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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.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Case Study Houses

The Case Study Houses served as a blueprint and inspiration for Mid-Century homes in Southern California.

In 2013, ten Case Study House program residences were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Relevant Places

Bass House (Case Study House #20B)

Case Study House #1

Case Study House #10

Case Study House #16

Case Study House #28

Entenza House (Case Study House #9)

Stahl House (Case Study House #22)

Triad (Case Study House #23A)

Triad (Case Study House #23C)

West House (Case Study House #18)

Launched in 1945 by John Entenza’s  Arts + Architecture  magazine, the Case Study House program commissioned architects to study, plan, design, and ultimately construct houses in anticipation of renewed building in the postwar years.

While the Case Study House program did not achieve its initial goals for mass production and affordability, it was responsible for some of Los Angeles’ most iconic and internationally recognized modern residences, such as the  Eames House (Case Study House #8)  by Charles and Ray Eames and the Pierre Koenig-designed  Stahl House (Case Study House #22) , famously photographed by Julius Shulman.

After a decade-long effort, L.A. Conservancy’s Modern Committee succeeded in listing ten Case Study residences on the National Register of Historic Places.

About This Issue

With an emphasis on experimentation, and a goal of promoting good, modern, affordable design for single-family homes, the program helped to disseminate the midcentury modern aesthetic through its thirty-five published plans. Of these, twenty-five houses and one apartment building were built in California and Arizona.

The program offered an unparalleled opportunity for commissions and publicity for established architects including Richard Neutra, J. R. Davidson, Sumner Spaulding, and William Wurster. It helped raise the profile of then-lesser-known designers including Craig Ellwood, A. Quincy Jones, Edward Killingsworth, Ralph Rapson, Eero Saarinen, and Raphael Soriano.

Our Position

On November 21, 2013, the  Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee was awarded a Governor’s Historic Preservation Award to recognize its work in nominating eleven Case Study Houses to the National Register of Historic Places.

Through the efforts of the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee, eleven Case Study House residences in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura counties are now recognized as nationally historic. Ten are officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and an eleventh was deemed eligible for listing.

Few of the Case Study Houses currently have preservation protections, and some have been demolished or significantly altered. This proactive step recognizes the eleven nominated homes and raises greater awareness about the Case Study House program while providing a historic context for future designation of the remaining eligible properties.

On May 1, 2013, the State Historical Resources Commission voted to recommend listing of ten Case Study Houses in the National Register of Historic Places.  These ten residences with certifying recommendations were submitted to the National Park Service for final review and listing by the Keeper of the National Trust.  They were formally listed on July 24, 2013.

An eleventh nominated residence, Case Study House #23A, was not formally listed because of owner objection, but it received a determination of eligibility for listing in the National Register. All eleven residences will be considered historic resources and will enjoy the same protections under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Several Case Study Houses were not included in the nomination — if they’ve been altered or demolished, or for other reasons — but with this platform in place, it will be easier for other CSH homes to be nominated in the future.

Likewise, a few CSH houses, such as the  Eames House  (CSH #8), weren’t included because they’re already individually listed.

Case Study House residences included in nomination:

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

More From Forbes

The case study houses forever changed american architecture.

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Scenes from the new showroom of Herman Miller which shows classic designs by Charles and Ray Eames, ... [+] in Culver City, Ca., Oct. 1, 2009. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Case Study House Program’s vision belonged to Los Angeles-based Arts & Architecture magazine Editor John Entenza.

Entenza sponsored and publicized some design competitions in the magazine and emphasized modern, affordable, easily built houses.

He announced the Case Study House Program's launch in the January 1945 issue of Arts & Architecture magazine . He envisioned the program to solve the problem of housing shortages and anticipated the coming building boom that would follow War World II and the Depression.

The front side of the Eames House Case Study #8 designed by architects Charles and Ray Eames in ... [+] Pacific Palisades. June 30, 2005. (Photo by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A 1937 Harwell Harris house has a Streamline Moderne exterior with a white curved porte cochere in ... [+] front (wide enough for the original owner, powerful architecture magazine editor John Entenza s 1925 Ford) and a round bedroom wall in back overlooking Santa Monica Canyon. Peter Rabitz, a co–worker visiting from Germany, enjoys the view into the canyon on a recent visit. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A 1937 Harwell Harris house has the porte cochere at left and entrance to house at right. (Photo by ... [+] Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The goal of the program was for each architect to create a home "capable of duplication and in no sense being an individual performance," Entenza said in his announcement.

"It is important that the best materials available be used in the best possible way in order to arrive at a good solution of each problem, which in the overall program will be general enough to be of practical assistance to the average American in search of a home in which he can afford to live in," he noted.

Architect Pierre Koenig designed two of the iconic Modernist houses in Los Angeles in the 1950s ... [+] known as Case Study House 21 and 22. Drawing of one of Koenig's designs. (Photo by Anacleto Rapping/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Case Study House Program served as a model for post-war living, providing the public and the building industry an opportunity to access affordable, mid-century modernism and simple designs.

Floor-to-ceiling glass, steel frames, horizontal lines, modular components, open-floor plans and multi-purpose rooms were all elements of the Case Study’s take on modernism. The furnished projects provided places for owners to enjoy a family-friendly home with public and private spaces to relax, watch TV, listen to music and entertain, merging indoor and outdoor worlds with walls of steel and glass to allow ample light.

Initially, Entenza invited Richard Neutra, Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen and five other architects to submit prototypes and planned that all eight houses would be open to the public until they were occupied. The project was ambitious. The Eames and Entenza houses were designed in 1945 but not completed until 1949. Still, the Case Study program was so successful that it ran until 1966 and saw 350,000 visitors tour the open homes before clients took up residence.

