I had the pleasure of spending some time in Case Study House 22 – Stahl House this past weekend (thanks Sam!) and it really helped focus my perspective on my own project and the recent pricing setback. For some quick background, the Case Study Houses are part of a program started by Arts & Architecture magazine that ran through the mid-century. It enlisted visionary architects of the time to design and build examples of efficient, modern and inexpensive homes to inspire the building boom. Not all of the 36 designs were built, but the majority exist in Los Angeles. If you are a fan of modern architecture and design, these houses are treasures – see as many as you possibly can.
The Stahl House is one of the most famous due to a picture taken by Julius Shulman, who photographed many of the Case Study houses. This iconic photograph (right) became the symbol of modern architecture and life in Los Angeles. The house has also appeared in many films and TV shows and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. However, it’s not the fame or recognition the house has received that connected with me, but rather its humble beginnings and the tenacity and vision of its original owners – CH ‘Buck’ Stahl and his wife Carlotta.
The land for the house was purchased in 1954 for $13,500 (how times have changed), and offered spectacular views of LA. Buck, who was a sign painter and graphic designer, had a vision for the property. The Stahls spent the next two years of their weekends hauling discarded concrete (from construction sites around LA) up to the land in the trunk of their family car to shore up the slope and grade the property. Buck even made a model of the home he and Carlotta wanted as they searched for an architect and builder. After multiple tries they found Pierre Koenig, who signed on to build the house. It was Koenig that also got the home accepted into the Case Study program.
While the simple design, heavy use of glass, open floor plan, and use of wood to accent and add warmth to the box design – appeal to everything I love in a home, it is the story of how the Stahl’s realized their dream that really resonated. They were not a family of means, but were presented with a puzzle to solve to get what they wanted. Through vision, hard work, tenacity, a bit of luck and finding the right people to work with, they created an American icon of design and architecture (which was never their intent or desire). I’m inspired by how they made it happen. To finally get to the point of this entry, my recent setback around the cost to develop my land is really just part of the puzzle to be figured out. Getting back to that notion of this just being another part of the journey and getting back to the real reason why I’m doing this – keeps me energized and looking forward to what’s next.