Case Study Houses

Modernism to the masses: Pioneering designs for affordable postwar homesThe Case Study House program (1945–1966) was a unique event in the history of American architecture. Sponsored byArts & Architecture magazine, the program sought to respond to the postwar building boom withprototype 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 asRichard Neutra, Raphael Soriano, Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, Eero Saarinen, A. Quincy Jones, andRalph 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 Houseswith over 150 photos and plans, as well as a map showing locations of all sites, including those that no longer exist.About the series:Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture series features:an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutionsa list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildingsapproximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts and plans)