Architect Pierre Koenig designed two of the iconic Modernist houses in Los Angeles in the 1950s ... [+] known as Case Study House 21 and 22. Photos of Pierre and Gloria Koenig main living room inside their West Los Angeles home which Pierre designed. (Photo by Anacleto Rapping/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Twenty homes remain today, but 36 experimental prototypes, many unbuilt, documenting new ideas and residential designs, appeared in the magazine.

The majority of the homes were built in Southern California; some are located in San Diego and Northern California; a group of Case Study apartments was built in Phoenix.

Many architects such as Ray and Charles Eames, Saarinen, Craig Ellwood and Pierre Koenig became icons of modernism and earned international followings. The Case Study Houses launched the reputations of local architects such as Thornton Bell, Whitney R. Smith and Rodney Walker.

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The Case Study Houses Program

We selected the best Case Study Houses ever built from the famous post-war architectural program. The Case Study Houses program aimed to bring Modernist principles to the masses.

Architects as Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig, Craig Ellwood and Rodney Walker participated into the program with one or more projects. Unfortunately not all projects proposed were built but many still stand, we selected the most representative ones.

The Case Study Houses Program, Raphael Soriano CSH 1950

[tie_slideshow] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [/tie_slideshow] All the Case Study Houses were designed…

The Case Study Houses Program: Richard Neutra’s Bailey House

The Case Study Houses Program: Craig Ellwood’s Case Study House 18

[tie_slideshow] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide]…

The Case Study Houses Program: Pierre Koenig’s Stahl House

[tie_slideshow] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] t [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [/tie_slideshow] Probably one…

The Case Study House 9 by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen

The Case Study House #9, was part of John Entenza’s Case Study House Program launched…

The Case Study House 25 by Killingsworth, Brady and Smith

[tie_slideshow] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide][/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide][/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [tie_slide] [/tie_slide] [/tie_slideshow] Completed…

Case Study House 10. Kemper and Nomland Kemper Jr

The Case Study House #10 epitomises the aspirations of the program.

Designed by a father and son team of architects, Kemper and Nomland Kemper Jr, the house is a simple, low-cost modern building.

Case Study House 20. Buff, Straub and Hensman

Case Study House #20, dubbed ‘The Bass House” was constructed in 1958 and can be…

Case Study House 8. Charles and Ray Eames

Made a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and included on the top 10 all-time list…

Case Study House 28. Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman

The only house of its kind to be built in Ventura County, California, Case Study…

Case Study House 16. Rodney Walker

Sponsored by Arts & Architecture Magazine, the Case Study House program in the United States…

The Origins of The Case Study House Program.

The best place to start researching and learning about the Case Study House Program is…

Three Houses In One, the Case Study House 23

The Case Study House #23 stands out from the other houses of the Program as…

The Case Study House 3

Today I will share another stunning house included in the Case Study House Program: the house…

Case Study House 21. Pierre Koenig

Within the Case Study House Program, the #21 represents an experiment that the architect Pierre…

The Case Study Houses Program: Mid-Century Modern Architecture

The Case Study Houses Program, promoted by the magazine Arts and Architecture in 1945, represented…

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. 

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‘Case Study’ Architect Pierre Koenig’s Own Modernist House Is Selling for Nearly $5 Million

The airy, light-filled modern home was built in 1985 and is notable for its extensive use of steel, newsletter sign-up, week in review.

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The personal Los Angeles residence of Pierre Koenig—a mid-century architect behind some of the city’s iconic Case Study Houses, including one of the most recognizable homes in the U.S.—has hit the market for $4.995 million.

“Pierre Koenig is one of the greatest architects of our time and created the most photographed home in Los Angeles, the Stahl House , so to own his residence is a trophy unto itself,” said Dalton Gomez of Christie’s International RE | AKG, who is handling the sale of the property with colleague Aaron Kirman. 

More: Glass House That Catches the ‘Fog Waves’ Rolling Into California’s Bay Area Lists for $10.5 Million

Koenig built the steel home—historically archived as “Koenig House No. 2” by the L.A. Conservancy—for himself and his wife, Gloria, in 1985. Staggered over three-levels, the light-filled three-bedroom residence has an open floor plan with rooms that either flow together or are divided by glass walls. At its center is a three-story atrium, crisscrossed by walkways and staircases that connect the two sides of the upper floors.   

The house “is extremely unique because of the all-metal infrastructure,” Gomez said. 

Across its 3,000 square feet, the home has a vast living area, a modern kitchen, a dining space and a library nook. 

“The bedrooms open up to the living space, which then opens to the courtyard, which gives the home this type of jewelry-box feel,” Gomez said. “The front room was used as [Koenig’s] office,” he added, and the space is still intact. “It’s interesting to think what properties and work he created in that office.” 

For potential buyers, the most appealing part of the home could be that “it comes with bragging rights that it was chosen by Pierre to be the space he lived and created in for so many years,” he said.

The house remained in Koenig’s family for some time after his death, and was restored by his stepchildren. It last changed hands in 2017 for $3.46 million. The owners couldn’t be reached for comment. 

Koenig, who was also a professor of architecture at the University of Southern California, died in 2004 at the age of 78. His “sleek glass-and-steel houses became emblems of the progressive values of Postwar suburbia,” the Los Angeles Times wrote in his obituary. 

He was integral in the creation of the city’s Case Study Houses, which were experiments in American residential architecture sponsored by the now-defunct Arts & Architecture magazine.

Prominent architects like Koenig, along with Charles and Ray Eames, A. Quincy Jones and Ralph Rapson, were challenged to design and build replicable, inexpensive and efficient model homes as the U.S faced a housing boom caused by the return of millions of soldiers following the end of World War II.

Koenig’s Case Study House No. 21 , the Bailey House, and No. 22, the Stahl House, are possibly the most famous of them all.

The Stahl House, which in 2013 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1959 and has since been the backdrop in numerous fashion shoots, films, and advertising campaigns. It was made famous by a Julius Shulman photograph showing two women relaxing in a corner of the house with a panoramic view of the city through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls behind them.

