Eames House – Case study house #8

Eames house

Constructed in 1949 in pacific palisades , California , Eames house is a landmark

of mid-twentieth century modern architecture . It was owned by design pioneers

husband and wife , Charles and Ray Eames . The Eames ‘ gracious live-work life-

style continues to be an influential model ( Eames house

The design of the house was proposed for a case study house program for Art

and Architecture magazine . The idea was to hypothesize a modern household

elaborate its functional requirements , have an architect design the home , use

modern materials and [banner_entry_middle]

construction processes , and then actually build the home . The

Eames ‘ proposal reflected their own household and their own needs , a young

married couple wanting to live , work and entertain in one undemanding setting in

harmony with the site (Eames house

A site near the coast , on Pacific Palisades , once a part of private estate was

selected . The initial design proposed consisted of a raised steel and glass box

projecting out of the slope . According to the final design , the house was tucked

into the slope with a concrete wall on the uphill side . A mezzanine level was

added , making use of pre-fabricated spiral stair that was to be the lower entrance

The upper level holds the bedrooms and overlooks the double height living room

A courtyard was also introduced , separating the residence from the studios . The

revised scheme only required one additional beam . The 17 feet tall fazade is

broken down into a rigidly almost Mondrianesque composition brightly colored

panels between thin steel columns and painted black . The entry door is marked

with a gold leaf panel above . The row of eucalyptus trees was preserved along

the exposed wall of the house , providing a visual contrast to the bold fazade of

the house . The Eames house is considered the most successful both as an

architectural statement and as a comfortable , functional living space ( Eames house Works-cited page

Eames House , wikipedia the free encyclopedia , 6-12-2006 , Retrieved on 10-12-2006… [banner_entry_footer]