after fleeing Germany’s Third Reich regime for a teaching position at Harvard.

Designed by famed architect and founder of the Bauhaus school Walter Gropius, the Gropius House in Massachusetts was completed in 1939. Gropius and his wife fell in love with rural New England and opted to design and build their family home in the countryside instead of in Boston or Cambridge. The home incorporates traditional elements of New England architecture—wood, brick, and fieldstone—with distinctly modern forms, technology, and materials like glass block, chrome banisters, a rectilinear shape, and acoustical plaster. Inside, visitors will find the family’s possessions still in place, from furniture designed by Marcel Breuer to pieces designed by Gropius himself while leading the Bauhaus. The house is run by Historic New England and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday. 

The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut

Philip Johnson's Glass House is in fact one building out of 14 that sit on the 49-acre property, each with their own approach to structure, geometry, siting, and proportion.

Designed between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson , The Glass House is a campus of multiple buildings on a 49-acre landscape. The 14 structures include the famed Glass House, completed in 1949, which functioned as Johnson’s residence until his death in 2005 and is noted for its minimal structure, geometry, proportion, and use of glass to achieve transparency and reflection (as well as its close resemblance to Mies van der Rohe’s 1947-1951 Farnsworth House, also included in this list). Other buildings on the property include the Brick House, the solid counterpart to the Glass House, a studio, and a painting gallery, among others. The home is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and tours of the site are available to the public in May through November. 

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Abiquiu, New Mexico

Visitors can take a trip to Georgia O'Keeffe's former home and studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico, and get a sense of the landscape and surroundings that inspired her.   

Open to the public since 1997, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which has cared for and preserved O’Keeffe’s home and studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico, since 2003, offers the unique experience to see and experience the residence and surroundings that inspired the influential and significant artist. Although the compound was originally constructed in the Spanish Colonial-era, O’Keeffe purchased it in 1945 and supervised its restoration that was carried out by her friend Maria Chabot; its interiors are simple and sparsely decorated, speaking to the influence of Modernist aesthetics. The site is only open to the public for tours by appointment, and can be visited along with one other of O’Keeffe’s former homes and residences. 

Manitoga in Garrison, New York

Manitoga, or Dragon Rock, was the residence of industrial designer Russel Wright and is filled with design details that incorporated nature, including rooms with boulders rising from the floors and a tiered layout that worked with the natural topography.

Manitoga is the former residence of American industrial designer Russel Wright , and is comprised of a house, studio, and 75-acre quarried landscape. With the help of architect David Leavitt, Wright realized Dragon Rock, the name given to the home; both shared an influence and interest in Japanese design and together incorporated nature and natural elements into the house and studio through siting, scale, structure, intimacy, and details. Approached from below, the house sits on a dramatic landscape created by a former limestone quarry; the home is open to the public seasonally. 

The Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana

The Miller House and Garden features a custom-made sofa in the open-plan living area designed by Saarinen with textiles by Girard. The home was widely published and is in part credited for the popularity of conversation pits in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Miller House and Garden, completed in 1953, is a one-of-a-kind showcase of the work of architect Eero Saarinen , designer Alexander Girard, and landscape architect Dan Kiley at a single residence. Originally designed for the family of J. Irwin Miller, a local industrialist and philanthropist, the home features an open floor plan with several custom built-in pieces of furniture—such as one of the earliest conversation pits —that was clad in bold textiles designed by Girard. The geometric gardens include a dramatic allée of honey locust trees, and the home is open to the public for a 90-minute tour. 

Eames House in Los Angeles, California

The Eames House, also known as Case Study House #8, is on Chautauqua Drive in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California.

As one of the most iconic private residences in American midcentury design, the Eames House was completed in 1949 to serve as the home and studio for the husband-and-wife partnership of Charles and Ray Eames . Also known as Case Study House No. 8, the landmark residence was commissioned by the magazine Arts & Culture as part of their program for architects to design progressive, affordable, and modest homes in Southern California. The home’s exterior is comprised of glass and painted metal panels in a grid steel, and was recognized for its bold use of color and functional interior layout. The historic house museum is maintained by the Eames Foundation and is open to the public by appointment. 

Duplex at Modulightor in New York City

246 East 58th Street was designed by Paul Rudolph in 1989 and is the only residence designed by Rudolph that is currently open to the public.

Although technically not a midcentury building, the Duplex at Modulightor is the only New York City residence designed by noted architect Paul Rudolph that is open to the public and features many of the motifs, materials, and concepts evident in much of his work. Completed in 1989, the building was designed as a residence and commercial building to house Modulightor, the lighting company Rudolph founded with Ernst Wagner. The fifth and sixth floors of the building were added in 2007-2015 by a former Rudolph employee and were based on Rudolph’s early sketches for an unbuilt nine-story building. Today, the building serves in part as the headquarters of the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation is open for Foundation events and for tours by appointment.

The Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois

The Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois, was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a retreat for client Dr. Edith Farnsworth.

Located about two hours outside of Chicago, the Farnsworth House was completed in 1951 by famed architect Mies van der Rohe and is considered one of his most significant and influential works. Consisting of an almost puritanical, transparent facade of glass propped up on thin, white I-beams, the home is an essay on Mies’ struggles to perfect modernist ideals of minimalism and structural expression. Although the home has been subject to flooding from a nearby river near which it was intentionally sited, mitigation efforts have allowed it to remain open to the public seasonally from April through November.

Related Reading: 

Design Icons: 24 Modern Architects and Designers That Have Shaped Our World

10 Classic Midcentury Pieces That Will Never Go Out of Style

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Bailey House (Case Study House #21)

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The Case Study House Program drew up 36 sets of plans for low-cost, modernist houses from some of the greatest midcentury architects. Some were never built, others were demolished, and of those left standing, most are tucked away on private property or behind invite-only events and exorbitant admission fees.

That makes it all the more amazing that you can visit Pierre Koenig's Bailey House (Case Study House #21) for free and on a whim (walk-ups are welcome, though appointments are preferred). You can thank Seomi International , for that. The gallery, which uses the house as its showroom, represents seven Korean designers as well as one Portuguese artist. The contemporary furniture, painting and sculpture installations offer a contrast to the modernist house while still feeling right at home. The pieces on view change every three months, as if you even needed another reason to return to this handsome Hollywood Hills retreat.

While Koenig's hilltop  Stahl House (Case Study House #22) gets all of the attention, this home, its immediate predecessor, is stunning in its own right. The steel and glass house is incredibly light, in both presence and luminance. Its distinguishing feature is water; a system of ponds—which catch water from a rooftop cooling system of sorts—flank the exterior while a fountain marks the center. Nearly all of the walls, both opaque interior and glass exterior, slide open to let in that sweet, sweet Hollywood Hills air.

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Southern California’s Case Study Homes Reimagined Modern Living, and Remain Relevant Today

“they introduced us to a better way of living,” one expert says, the case study houses were experiments in american residential architecture., newsletter sign-up, daily briefing.

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On a Friday afternoon in the spring, a small group wandered below a canopy of towering eucalyptus trees in an idyllic and sun dappled Southern California yard. The Pacific Ocean below sparkled a dazzling shade of blue, birds chirped and sang overhead, and cheerful bright orange poppies blanketed a nearby hillside embankment.

The crowd was here to take a self-guided tour of the Eames House, an architectural marvel of glass and steel, built by Charles Eames and his wife, Ray, in the late-1940s. The couple moved into the property on Christmas Eve 1949, and continued to live and work there for more than a quarter century until their deaths. In 2004, the couple’s step-daughter, who then owned the house, gave it as a gift to the non-profit Eames Foundation, which she founded in part to protect it. In 2006, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The house, situated on a Pacific Palisades bluff, north of Santa Monica and south of Malibu, is “unselfconscious,” “created in its own little world, screened all around by trees, foliage and hills,” which serve as a “shock absorber,” according to the description of the property in the December 1945 issue of Arts & Architecture magazine. It was here that the Eames House was introduced as part of the magazine’s famed Case Study Houses program, for which publisher John Entenza commissioned major architects of the day to design and build affordable and efficient model homes meant to address the mid-century housing boom and serve as a template for how returning GIs and their families wanted to live after World War II.

Between 1945 and 1966, 36 homes were designed and 25 were built—most of them in Los Angeles. The Eames House—Case Study House #8—is one of two that has nonprofit status, and is eagerly toured by architecture buffs from around the world. The other is Pierre Koening’s iconic Stahl House—Case Study House #22—which overlooks the city’s expanse from a point of remove in the Hollywood Hills.

More : Los Angeles Case Study House Finds Buyer

Of the 23 homes that remain, three were demolished over the years, and another four were renovated past the point of recognition. The 16 Case Study Houses that remain in close-to or in their original forms, designed by architecture greats including Craig Ellwood and Richard Neutra, are owned and lived in by private individuals, and traded at a premium every time they change hands.

But why are these homes that were meant to be affordable, and cater to an average American family, now worth millions? The answer to that question is multi-layered.

There’s the architecture itself, and the style that was introduced as part of the Case Study program—modest in scale, modern and easy to live in, with a harmony between indoor and outdoor spaces, an abundance of natural light, and a type of open-floor plan that’s still in demand today.

Floor to ceiling windows in Case Study House #18.