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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. They lived in their home until their deaths: Charles in 1978 and Ray, ten years to the day, in 1988.

Charles described the house as unselfconscious . There is a sense of that “way-it-should-be-ness”. Charles and Ray designed a house specifically to meet their needs, but they were those universal needs that we all share as humans. They believed in the honest use of materials and straightforward connections. The details WERE the product!

And then by nestling the house into the hillside, rather than imposing it on the site, they realized their original intent: for the house in nature to serve as a re-orientor. The scent, the sound of birds, the shadow of the trees against the structure whether inside or out, the openness of the site—all the elements join seamlessly.

Charles said, “Just as a good host tries to anticipate the needs of his guest, so a good architect or a designer or a city planner tries to anticipate the needs of those who will live in or use the thing being designed.”

Come visit and explore how the house exemplifies many of the themes of the Eameses’ work: from furniture to exhibitions, the guest/host relationship, the iterative process that leads to meeting the need, the importance of the direct experience, the relation with nature, the life in work and work in life, the importance of details, and more. Together the structure, collections, and landscape tell the story of the couple’s approach to life and work.

The Eames House consists of two glass and steel rectangular boxes: one is a residence; one, a working studio, exploring process, materiality and color.

The Eameses looked at life as being an act of design. The residence is filled with the “stuff” of their living: the stuff that tells the story of their lives, interests and loves.

The Eames House structure and its contents are often the focus of attention, but the landscape is critical to their understanding. As Charles said, “Eventually everything connects”.

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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Exclusive Look Inside the Most Expensive Neighborhood in the Country 

By Katherine McLaughlin

Before a single home was drafted, a single plot was planned, or a single nail was struck, the land that would eventually become The Case, an über-exclusive new neighborhood in Malibu, was breaking records. Scott Gillen, the community’s developer and designer, bought the bluff-side plot in 2017 for $50 million, and, at the time, it was the highest price ever paid for undeveloped land in the city. Though an immense cost, it was seemingly worth every penny. “This is probably the best bluff in all of Malibu,” he tells  AD . “It might even be one of the best bluffs in all of California.” 

On his new land, Gillen pictured an extraordinary neighborhood, one that would combine staggering midcentury-inspired architecture with unmatched privacy and exclusivity. The Coastal Commission of California and city of Malibu approved plans for five homes, all five of which Gillen designed. Though the project has taken longer than expected due to the pandemic, it’s now nearly done. “We have all five houses standing,” he says. “Three houses are complete, one is on the market, one is in escrow, and the last two are headed towards completion.” The first in the series to come to market, The Edge, listed for $70 million in January of this year.  

The Edge, the third in Scott Gillen’s Case Study homes, came to market in January of this year. 

The infinity pool appears to spill into the ocean in The Edge. 

An open floor plan connects the living space with the dining space in The Edge.  

With each home ranging in price from $70 million to $115 million, The Case will soon be the most expensive neighborhood in the country. “There really is nothing like it,” Aaron Kirman of AKG|Christie’s International Real Estate, the listing agent for the neighborhood, says. When complete, The Case will surpass Star Island in Miami, currently considered the priciest neighborhood, where homes cost $40 million on average, according to  Bloomberg. The Case will make Paradise Cove, the priciest region in Malibu, look cheap: Homes  only cost about $6.2 million there, according to research conducted by  Zillow  on behalf of  AD . “With the price point, it really makes for one of the most architecturally unique enclaves in the country,” Kirman adds. 

The Cantilevered House, Case Study Number One, by Scott Gillen 

The living room in the Cantilevered House.

The house looks out over the Pacific Ocean.

Taking inspiration from midcentury design, each home features clean lines, expansive windows, minimal ornamentation, and a deep connection to nature. Every property also boasts similar amenities, including an ocean-facing pool (the smallest is 78 feet, and the largest 144), a media room, and some kind of sport activity like bocce or tennis. Still, “We didn’t want to just copy and paste,” Gillen says. Owners will never attend a barbecue at their neighbor’s place and walk in to find a home that looks just like theirs. 

The Butterfly House, the second case study home by Scott Gillen.  

The primary bedroom inside the Butterfly House.

A home office in the Butterfly House.

All of The Case residences are different size and layout. However, it’s in the homes’ names where one finds their most identifiable feature: The Edge includes a 75-foot infinity pool that appears to spill over the side of the bluff, while the Glass Tunnel gets its name from the central glass-enclosed great room. The other three homes—the Butterfly House, the Cantilever House, and the Flat House—are named after their respective rooflines: a striking butterfly roof, a massive cantilevered roof, and a paired-down flat roof, respectively. 

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By Chelsea Hodson

By Sarah Archer

The Flat House, the fourth case study home by Scott Gillen.  

A connection with nature was an important modernist ideal Gillen incorporated into the homes. 

The backyard of the Flat House includes a pool and deck. 

The development itself gets its name from a series of midcentury experimental residences designed—and mostly built—throughout Southern California starting in 1945. Known as the Case Study Homes, the project was sponsored by  Arts & Architecture magazine, which challenged leading architects of the day to design efficient and inexpensive model homes that could be used to relieve the housing boom caused by the return of soldiers following the end of World War II. Designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra, Eero Saarinen, and A. Quincy Jones participated, and the experiment resulted in some of the most iconic examples of midcentury residential architecture in the United States, including the  Eames House and the  Stahl House.  

The Glass Tunnel, the fifth case study home by Scott Gillen.  

The media room in the home. 

Like in all the homes, expansive views define the living space. 

