Mid2Mod: Case Study House Program

Showing posts with label Case Study House Program. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Alcoa Care-free Home for sale in Portland

After World War II, companies like U. S. Steel, who sponsored the Case Study House Program, and the Aluminum Company of America (now Alcoa), saw aluminum as a "miracle metal" that had uses reaching far beyond the defense industry. In 1957 Alcoa issued a press release, saying they wanted to create the "greatest change in residential building materials in centuries."

Alcoa hired architect Charles M. Goodman to design a 1900 square foot single-story home which they originally planned to showcase in every state, but they ultimately only succeeded in building 24 houses in "strategic locations" in 16 states, because what was originally promoted as an affordable $25,000 home turned out to cost twice that much.

Goodman's plan

The only Alcoa Care-free home in Oregon is currently for sale in Portland. It is listed at $950,000. The square footage has been increased from the original 1900 to 2826, without changing the footprint, by converting the workshop behind the garage to a guest suite and laundry room.

The home still has the original purple aluminum exterior and peacock blue woven aluminum window grilles and blue aluminum door. It also features an interior courtyard and a number of glass interior walls.

From oregonlive.com

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Growing up at 205 Chautauqua

I recently ran across an interesting article in the Eames Library. It was written by Linda Cervon about growing up in the Case Study House #9, right next door to Ray and Charles Eames.

Cervon's parents bought the house from John Entenza, the editor of Arts & Architecture magazine, who was the original owner. The house was designed for Entenza by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen. Cervon's parents paid $55,000 for the house in 1955.

Case Study House #9
dailyicon.net

Case Study House #9 living room
dailyicon.net

Case Study House #9 patio
eamesdesign.com

Case Study House #9
archigraphie.eu

In the article, Cervon talks about what good neighbors Ray and Charles Eames were...how Charles would build structures out of cardboard boxes in his studio and let the neighborhood kids swing on ropes suspended from beams in the studio ceiling to knock them down. She discussed how refined and elegant Ray was and how much Ray influenced her.

She also discussed life surrounded by the major architects of the time (and even her dating the son of Rodney Walker and, after the death of her mother, her father's dating the ex-wife of Craig Ellwood.) She also recalls her "wicked stepmother" insisting on some rather horrible changes to Case Study House #9.

Cervon is well known in some circles as the godmother of Disney memorabilia collectors, so she is an interesting character in her own right.

Linda Cervon
vcreporter.com

If you're as interested as I am in the early owners of the Case Study Houses, I recommend this brief article. For such a quick read, it offers fascinating insight into what it was like to grow up one of the homes that we so admire.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Thornton Abell

Thornton Montaigne Abell (1906-1984) was a California-based architect. He was born in South Haven, Michigan, and educated at the University of Michigan, the University of California Berkeley and the University of Southern California where he graduated cum laude with a degree in architecture in 1931.

He worked as a designer for Clare C. Hosmer from 1925-1926, as a designer for Joseph J. Kucera from 1926-1927 and as a designer and chief draftsman for Marsh, Smith and Powell from 1930-1942. He opened his own office in 1944.

In 1947 he was asked to participate in the Case Study House Program. He designed and built Case Study House #7, which was completed in 1949.

From 1950-1952, Abell taught architecture and design at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, and from 1953-1965 he taught at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture.

From washington.edu and soloarquitectura.com