Then there’s the land, handpicked decades ago because it was so good, with views of the ocean or mountains, flat lots, with a connection to nature, that is now near-impossible to find in an increasingly dense and urban L.A.

And finally, more than anything, they’re traded at a premium because over time, they have been elevated to become exceedingly rare classic works of art.

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“This limited edition of homes will never be expanded—and will, in fact, likely diminish—because one will be destroyed somehow,” said Billy Rose, president of the L.A.-based real estate firm The Agency, who sold Case Study House #20A for $12.5 million in 2016. “There is some intrinsic value to that.”

And unlike in Europe or other parts of the world, where such rare and valued art might stay in a family for generations, in California, where the average person moves every four years, that isn’t the case, said Frank Langen, a realtor with Deasy Penner Podley, who listed Case Study House #18 in April 2018 for $10 million. “Everything is for sale in Southern California,” Mr. Langen said, "even the architecture.”

Art You Can Live In

One Case Study property that is considered functional art, not shelter, according to Mr. Rose, is Case Study House #21B, which sold in February for $3.26 million. Situated on an “A” lot in a Hollywood Hills canyon, the experimental and minimalist Pierre Koenig-designed property, which is also known as the “Walter Bailey House,” was originally designed for a childless couple, and is just 1,280 square feet.

Case Study House #21 was designed by American architect Pierre Koenig.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, the property was bought by film producer Allison Sarofim from art gallerist P.J. Park in February. During the 12 years that Mr. Park owned the house, he occasionally used it as an outpost for his Seomi International Gallery, hosting art shows and exhibitions in the space, said Andy Butler, marketing director for Compass Realty’s Aaron Kirman Partners group, who represented the seller in this sale.

More:   British House Inspired by California Case Study Houses Hits Market

At that price—over $3 million and close to $3,000 per square foot for what is essentially a one-bedroom apartment—“it’s almost like buying a Picasso,” Mr. Butler said. “Buyers of this type of home typically have tens of millions of dollars’ worth of art in their private collection, of which this home is now part.”

As part of an art collection, owners of Case Study Homes don’t often live full-time in the property, but rather reside in a much larger space. Or if they do choose to live in it full time, it is “for a moment in their life,” Mr. Butler said. “People want to live in the art—to have parties there, and other architects come through—but they probably wouldn’t do that for any length of time because they are used to and can afford much more space.”

The Case Study Premium

Once it’s clear why Case Study Homes are worth so much, the question becomes: Are they worth more than other similar mid-century homes designed by Case Study architects because of that label? Mr. Langen, who sold a non-Case Study home designed by Craig Ellwood, would say yes—pointing to #21B as a reason why.

Known as “The Smith House,” the property that he sold this summer, was completed in 1958, and is located in the architecturally significant Brentwood community of Crestwood Hills. At 1,500 square feet, with an additional 530 square feet of outdoor deck space, it is larger than the Koenig house, yet, at $2.3 million, sold for almost $1 million less. “Mine was arguably a better house,” he said, “in a better location.” While the market did go down in the six months between the sales, at least part of the premium, he said, is based on the Case Study name.

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Mr. Butler agreed. “The Case Study Program name definitely adds something extra,” he said.

But sometimes, that price premium can be made less clear by outside factors, like the addition of a second home to a Case Study lot.

This happened to two of the three Case Study Homes that are located on lots adjacent to the Eames House on that Pacific Palisades bluff. For the first—Case Study House #20A, which was designed by Richard Neutra and previously owned by the late-“Simpsons” TV series co-creator, Sam Simon—there is a second, much larger (almost 9,000-square-foot) house on the lot. Mr. Rose sold the pair together in 2016 for $12.5 million, and notes that the high price wasn’t for the Neutra home alone. But the second property may have negatively impacted a price-per-square-foot premium. “The other house kind of saddled the Case Study program home,” Mr. Rose said, adding that he thinks they would have gotten a larger premium if they could have separated #20A out. “The other house just wasn’t as sympathetic, or harmonious, with the land.”

The second Pacific Palisades home with an additional much larger house on the lot is #9, which was designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, and is known as the “Entenza House.” As you walk up a long driveway to the Eames House, you can see the Entenza House to your left, and the two-story Barry Berkus behemoth that was built on the lot and blocks the Case Study Home’s view. Together, the pair sold for $15.95 million in 2012.

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“If you’re studying architecture, you learn about the Eames House, which is timeless, and perfectly integrates the home with nature,” Mr. Langen said. “But then right next to it is the Berkus house, which is the only home on that plot that you can see from down on the beach. It serves as a sort of antithesis to the Case Study program.”

The final Pacific Palisades lot houses Case Study House #18. This Rodney Walker-designer property, known as “West House,” was listed in April 2018 for $10 million, and is currently being leased by a long-term renter for $20,000 per month.