“The original Case Study Homes were very cheap and efficient,” Gillen says. Instead of replicating all elements of the first ones, the designer chose to emulate the design ethos that these homes brought into vogue with modern twists. “Scott has given all the amenities and design that a buyer would expect at the price point, but with the beauty of the midcentury look, which is very hard to come by,” Kirman says. “I’ll often work with wealthy individuals who say they want a midcentury home, but, when they go in, they feel a little cold or don’t have the modern amenities the buyers are looking for.” 

Still, as Gillen emphasizes, The Case is more than just a collection of residences—it’s also a lifestyle. Each property sits privately on three to five acres, though communal walking paths wind around the entire 24 acres of the bluff. A staffed guard house oversees the community 24-7, and an on-site concierge service will be provided free of charge for residents during the first 12 months. “The homes are certainly calibrated for those that want the Malibu beach lifestyle and to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Kirman says, adding he’s never seen anything like this in his career. “To have that that kind of privacy, location, and design, and architecture in one spot is impossible to come by and will never happen again.”

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By Rachel Davies

By Joyce Chen

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Not far from the Presidio—a national park and Historic Landmark District at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge—San Francisco’s…

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When you first see the 2,600sq ft lake house in Riverside, Texas, it looks like a glass box floating on…

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Rare Case Study House With Ocean Views in Pacific Palisades Available for $8.9M

A rare Case Study House melding high design and ocean views in Pacific Palisades, CA , is seeking its next owner.

The two-bedroom, 2.5-bath home was listed for $8,900,000 with Crosby Doe of Crosby Doe Associates . It was on the market in 2018 for $10 million.

This Case Study House #18, known as the West House, was designed by Rodney Walker and built on a bluff in Westside Los Angeles.

Three other Case Study Houses in the neighborhood were designed by Charles Eames , Eero Saarinen , and Richard Neutra . These groundbreaking Arts & Architecture–sponsored homes were commissioned between 1945 and 1966. Of the 36 designs, 25 were built. Still standing are 22—most of them in Southern California.

The 1,701-square-foot West House is the only Case Study House in the neighborhood oriented to capture ocean views.

“When people walk in the door, their jaws drop,” says Doe. “It lends itself to entertaining with the openness to the huge lawn and the view. You open the front door, and it’s all right there in front of you.”

(Jim Simmons)

The home has had only three owners. The first owner swapped out a service yard for a bedroom, turned one bedroom into a den, and added a half-bath.

Original features include the two-sided fireplace in the living room and an indoor-outdoor garden room.

“You get the ocean air, the views, and in a 10-minute walk, you’re right there on the beach,” says Doe.

“Historically, people behind the lens of the entertainment industry—the directors and the producers—have been very strong in purchasing these properties,” says Doe, adding that Sam Simon , the late “Simpsons” co-creator, owned the nearby Neutra Case Study House .

There’s also an option to build a second home on the .53-acre lot, with preliminary concept plans by modernist architect Tom Kundig .

• For more photos and details, check out the full listing.
• Homes for sale in Pacific Palisades, CA
• Learn more about Pacific Palisades, CA

Based in Milwaukee, Kristine Hansen writes for TravelandLeisure.com, ArchitecturalDigest.com, Vogue.com, and other outlets. She’s also the author of “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin: How America’s Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home State.” She lives in a 1924 bungalow.

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Case study definition

Case study, a term which some of you may know from the "Case Study of Vanitas" anime and manga, is a thorough examination of a particular subject, such as a person, group, location, occasion, establishment, phenomena, etc. They are most frequently utilized in research of business, medicine, education and social behaviour. There are a different types of case studies that researchers might use:

• Collective case studies

• Descriptive case studies

• Explanatory case studies

• Exploratory case studies

• Instrumental case studies

• Intrinsic case studies

Case studies are usually much more sophisticated and professional than regular essays and courseworks, as they require a lot of verified data, are research-oriented and not necessarily designed to be read by the general public.

How to write a case study?

It very much depends on the topic of your case study, as a medical case study and a coffee business case study have completely different sources, outlines, target demographics, etc. But just for this example, let's outline a coffee roaster case study. Firstly, it's likely going to be a problem-solving case study, like most in the business and economics field are. Here are some tips for these types of case studies:

• Your case scenario should be precisely defined in terms of your unique assessment criteria.

• Determine the primary issues by analyzing the scenario. Think about how they connect to the main ideas and theories in your piece.

• Find and investigate any theories or methods that might be relevant to your case.

• Keep your audience in mind. Exactly who are your stakeholder(s)? If writing a case study on coffee roasters, it's probably gonna be suppliers, landlords, investors, customers, etc.

• Indicate the best solution(s) and how they should be implemented. Make sure your suggestions are grounded in pertinent theories and useful resources, as well as being realistic, practical, and attainable.

• Carefully proofread your case study. Keep in mind these four principles when editing: clarity, honesty, reality and relevance.

Are there any online services that could write a case study for me?

Luckily, there are!

We completely understand and have been ourselves in a position, where we couldn't wrap our head around how to write an effective and useful case study, but don't fear - our service is here.

We are a group that specializes in writing all kinds of case studies and other projects for academic customers and business clients who require assistance with its creation. We require our writers to have a degree in your topic and carefully interview them before they can join our team, as we try to ensure quality above all. We cover a great range of topics, offer perfect quality work, always deliver on time and aim to leave our customers completely satisfied with what they ordered.

The ordering process is fully online, and it goes as follows:

• Select the topic and the deadline of your case study.

• Provide us with any details, requirements, statements that should be emphasized or particular parts of the writing process you struggle with.

• Leave the email address, where your completed order will be sent to.

• Select your payment type, sit back and relax!

With lots of experience on the market, professionally degreed writers, online 24/7 customer support and incredibly low prices, you won't find a service offering a better deal than ours.

