California, Eames house Essay Example for Free

California, Eames house Essay 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 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 facade 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 facade 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 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Eames_House