Case Study House #18 was listed for $10 million.

At just over 1,700 square feet, #18 is somewhat larger than the other Case Study Homes. But the current $20,000 per month lease price is significantly higher than what it is worth, Mr. Langen said, adding that, “if it wasn't a Case Study house, there is no reason it should rent for more than $7,000 per month.” Even if you tack on an extra $5,000 per month for the exquisite ocean views, that still leaves $8,000 per month left of value that in part can be attributed in part to the Case Study name.

When it was listed for $10 million, Mr. Langen said much of that cost was for the land, as there is plenty of room to build on the half-acre lot. But because #18 is landmarked and can’t be torn down, Mr. Langen said he has to wait for the right buyer. “Design sensibility and money don’t always go hand in hand,” he said. “It’s definitely a small market.”

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Case Study House #18's current lease price is significantly higher than what it is worth, according to the property's listing agent.

An Enduring Legacy

While Case Study Homes are rare, and the ones that remain no longer cater to the “average American,” for which they were intended, their impact on affordable housing, private buildings and public community spaces is clear, said architect Michael Bohn, senior principal and design director at Studio One Eleven, a Southern California-based firm known for progressive, urbanist architecture.

“That first group of Case Study architects established the outdoors as being important on both a city-scale and an individual building-scale,” he said, “which has been embraced by architects everywhere.”

When trying to address the affordable housing problem in Southern California by building more dense, mixed-use projects, architects know that it’s important to have, “ample daylight and connectivity to the outdoors—if not through a private yard, then through a private courtyard, that a lot of people can use at one time,” he said. “All of our projects embrace the ideas of community and authenticity and indoor-outdoor harmony.”

Additionally, as was the impetus of the Case Study Homes, affordability is often pursued by using new materials and new construction technologies, such as shipping containers, modular housing and new types of timber construction, as glass and steel were first used in residential design as part of the post-World War II program.

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Beyond affordable housing, the principles of modernism introduced by the Case Study program, including the push to strip away the unnecessary and ornamental, including baseboards and moldings that you might find in “Old World” homes, like Tudors, and Mediterraneans, and focus on building homes that are functional and utilitarian, has also endured at all price points.

“If you drive through Palm Springs or the Bird Streets in Beverly Hills today, you see the effect of the Case Study Houses everywhere,” Mr. Butler said.

Mr. Rose agreed. “I typically get three to six calls every year from real estate agents who say, ‘I’ve got a client looking for a Case Study Home. Do you know anyone building one?’” he said, with a laugh. “But what their client is really looking for is a contemporary or modern home with indoor-outdoor harmony.”

Seventy years after their introduction, “Case Study” is now shorthand for that, Mr. Rose said, and for good reason. “They introduced us to a better way of living,” he said, “and a much better lifestyle.”

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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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LA’s Iconic Case Study Houses (Finally!) Make National Register

• Written by Karissa Rosenfield
• Published on August 22, 2013

Ten of Los Angeles ’ Case Study Homes have been deemed historically significant an worthy of being included on US’s National Register of Historic Places . Despite the Los Angeles Conservancy’s belief that all of them deserve “equal preservation protections,” the 11th home was not included due to “owner objection.”

The Case Study Houses spawned from a post-WWII residential experiment, presented by the Arts & Architecture magazine in 1945, which introduced modern movement ideas for affordable and efficient housing. The homes - designed by the likes of Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, Eero Saarinen and others - redefined the modern home. And, with the help of Julius Shulman, placed Los Angeles as an epicenter for mid-century modernism.

The 11 homes included on the register are:

Los Angeles County Case Study House #1, 10152 Toluca Lake Ave., Los Angeles Case Study House #9, 205 Chautauqua Blvd., Los Angeles Case Study House #10, 711 S. San Rafael Ave., Pasadena Case Study House #16, 1811 Bel Air Rd., Los Angeles Case Study House #18, 199 Chautauqua Blvd., Los Angeles Case Study House #20, 2275 N. Santa Rosa Ave., Altadena Case Study House #21, 9038 Wonderland Park Ave., Los Angeles Case Study House #22, 1635 Woods Dr., Los Angeles

San Diego County Case Study House #23A, 2342 Rue de Anne, La Jolla, San Diego (determined eligible) Case Study House #23C, 2339 Rue de Anne, La Jolla, San Diego

Ventura County Case Study House #28, 91 Inverness Rd., Thousand Oaks

A selection of photos from the Case Study Homes can be found here .