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Case Study: Homebase is Changing Real Estate Investments with Solana

by Solana Foundation

• Homebase, leveraging the Solana blockchain, successfully tokenized a $235,000 single-family rental property in South Texas in March 2023.
• The platform raised $246,800 in just two weeks from 38 investors through the sale of NFTs tied to the physical real estate asset.
• The Homebase model is meant to broaden participation in real estate investments. Of Homebase’s 76 total investors between both homes, roughly 78% are non-institutional. There was a minimum $500 threshold to invest and the average check size was between $4,000 and $5,000.
• Concerns over fees and technical limitations steered Homebase to building on Solana. 
• Solana’s user-friendly USDC payments through Circle support allowed seamless property tokenization, crucial for investor confidence and accessibility.
• Homebase is now focusing on bringing its learnings to the commercial real estate market.

Homebase , a pioneering startup in real estate tokenization, made a significant breakthrough when it sold a single-family home in McAllen, Texas to 38 investors — 30 of them non-institutional. Unlike traditional real estate investing, which is focused on commercial or multi-family buildings, Homebase tokenized a single family building. 

The property was valued at $235,000. Homebase raised $246,800 in capital in two weeks, putting aside the extra $11,800 of the total raised for potential maintenance, like any good real estate investor. 

The deal, a collective agreement between strangers (some of whom hadn't previously been excited about crypto before — or had even opened a crypto wallet), speaks volumes about the market's confidence in this model. Yet innovation isn’t the company’s only motivation; it’s also motivated by financial accessibility and inclusion.

The first house, in McAllen Texas. Courtesy Homebase.

"Real estate is an important to financial freedom,” says Homebase co-founder and CEO Domingo Valadez. “The gap now between median income and median home price is the highest it's ever been. What can we do to make real-estate investing more attainable for people?"

Three months after its first sale, the company pulled off another successful sale of a similarly priced home in the same area. The second time, another 38 investors shared ownership of a $176,100 home, with an average check size of $4,638.

The intricacies of the Homebase process

Homebase's journey to this achievement wasn’t a straightforward path. Valadez revealed in an article in Blockworks that the team spent seven months solely on legal and compliance preparations.

According to Valadez, the team faced a challenging choice between quick execution and thorough groundwork. While they knew the idea would be a slam-dunk, they wanted to make sure it could also stand up legally. The platform opted for a more cautious route, focusing on developing the right regulatory structure. 

Homebase partnered with the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth to build a previously non-existent token wrapper that would allow for certain oversight measures. Using the Metaplex protocol , the team created the wrapper to modify non-fungible tokens (NFTs), giving Homebase the ability to step in as a third party and freeze, burn and reissue tokens as needed. The wrapper also enforces KYC requirements and a mechanism to escrow funds upon property purchase, with the release of funds contingent upon reaching the crowdsourced funding goal. Finally, the wrapper also encodes a one-year lockup period that would restrict trading within this initial timeframe, designed for compliance with Regulation D .

Choosing the right blockchain

The decision-making process for the blockchain on which to build the Homebase infrastructure was somewhat arduous, says Valadez — particularly because the majority of Homebase’s early investors were not familiar with digital assets.

“As you can imagine, we came in with a thesis that crypto-native people really wanted something like Homebase, but we learned that actually this is an everyone problem, not just a crypto problem,” Valadez said. In the March 2023 sale, for instance, 15 of the 38 buyers created their first Solana wallet specifically for the purchase of the Homebase NFT.

A fractionalized homeownership solution (and its user experience) therefore has to be as seamless as logging into any familiar website, such as a bank portal. Challenges like gas fee fluctuations and technical challenges in other blockchain ecosystems led Homebase to seek a different option.

“Bridging from a Layer 2 blockchain is actually quite complex,” Valadez said. “And there's a period of time in which your money just disappears as it’s transitioning from one blockchain to the other.” Not so great for investor confidence.

Solana emerged as the ideal choice due to its user-friendly interface supporting USDC, which ensured a hassle-free property tokenization process. The suite of tools available within the Solana ecosystem have also provided easy-enough solutions that the Homebase team could walk its early investors through the process. 

“We do all rental distributions in USDC,” Valadez said, adding that the team has partnered with stablecoin issuer Circle to do so. 

Then there’s the process of on- and off-ramp. To keep the fiat-to-crypto exchange process all inside the Homebase platform, the team integrated with onboarding solution CoinFlow . 

“We integrated the on-ramps and off-ramps in the same platform,” explained Valadez. “So you as a non-web3 native withdraw your portion of the property’s monthly rent into your bank account when you’re ready.”

When owners are ready to sell their portion of the property, they can also do that within the Homebase platform.  Here, the use of blockchain technology offers significant advantages. With traditional real estate investments among friends, selling involves complex agreements and permissions. In contrast, Homebase employs tokens representing ownership in the property's holding LLC. This means selling doesn't require approval from other LLC members; it's simply facilitated on the platform. 

When an owner does want to buy, Homebase matches sellers with interested buyers, streamlining the process with online documentation via DocuSign, reducing the typical hurdles found in private real estate markets.

Such ease of use is paramount, says Valadez, who strives to engender confidence in new investors who may not have otherwise considered themselves as players in the real estate game.

The second house, in McAllen Texas. Courtesy Homebase.

‘An amazing experience’

Quietly, at the southern tip of the Rio Grande Valley, Homebase’s venture into tokenized real estate is creating a seismic shift in the industry. Its cautious approach is laying a robust compliance foundation, setting them apart in a market entangled with legal complexities and providing some precedent that we can all learn from.

The decision to build on Solana was clear given Homebase prioritizes user-friendliness, scalability and mainstream adoption. User experience is crucial for attracting investors unfamiliar with digital assets — which are the ones Homebase is best positioned to serve with its product. Solana’s stability, interface, and support for USDC made property tokenization hassle-free and helped the company abstract away the friction from investors’ line of sight.

“I like building on Solana, even in the toughest of winter or bear markets,” said Valadez. “It gave everyone who stuck around really high conviction in the environment, with the other teams building and in the foundation holistically. To be a part of that has just been an amazing experience.”

