Wednesday, February 25, 2015

California Architectural Gem: Walter Bailey House

Built for Walter Bailey in 1959, the Bailey House is number 21 in the Case Study House Program, which invited notable architects to share their low cost, modern housing designs with the magazine 'Arts & Architecture'. 

The Bailey House was designed by Pierre Koenig for the site, located in the Hollywood Hills. It's constructed using prefabricated materials, such as steel beams and glass panels, and features ponds with water that circulates up through the house to help keep it cool, while also filtering the water and providing nice audio.





Subsequent owners remodeled the house, but one owner in the nineties hired Koenig to help restore it to its original design, with the addition of updated appliances. It was then declared a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument to preserve the building intact through future owners, and later set a record for the second highest price of a modern home at auction, when it sold for over three million dollars. 




The floor plan is configured in an L-shape with bathrooms and utilities in the center of the home, and glass walled living areas around the perimeter. It was configured with a north/south axis to capitalize on the views, as well as take advantage of the southern exposure in winter and help keep the house cooler in summer. It is considered one of the finest of Koenig's works and a high point in the Case Study Program.


content via wikipedia and Arts & Architecture. images from pinterest and curbed.

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