References: LAist , Curbed Los Angeles

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Explore two stunning Case Study Houses Case Study House #8 -- The Eames House (exterior only with interior visable through large open doorways) Designed, built and lived in by the world renowned mid-century designers, Charles and Ray Eames. Case Study House #22 -- The Stahl House (interior & exterior) The iconic family home featured in countless films, television shows and advertisements. Mid-century modern enthusiasts travel from all over the world to view just one of these houses. This is your opportunity to experience both homes with a uniquely qualified guide. Andrew Edelstein has been a docent for the Eames Foundation for the past three years and is the only person to give tours at The Stahl House (that is not a member of the Stahl family). With Andrew as your guide, you will delve into the fascinating stories of living in a Case Study House as well as hearing about the history of the Case Study House Program. Includes transportation and refreshments. …

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The view alone is worth the visit... The house wraps around the pool in an L shape...the layout accentuates the million dollar views from both bedrooms and living space You will feel like you are in a Dwell magazine photo shoot as soon as you step into the property (Written by husband)

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My three friends and I booked this tour as part of a birthday surprise outing for one of our friends. I had often seen this house in photos and was thrilled that we were able to see this lovely home in person. We booked a sunset tour on a spectacularly clear day in Los Angeles. The views were wonderful as well as the ability to walk around, throughout the property as the changing light from sunset to evening transpired. It was magical to watch the city lights appear and to imagine what life what like for the family who lived here. I highly recommend this fun tour and would further recommend taking the evening time to do this tour. Andrew was our tour guide. We enjoyed all the interesting inside stories he shared. I have shared a post on my blog about the visit for anyone interested in seeing some photos of the changing light on the day we visited the Stahl house. Giving this tour a thumbs up. Lots of fun to see the home. http://followbarbsbliss.blogspot.com/2012/03/stahl-case-study-house-22.html

I was given the Case Study House Tour as a birthday gift. What a great gift! I had walked through the mock-up of the Stahl house created for the show on mid-city modern aesthetics at the Temporary Contemporary several years ago. I thought I had pretty much experienced the real thing. Not so! The key to this house is the location. The glass walls makes the airliner view of the L.A. basin part of the design. The experience of being there is almost as dramatic as the different experiences of looking at architectural renderings--floor plans and elevations--and then of walking into the built structure. I enjoyed the mock-up. I was stunned by the real house. Having Mrs. Stahl and the youngest son there made it even more real. Visiting the Eames home and studio was impressive in a different way. I was disappointed we didn't get to go inside, BUT, again, the big surprise was the relationship of the house to the site. I don't think that any photo or book or video conveys how incredibly appropriate these two kinda Mondrian-abstract-appearing structures are to this Pacific-overlooking site. I had never really thought of this as anyone's HOME. The tour changed my opinion. My first surprise was the startling juxtaposition of the homey decor (think FLW's comments about the hearth, enclosure) to the austere glass and siding. Then, even from outside, it was clear the glass walls served as huge, barely framed landscape "paintings." But, of course, the "paintings aren't naturmort; the site makes it clear that this is raw nature just outside. The minimal landscaping accentuates this reaction. So, just as at the Stahl house, the big revelation was experiencing the site, the house as part of the place. The guide told several interesting anecdotes about Ray and Charles Eames that, again, made the experience of being there even more vivid.. What was it like to LIVE in these incredible homes, to be the people for whom these home were built? Want to experience these homes intimately, directly? Take the tour and find out!

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Nationally recognized historic home to be bequeathed to La Jolla Historical Society

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A house in La Jolla’s Hidden Valley neighborhood described as “the most important single-family home in the La Jolla community” will one day become the property of the La Jolla Historical Society.

In a celebration Sept. 18 to welcome new Historical Society Executive Director Lauren Lockhart and bid farewell to her predecessor, Heath Fox , the announcement was made that upon the deaths of the current homeowners, Nancy, Joseph and Pamela Manno, Case Study House 23C will be gifted to the Historical Society.

“Of all the announcements I’ve made as executive director, this is the last and by far the most important,” Fox told the gathering.

The house, at 2339 Rue de Anne, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places , one of only four houses in La Jolla with such designation.

Fox later told the La Jolla Light that the Historical Society currently does not possess any properties besides its gallery and office location, known as Wisteria Cottage. The hope is to use Case Study House 23C as “an educational and cultural resource for the community of La Jolla, the people of San Diego, the state of California and indeed the nation that has honored it on the National Register of Historic Places,” Fox said. Plans for how that will be done haven’t yet been decided.

“We hope it will be a long time [before we own the house], and we will use that time to do due diligence and look at best practices and the other models of what people have established to make the resource available to the community and to people who are in architecture and design and want to visit and learn from the house,” Fox said.

The Manno family has lived in the house since Nancy and Joseph bought it in 1974.