Building on this foundation, Homebase is now applying its expertise to the commercial sector. The team is now offering back office software for real estate syndicators like EmpireDAO to make commercial real estate investment more accessible. Using blockchain technology and Solana's capabilities, Homebase aims to establish liquidity pools that enable easier trading of real estate assets, potentially transforming how commercial real estate is bought and sold.

Homebase’s aim is clear: making commercial real estate accessible and dynamic while instilling confidence in new investors. It’s not just new tech;  it's a gateway to financial inclusivity.

Built for what's possible.

See how teams like Helium, Decaf, and more are taking advantage of the Solana tech stack to build a fast, secure, scalable, and user-friendly future.

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Recent Announcements

Biden-harris administration opens application period to support hydropower facilities across the country.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Hydroelectric Incentives Invest in Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectric Facilities to Ensure Generators Continue to Provide Clean Power

On March 14, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced the opening of the 2024 application period for the Hydroelectric Production Incentive, which supports the modernization and expansion of hydroelectric power throughout America through the  Hydroelectric Incentives Program . Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed under President Biden, the Hydroelectric Incentives Program is focused on maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities to ensure generators continue to provide clean power, while improving dam safety and reducing environmental impacts.

Hydroelectric Production Incentive applications for electricity generated and sold in calendar year 2023 are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on April 23, 2024 .

Open the video to learn more about the impact of Section 242: the Hydroelectric Production Incentive Program.

Video courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office.

Learn more about the Hydroelectric Production Incentives application period to support hydropower facilities across the country .

DOE Reports Chart Path for East Coast Offshore Wind to Support a Reliable, Affordable Electricity System

Study Finds Interregional Offshore Transmission Network Would Support Long-Term Growth of Atlantic Offshore Wind, Action Plan Identifies Immediate Steps and Extended Efforts

On March 21 , DOE released findings from the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan and Study. Offshore wind is projected to be a key part of a low-carbon future for East Coast states and this report is the most thorough analysis to date of options to bring Atlantic offshore wind energy to American communities. While immediate projects will connect individually to the onshore grid, the study finds that after 2030, strategically linking some offshore wind energy projects via offshore transmission networks will help lower electricity production costs, enhance U.S. grid reliability, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while ensuring disruptions to oceanic ecosystems are minimal.

The Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study is a two-year study evaluating transmission options to support offshore wind energy deployment along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

The study informed the  Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan which outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electric grid, as well as longer-term efforts to increase transmission over the next several decades.

Learn more about how DOE is working to bring Atlantic offshore wind energy to American communities .

DOE Invests More Than $18 Million for Clean Energy-Related Economic Development in Low-Income Communities

Technical Assistance Will Support 30 Projects Across US, Including Energy Resilience Projects in Puerto Rico

DOE announced on March 22 the second cohort of communities selected as part of the  Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP) , a unique technical assistance initiative designed to help disadvantaged communities and those with historical ties to fossil fuel industries take direct control of their clean energy future. The 30 selected communities will receive a total of $18 million worth of technical assistance to create tailored community-wide action plans that reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy burdens, and create well-paying jobs.

The 30 selected applicants will work with DOE and its network of technical assistance providers, as well as local coalition partners including local and tribal governments; community-based organizations; utilities; and environmental justice, economic development, and equitable investment organizations to develop roadmaps that utilize clean energy as a tool for economic development.

DOE selected projects for Communities LEAP’s Puerto Rico Community Resilience category located in the following municipalities: 

• Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares, Maricao, & Utuado, Puerto Rico
• Yauco (Quebradas Neighborhood), Puerto Rico

Learn more about the second cohort of LEAP communities .

News and Updates

Doe publishes pr100 study results and possible pathways to puerto rico’s 100% renewable energy future.

The full PR100 Study is now available on PR100.gov.

DOE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the final Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100) . The two-year study concludes that Puerto Rico can successfully meet its projected electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050. PR100 outlines possible pathways to achieving clean energy success, including grid stabilization measures and the deployment of distributed energy resources.

Launched in February 2022 with funding from FEMA, PR100 deployed the world-class expertise of DOE's National Labs to engage diverse local stakeholders regarding their priorities for their energy future, gather and generate valuable data sets, and create advanced models to project scenarios for achieving 100% renewable energy. PR100 also includes an Implementation Roadmap, providing decision-makers in Puerto Rico with specific actions that can be taken to stabilize the grid, improve resilience, and achieve local renewable energy goals. The two-year PR100 Study relied on extensive stakeholder input to ensure the results and Implementation Roadmap reflect local priorities for Puerto Rico’s energy transition.

View the full study and interactive data visualizations at PR100.gov .

Learn more about efforts supporting Puerto Rico's goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050 .

In Case You Missed It: GRIP Program Training Webinars Now Available On-Demand

Recordings of three critical training webinars from the  Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program are now available on demand. Available for second round funding applicants and those who may choose to apply for funding in the future, these webinars provide important information about eligibility and legal requirements, supply chain challenges, application components, and next steps.

• The  GRIP Program Community Benefits Plan (CBP) Training Webinar shared insights and lessons learned from first round GRIP funding applications, examples of strong Community Benefits Plans, an overview of the Community Benefits Plan requirements as outlined in the FOA, and best practices. The video recording and presentation are now available  online .
• The  Concept Paper Trends & Application Updates Webinar provided updates on the second-round funding opportunity including concept paper submission trends and next steps. The video recording and presentation are now available   online .
• The  Critical Compliance Information Webinar provided information about navigating supply chain challenges, non-domestic content, and other compliance requirements mandated by the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) and the Build America Buy America (BABA) Act. The video recording and presentation are now available  online .

Learn more about the GRIP Program, and access webinar materials and other informational resources .

DOE's Northern Lights - Nick Palso

The Arctic Energy Office is hosting a series of interviews to highlight the lives and achievements of some of DOE’s outstanding employees with Arctic and Alaska connections. Meet Nick Palso. He went to college in Fairbanks and spent two summers doing his doctoral dissertation research in Alaska. Nick is now a senior project manager heading up a hydroelectric incentives program at GDO.

In this profile, you will learn about Nick’s experiences in the arctic, his role and interests, and more .

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Case Study Houses: The Latest Architecture and News

Foster + partners reimagines william pereora's television city in california, united states.

Foster + Partners, l ed by Normal Foster, has just been selected to reimagine the Television City studio complex in Los Angeles, following a global competition. The project involves the restoration of William Pereira’s iconic 1952 buildings and the transformation of the 25-acre site into a low-rise multi-modal campus and draws inspiration from the Los Angeles’ renowned Case Study Houses. The campus will feature new sound stages, production offices, creative workspace, and retail surrounding its perimeter.

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Defining Afro-Contemporary Homes: The Role of Case Study Houses

The home is a fundamental expression of architectural movements within the fabric of a city. As one of the smallest typologies, it is the simplest canvas to exhibit the design ethos of any particular era. African cities have continuously negotiated the meaning of their residential dwellings, from traditional architecture to colonial architecture, and the influx of post-colonial modern architecture. Vernacular architecture explored homes with spatial patterns rooted in cultural dexterity, envelopes built with indigenous materials and forms, endowed with traditional motifs. These were in stark contrast to colonial homes that featured a range of imported architectural styles across the continent, neglecting their climatic and cultural contexts while amplifying social class.

How Did Materials Shape the Case Study Houses?

The Case Study Houses (1945-1966), sponsored by the Arts & Architecture Magazine and immortalized by Julius Shulman ’s iconic black-and-white photographs, may be some of the most famous examples of modern American architecture in history. Designed to address the postwar housing crisis with quick construction and inexpensive materials, while simultaneously embracing the tenets of modernist design and advanced contemporary technology, the Case Study Houses were molded by their central focus on materials and structural design. While each of the homes were designed by different architects for a range of clients, these shared aims unified the many case study homes around several core aesthetic and structural strategies: open plans, simple volumes, panoramic windows, steel frames, and more. Although some of the Case Study Houses’ materials and strategies would become outdated in the following decades, these unique products and features would come to define a historic era of architectural design in the United States.

Modern, Low-Budget and Easy to Build Living Spaces: the Case Study House Program

Between 1945 and 1966, the Case Study Houses program , following the Weißenhof-siedlung exposition, commissioned a study of economic, easy-to-build houses. The study included the creation of 36 prototypes that were to be built leading up to post-war residential development. The initiative by John Entenza, editor of Arts & Architecture magazine, brought a team to Los Angeles that featured some of the biggest names in architecture at the time, including Richard Neutra , Charles & Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, and Eero Saarinen , among others.

The program's experiment not only defined the modern home and set it apart from its predecessors, but it also pioneered new construction materials and methods in residential development that continue to influence international architecture to this day. Take a detailed look at some of the program's most emblematic work together with recommendations for facing contemporary challenges. 

When Minimalism Gets Extravagant: A Virtual Look at the Case Study House 17(2)

Arts & Architecture ’s Case Study House program was supposed to be about creating replicable, affordable designs for post-war living—stylish but modest homes for young families on a budget. And then came house #17(2).

To be fair, this house was designed for real clients, with specific and ambitious requirements. The Hoffmans had four children, a household staff, and an art collection. So this was never going to be just another suburban three-bedroom.

A Virtual Look Into J R Davidson's Case Study House #11

The editorial notes on Arts & Architecture ’s 11th Case Study House set out the “basic principles of modern architecture”: an emphasis on “order, fitness and simplicity.” Livability and practicality are key, and “sham” is frowned on. As with other houses in the series, this design by JR Davidson adheres to these goals with clean, horizontal lines, an open floor plan, and integration of the outdoor space.

It’s a modest, compact home, less high-concept than some of the other houses in the programme—no indoor plantings or reflecting pools; no complicated backstory for the imagined clients (think of the next two, #12 and especially #13 )—but arguably more successful in providing a model for the average American home. Its value doesn’t depend on dramatic landscaping or views, but on thoughtful design and attention to solving everyday problems. Walking through Archilogic ’s 3D model reveals the elegance of Davidson’s approach.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #10 by Kemper Nomland & Kemper Nomland Jr

The tenth Case Study House wasn’t actually intended for the Arts & Architecture programme. It was added on its completion in 1947, to fill out the roster, as many houses remained unbuilt. Clearly, the Nomland design earned its place on the list, having many features in common with other Case Study homes and, most importantly, meeting the stated aims of economy, simplicity, new materials and techniques, and indoor/outdoor integration. The different departure point, however, can be seen in the layout. Whereas Case Study homes were designed primarily for families, this plan is for “a family of adults”—which is to say, a childless couple.

The World's First Freeform 3D-Printed House Enters Development Phase

WATG Urban's first prize design for The Freeform Home Design Challenge in 2016 is now moving one step closer to becoming a reality. Since winning the competition, WATG 's Chicago office has been developing the winning design, dubbed Curve Appeal, alongside Branch Technology . Curve Appeal is now undergoing the "wall section testing, research and development phase" with an anticipated goal of breaking ground later this year. This revolutionary project could change the way we construct complex, freeform structures.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #7 by Thornton M Abell

The seventh house in the Arts & Architecture Case Study program was built with real clients in mind: a family of three with creative hobbies. The result, designed by Thornton M Abell , is a flexible home with a distinctive functional character.

The house divides neatly into three separate areas: to the left of the entrance, working spaces make up nearly half of the full floorplan, with living and sleeping areas off to the right and extending forward into the garden. Sliding panels between the roomy central reception/dining area and the cozy living room create the option of privacy or extra space, as required, with the terrace and splash pool beyond offering further possibilities for summer entertaining. A small planting area beside the sliding door blurs the line between indoors and out.