Speaking for the family, daughter-in-law Pamela said: “Case Study House 23C is a quiet masterpiece. It exemplifies the harmonious relationship between art, architecture and nature. It is a peaceful place that invokes mindful thought, creativity and well-being for our family. We consider ourselves to be stewards of the house and are confident the La Jolla Historical Society is committed to continuing the stewardship. We believe bequeathing Case Study House 23C to the La Jolla Historical Society will ensue the preservation of this special place while educating communities on the significance of historical architecture and art preservation.”

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The Case Study House program, which ran from 1945 to 1966, was established by John Entenza, editor and publisher of Los Angeles-based Arts & Architecture magazine. Through the program, major architects of the day were commissioned to design prototype single-family homes in the modern style to test new ideas and concepts of plan, form and materials, Fox said.

“The goal was to represent models that could quickly and efficiently be used in residential development to address the postwar housing shortage,” Fox said. “The program became immensely influential in architectural design, and that is true right down to the present day.”

Through the program, 36 buildings were designed. Among them, 24 houses and one apartment building were constructed, mostly in the Los Angeles area.

The only project in San Diego County consisted of the three houses that make up Case Study House 23 — 23A, 23B and 23C, dubbed “The Triad.” The houses are next to one another on Rue de Anne. House 23C was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 . House 23A is considered eligible for the National Register. House 23B has been renovated to the point that it is no longer eligible.

“The essence and spirit of the whole historic preservation movement was in the hearts of Nancy and Joseph long before this house was listed on the National Register,” Fox said. “And this is the Manno family legacy, one of invested, thoughtful and committed stewardship. Although we hope it is many years away, when the day comes that ownership of Case Study House 23C passes to the La Jolla Historical Society, the Manno family legacy of stewardship will come with it. This is a responsibility I know the La Jolla Historical Society will embrace with enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication. To Nancy, Joseph and Pamela for your faith, trust [and] confidence in our organization as the inheritors of your legacy, we are humbly and sincerely grateful.” ◆

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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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Man accused of molesting 13-year-old girl on carnival cruise.

Chris Gothner , Digital Journalist

MIAMI – An Indiana man is facing charges in South Florida after police accused him of molesting a teenage girl on a Carnival cruise.

Police arrested Jason LeFavour, 44, of Indianapolis, on Friday after the Carnival Conquest returned to PortMiami.

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According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, LeFavour walked past the 13-year-old on the ship’s third deck and “grabbed her left buttocks with his hand” just before 9 p.m. Thursday.

“The victim disclosed that she felt an aggressive hit, prompting her to turn around and request security assistance,” police wrote in an arrest report.

Authorities said they were able to identify LeFavour as the suspect through “investigative means.”

Police said during an interview, LeFavour told detectives “he did not remember his actions at the time of the incident due to him being intoxicated.”

Authorities arrested him on a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child.

Miami-Dade court records show that LeFavour was released on a $2,500 bond after a judge found probable cause to charge him.

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Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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West House (Case Study House #18)

The most unique feature of Case Study House #18 is a double-sided fireplace that faces the living room on one side and the garden room on the other.

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• Rodney A. Walker

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Case Study House #18, also known as the West House, was constructed on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Pacific Palisades. It was the first of four adjacent houses on Chautauqua Boulevard that were built under the auspices of Arts & Architecture magazine’s Case Study House program; within two years, the neighboring Case Study Houses #8 , #9 , and #20 were completed.

Designed by Rodney Walker and completed in 1948, the 1,600 square foot West House contains a living-dining room, garden room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and two baths.

Walker oriented the public areas to take full advantage of tremendous ocean views by employing floor-to ceiling-glass panels.

The house was built with wood framing set at three-foot intervals, which also assisted in economy and efficiency in the building process. The most unique interior feature of the dwelling is a large floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace faced with copper that dominates the living room and around which the roof is raised to 11 feet to accommodate clerestory windows. The fireplace is double sided with one side facing the living room and the other facing the garden room. A number of the glass walls are sliding panels opening to outdoor terraces.

This site has unobstructed views on the south and east, with the principle view to the south to take advantage of light and warmth. The west elevation features floor-to-ceiling glazing for unobstructed views of the ocean.  

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Final Rule: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3

• 42 U.S.C. §7401 - 7671q
• 40 CFR Parts 86, 1036, 1037, 1039, 1054, 1065
• EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0985

On this page:

Rule summary, rule history, additional resources.

• Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commercial Trucks & Buses
• Regulations for Smog, Soot, and Other Air Pollution from Commercial Trucks & Buses

Para información en español, haga clic aquí .

On March 29, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” that sets stronger standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty (HD) vehicles beginning in model year (MY) 2027. The new standards will be applicable to HD vocational vehicles (such as delivery trucks, refuse haulers, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle, school buses, etc.) and tractors (such as day cabs and sleeper cabs on tractor-trailer trucks).