A Virtual Look Inside Case Study House #4, Ralph Rapson’s "Greenbelt House"

The fourth house in Arts & Architecture ’s Case Study program departed from the trend with a noticeably more introverted design. Intended for a modestly sized urban lot, rather than the dramatic and expansive canyon or forest locations of so many other Case Study homes, it couldn’t borrow drama from the landscape, nor would the residents welcome curious glances from their close neighbors—so the house looks entirely inward.

Rapson called his design the “Greenbelt House” for the glass-covered atrium that divides the living and sleeping areas. In his original drawings and model, as in Archilogic ’s 3D model shown here, this strip is shown filled with plant beds in a striking geometric pattern. However, Rapson imagined that it could be put to many uses, according to the residents’ tastes: a croquet court or even a swimming pool could find their place here. This “brings the outdoors indoors” rather more literally than, for instance, Richard Neutra ’s expansive, open-door designs.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #23A by Killingsworth, Brady & Smith

Only three of the Arts & Architecture Case Study Houses were built outside Los Angeles , and those three formed a united concept. The Triad Houses in La Jolla, a seaside suburb of San Diego , share a single driveway, motor court, and design vocabulary, while being created to meet different needs.

In keeping with the Case Study mission, all three houses used open-plan design, affordable modern materials (such as aluminium and concrete with wood frames), and plenty of glass to create a fresh and open mood. The emphasis was on strong geometric forms, careful detailing, horizontal lines (with perfectly flat roofs) and – this being the Californian coastline – dramatic views and outdoor living space, creating the illusion of more interior space than was actually present.

AD Classics: The Entenza House (Case Study #9) / Charles & Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen & Associates

Nestled in the verdant seaside hills of the Pacific Palisades in southern California, the Entenza House is the ninth of the famous Case Study Houses built between 1945 and 1962. With a vast, open-plan living room that connects to the backyard through floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, the house brings its natural surroundings into a metal Modernist box, allowing the two to coexist as one harmonious space.

Like its peers in the Case Study Program, the house was designed not only to serve as a comfortable and functional residence, but to showcase how modular steel construction could be used to create low-cost housing for a society still recovering from the the Second World War. The man responsible for initiating the program was John Entenza , Editor of the magazine Arts and Architecture. The result was a series of minimalist homes that employed steel frames and open plans to reflect the more casual and independent way of life that had arisen in the automotive age.[1]

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #3 by William W Wurster & Theodore Bernardi

The third Arts & Architecture Case Study House has a noticeably different sensibility to that of many of the other designs in the series. While equally engaged with the goal of maximizing enjoyment of the natural surroundings, in this design the architects show more concern for privacy and protection.

The approach from the street is somewhat forbidding; aluminum siding presents an impenetrable front. Besides the front and garage doors, the small, high kitchen windows are the only visible openings, though it is possible to peer over the fence of grape stakes into the children’s private garden.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case Study House #2 by Sumner Spaulding and John Rex

The second house in Arts & Architecture magazine’s Case Study Houses program shows the hallmarks of the series: an emphasis on light-soaked living areas, indoor-outdoor living, strong horizontal lines dominated by a flat roof, and so on. It is distinguished, though, by particularly creative details linking the indoor and outdoor areas, and by a strong awareness of function.

A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Case Study House #20, the Bailey House

The Bailey house—one of Richard Neutra ’s four Case Study designs for Arts & Architecture —forms one of five Bluff houses, standing high above the ocean. The brief was to create a low-budget home for a young family, with just two bedrooms, but offering the possibility of expansion as time went by (which did in fact transpire; additional Neutra-designed wings were later built).

Neutra employed the same indoor-outdoor philosophy that can be seen at work in his unbuilt Alpha and Omega houses, using large sliding glass doors to create light and a visual sense of space, as well as ensuring that the house physically opened up to, as he put it, “borrow space from the outdoors.” With this sunny Californian ocean-view setting, it made perfect sense to use the back garden and terrace as living and dining room.

A Virtual Look Inside the Case study house #12 by Whitney R Smith

In designing his (unbuilt) house for the Arts & Architecture Case Study program , Whitney Smith, like Richard Neutra , prioritized the connection to outdoor space. His motivation, however, was more specific than a desire to extend the living area of a small house. Rather, he wanted to create a highly personal space, geared to the passion of his hypothetical client. Seeing conventional plans as a straitjacket for residents who craved appropriate working space within their home (be it a sewing studio or a photography darkroom), he aspired to fit this house to the needs of a keen horticulturist.

A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Unbuilt Case Study House #13, The Alpha House

Of the four homes designed by Richard Neutra for the Case Study Houses program, post-war thought experiments commissioned by Arts & Architecture , only one was ever realized. In the imaginary village of the program's many unbuilt homes, next to #6, the Omega house , stands #13, named Alpha. Archilogic ’s 3D model gives us a unique chance to experience this innovative concept home.

Each of Neutra’s projects was designed for a family of five, and each reveals his psychoanalytic approach to architecture, in which the house itself is an intimate part of family relationships, as important as the personalities involved. (Neutra was personally acquainted with Freud, and a committed follower of birth trauma theorist Otto Rank.) Underlining this Freudian view, his imaginary clients are not just neighbours—they are related; Mrs Alpha being sister to Mrs Omega.

A Virtual Look Into Mies van der Rohe's Core House

Architecture depends on its time. It is the crystallization of its inner structure, the slow unfolding of its form. – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

In 1951, Mies van der Rohe designed the Core House, a participative design structure which could be completed by its inhabitants.

This flexible model challenged certain architectural concepts, explored new industrial technologies, and proposed a modular system to improve the quality and affordability of housing.