The final “Phase 3” standards build on EPA’s Heavy-Duty Phase 2 program from 2016 and maintain that program’s flexible structure, which is designed to reflect the diverse nature of the heavy-duty vehicle industry. The standards are technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing each manufacturer to choose what set of emissions control technologies is best suited for them and the needs of their customers.

• Final Rule: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles -Phase 3 (pdf) (8.5 MB, pre-publication, signed March 2024)
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• Fact Sheet: Final Standards to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Heavy-Duty Vehicles for Model Year 2027 and Beyond (pdf) (185.2 KB, March 2024, EPA-420-F-24-018)
• Fact sheet in Spanish: Normas finales para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de los vehículos pesados modelos del año 2027 y posteriores (pdf) (191.6 KB, March 2024, EPA-420-F-24-019)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards Regulatory Impact Analysis (pdf) (14.2 MB, March 2024, EPA-420-R-24-006)
• Response to Comments: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Phase 3 (pdf) (16 MB, March 2024, EPA-420-R-24-007)
• Redline Version of EPA’s Final Regulation for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Phase 3 (pdf) (6.5 MB, April 2024)
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House Republican budget calls for raising the retirement age for Social Security

WASHINGTON — A new budget by a large and influential group of House Republicans calls for raising the Social Security retirement age for future retirees and restructuring Medicare.

The proposals, which are unlikely to become law this year, reflect how many Republicans will seek to govern if they win the 2024 elections. And they play into a fight President Joe Biden is seeking to have with former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party as he runs for re-election.

The budget was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee , a group of more than 170 House GOP lawmakers, including many allies of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Apart from fiscal policy, the budget endorses a series of bills “designed to advance the cause of life,” including the Life at Conception Act, which would aggressively restrict abortion and potentially threaten in vitro fertilization , or IVF, by establishing legal protections for human beings at “the moment of fertilization.” It has recently caused consternation within the GOP following backlash to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that threatened IVF.

The RSC, which is chaired by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., counts among its members Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his top three deputies in leadership. Johnson chaired the RSC from 2019 to 2021; his office did not immediately respond when asked about the new budget.

For Social Security, the budget endorses "modest adjustments to the retirement age for future retirees to account for increases in life expectancy." It calls for lowering benefits for the highest-earning beneficiaries. And it emphasizes that those ideas are not designed to take effect immediately: "The RSC Budget does not cut or delay retirement benefits for any senior in or near retirement."

The new budget also calls for converting Medicare to a "premium support model," echoing a proposal that Republican former Speaker Paul Ryan had rallied support for. Under the new RSC plan, traditional Medicare would compete with private plans and beneficiaries would be given subsidies to shop for the policies of their choice. The size of the subsidies could be pegged to the "average premium" or "second lowest price" in a particular market, the budget says.

The plan became a flashpoint in the 2012 election, when Ryan was GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate, and President Barack Obama charged that it would "end Medicare as we know it." Ryan defended it as a way to put Medicare on better financial footing, and most of his party stood by him.

Medicare is projected to become insolvent in 2028, and Social Security will follow in 2033. After that, benefits will be forcibly cut unless more revenues are added.

Biden has blasted Republican proposals for the retirement programs, promising that he will not cut benefits and instead proposing in his recent White House budget to cover the future shortfall by raising taxes on upper earners.

The RSC budget also presents a conundrum for Trump, who has offered shifting rhetoric on Social Security and Medicare without proposing a clear vision for the future of the programs.

Notably, the RSC budget presents three possible options to address the projected insolvency of the retirement programs: raise taxes, transfer money from the general fund or reduce spending to cover the shortfall.

It rejects the first two options.

"Raising taxes on people will further punish them and burden the broader economy–something that the spend and print regime has proven to be disastrous and regressive," the budget says, adding that the committee also opposes "a multi-trillion-dollar general fund transfer that worsens our fiscal situation."

That leaves spending cuts.

The RSC budget launches blistering criticism at "Obamacare," or the Affordable Care Act, and calls for rolling back its subsidies and regulations that were aimed at extending insurance coverage.

Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

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The dangers of health care workers reporting self-managed abortions to law enforcement

Rafa Kidvai, director with If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund, tells theGrio that surveillance of people of color “is not just an accident.”

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Abortion rights advocates fear women, especially those from marginalized communities, will stop seeking medical care due to health care workers alerting law enforcement about patients who have self-managed abortions.

The practice will scare women “from feeling like they can confide in and share information with their doctors” who are there to “help them and take care of them,” Lauren Johnson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, told theGrio.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a self-managed abortion takes place when an individual terminates a pregnancy usually by nontraditional means such as taking medication, using vitamins, herbs, alcohol, or other toxic substances. They are often carried out by individuals experiencing obstacles to abortion care, including people of color, those in low-income communities, and people living in either abortion-restrictive states or in areas located near medical facilities.

Rafa Kidvai, director of If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund, told theGrio some people are “reticent to talk to medical providers and get the medical treatment that they need because they cannot trust the people who can meet their needs.”

If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund recently worked on a case where Lizelle Gonzalez, a Texas resident, was charged with murder over a self-managed abortion. Gonzalez took misoprostol, an abortion drug usually paired with mifepristone , to terminate her pregnancy at 19 weeks.

Gonzalez was treated at a local hospital and was discharged after experiencing abdominal pain. She visited the hospital the next day and doctors performed a caesarian section to deliver a stillborn baby.

The doctors tipped off the district attorney’s office about Gonzalez’s self-managed abortion, which then led to the murder charges that were later dropped.  

Under Texas state law, a pregnant person cannot be criminally prosecuted for carrying out their own abortion.

Johnson of the ACLU told theGrio that since a self-managed abortion is not a “criminal act” the doctors in this case should not have informed law enforcement of Gonzalez’s abortion.

Johnson added that circumstances that require a doctor to report to law enforcement by law are “very narrow.”

Gonzalez alleges in the lawsuit that due to the arrest, spending two days in jail and after feeling the impacts of the media covering her case, she suffered harm.

Clarifying how media coverage can harm those accused of a crime, Kidvai of If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund said, “Oftentimes information from the prosecutor’s office or law enforcement is leaked to the media in order to shape the public narrative of the case.”

“That shaping is never to be trusted,” added Kidvai. “Lizelle’s case is highly emblematic of this exact problem … prosecutors made false representations in order to pursue her case.”

Gonzalez filed a $1 million lawsuit against Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez for erroneously charging her with murder.

In the meantime, Ramirez and the State Bar of Texas reached an agreement for the prosecutor to pay a $1,250 fine and for his law license to be placed in a probated suspension status for 12 months.

Johnson of the ACLU told theGrio that Ramirez’s punishment will not prohibit him from continuing to prosecute cases.

Kidvai said it is “devastating and terrifying” that prosecutors are not held accountable in any “real way and continue to function” despite “the amount of violence, harm, and cruelty that prosecutors are able to inflict upon communities in the name of justice.”

Gonzalez’s case took place prior to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, granting states the authority to enact their own abortion laws. Since then, many states across the nation have enacted abortion bans, including Texas, Idaho, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, that have incorporated restrictions that have disproportionately impacted women of color.

Johnson of the ACLU told theGrio that cases like Gonzalez’s “will continue to take place” across the country.

Kidvai of If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund said marginalized communities are disproportionately targeted by prosecutors and law enforcement in abortion cases because “that’s the purpose of criminalization.”

Their aim is “break apart communities and to inflict further trauma upon marginalized people,” Kidvai argued.

Kidvai added that people of color are “ surveilled in different ways.”

“Who gets reported is not just an accident. It’s not random,” Kidvai continued. “It’s about people’s biases … that lead to why people are reported in the first place.”

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Video shows diddy's house trashed after raid, calls case 'witch hunt', diddy new video shows trashed house after raid mogul calls investigation 'witch hunt'.

The army of federal law enforcement officers did a number on Diddy 's L.A. home, and the video shows clearly the mansion was turned upside down.

TMZ has obtained footage of the aftermath of Monday's raid on Diddy's Holmby Hills drawers were ripped open, belongings scattered about, documents strewn about and safes broken into.

Agents had a field day with Diddy's electronic equipment. You see pieces of computer and other equipment in pieces on the floor. It's clear agent zeroed in on hard drives, which were seized during the raid.

Diddy is now speaking out via his reps about the 2 raids, and they're claiming loud and clear ... he's being railroaded by the government.

The hip-hop mogul's attorney, Aaron Dyer , tells TMZ ... "Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated."

He adds, "Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way."

Dyer goes on ... "This unprecedented ambush -- paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence -- leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits."

Dyer underscores ... "There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."

The statement comes a day after major drama for Diddy and his inner circle -- who were under a microscope Monday as federal agents stormed his L.A. estate and his Star Island home in Miami.

As we reported ... Homeland Security agents came in armed and ready, sweeping through the grounds of his properties and hauling people out, including his two sons King and Justin .

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... agent pointed lasers at the 2 men before handcuffing them and dragging them outside the house. Neither were arrested.

TMZ has confirmed these raids pertain to a federal investigation that Diddy is at the center of -- which stems from allegations of sex trafficking, soliciting and distributing illegal narcotics as well as firearms.

It appears the feds got some of the information that led to the raids from people who recently filed lawsuits against Diddy.

At this point, we're told his movements are unrestricted. He is not charged with any crime, at least yet, and is not under arrest.

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